Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-24
\ Watch Experience.

From childhood TO maturity have had
experience with the watch that is both de-
ceptive and instructive. In early life, at
the age of ten years, the hight of my am
btion was to carry watch that | could
call my own, My father, to try my care,
intrusted me with his watcl-a bulls
eye" and a prouder boy seldom walks
the streets Very often had occasion to
take out the watch to see how time was
passing. 1t was very pleasing to the boy
to be asked the time of day
l was bantered one day to make an offer
to a man for his watch. To be safe said,
" Four dollars" He said, You shall
have it,"
With watch of my own my fathers
was returned. My watch, | soon found
out, was made to sell-not to keep time.
| sold it for four dollar hat. Then l
waited till l had eight dollars Of my own
with which l bought a new watch of Eng
lish make which run well, but having a
specializing spirit, swaped it for Swiss
watch, paying eight dollars in exchange.
Years passed on, and then obtained an
English "jeweled p,tent lever " watch,
costing me thirty-six dollars, which prov
ed TO be Il time keeper.
now had an opportunity for learning
the expense of keeping watch in run
ming order. Will speak of few cases in
my years of experience: A yearly clean
ing was the rule, by the jewelers. advice,
to have it last well and keep good time
On one occasion the spring broke, and Il
new one was put in that would run the
watch about twenty-six hours instead of
thirty or more. asked the jcwecr why
it was So and he said it was the onLy one
he had that was just like The one in the
watch before. Probably the spring was
broken off some inches and put in again
price, two dollars. Again, the hinge oil
the watch cover had given way after it
had left nay hands. and needed repairing
| " 40 eolu lnut III WOulu COSt IlToc COLLARS
te repair the hinge, for it was very deli.
cate thing to mend. could not see it. re-
fused to have it done, and gave it to an.
other jeweler who repaired it without ask
ing anything, so trilling was the aff.ir.
Again, watch cleaned, and it would stop
| was told that the teeth of the verge
struck against the fork and had bent som,
of the teeth. Had them Strengthened a
an expense of one dollar. Some trouble
occurred again, and was told it needed q
new fork, and he would put it in for three
dollars. l said, Why not shove it down
IL little? He said it would cost lust as
much rs to make new one. He did no
do il. carried it to the German who re.
paired the hinge. and he did it, asking
nothing (afterward he did my work..
left the former man and called upon {
jeweler opposite to clean my watch. He
said one wheel was much worn and need
ed new wheel, and would cost me three
dollars. l said, No, l never repair unit
something gives way" so saved another
three dollars.
Again, another break carried my
, watch to man in Portsmouth, N. II. III,
said he would repair it for three dollars
F left it, and upon calling for it, he sale
the spring and chain were broken and tn,
barrel was destroyed; should have asked
me five dollars for repairing if he had no
agreed to do it for three.
At Washington, D. c., the main spring
broke, and another was put in for one dol
lar. Again in New Hampshire spring
broke, and for repairing paid one dollal
and fifty cents. 1t broke or slipped OF
within week, and cost one dollar and fif
ty cents for repairs again.
AT another place the spring gave wa,
and called to have another put in. III,
jeweler said he could not attend to it then
leave it, and call again. said no.
would see what had occurred; opened i
and found the spring had broken off abou
an inch. He punched hole, put il II
: place, and charged fifty cents instead O
two dollars. The chain often broke: baG
it mended, and it would break again in the