Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-10-20

Watches, by reason Of their fragile
construction, and the variations to
which they are liable, can after all only
obtain limited perfection In their per-
Torrance; therefore, We must not be
astonished to dnd them subjectto certain
variations. These variations which easy
TO correct, need not prejudice the quali-
" OF q watch, as will be proved by the
following example Two watches, we
will suppose, have been put to the
same time by an excellent regulator.
At the end of q month, one OF these
watches is a quarter Of an hour too
fast; the other is exactly right to time.
To which of these watches would we
give the preferencer Perhaps to the
one which is exactly right. But In
making such choice, we nevertheless
incur the risk of abandoning . good
watch Tor q bad one. The first watch
has, We assume, gained 80 second day ;
and according to this rate, is has gained
quarter a of an hour in thirty days.
What must be done to make the watch
go we'll? Alter the reg ulator inside
from fast 10 slow, or get careful watch
maker te do it for you, thereby alter.
ing its daily rate. Let US now admit
that the other watch has been affected
during a month by irregular going,
which has occasioned it som.imes tO
gain, at other times TO lose to certain
extent daily. Ii may easily occur that
at the end of q month this gaining and
losing compensate each other, and by
this means the watch indicates the
exact hour at The time We look AT IL.
Such a watch can never be relied upon.
The fact is that watch which gains
In a reg ular manner or loses in q regu-
lar manner is superior TO any whose
variation is uncertain, and where its
variation comes 10 be familiar, the lit
tie companion may vie with the mosl
delicateiy adjusted ships ehrOnOmeter
A skillful matchmaker one day thus
reasoned with a customer who COM
planned OF his watch. "You complain.
ed,'' said he, ''that your watch gains 6
minute month. Well, then, you will
congratulate yourself when you have
heard me. You are aware that in your
wstch, the balance, which is the regu.
tor, makes oscillations every second
which is 422, 900 day SO that your
watch, exposed TO all the vicissitades
which heat and cold occasion IL, the
varying weight of the air, and the
shaking to which it is subjected, has
not varied more than minute month
or two seconds day. 1t has only ae.
Quired with each vibration of the bal.
snce variation of two hundred and
sixteen thousandth part of a second
Judge then what must be the extreme
perfection of the mechanism Of thii
watch ~ A watch cannot go for an in
definite period without being repaired
or cleaned. At the expiration of q Ger
tain time, the oil dries up, DUST accu
mulaIes, and wear and tear are the In
eyitsble results TO the whole machinery
the functions becoming irregular, an(
frequently cessing TO act altogether. A
person possessing watch Of goot
quality, and desIrous Of preserving i
as such, should have it cleaned every
TWO years at least. But care should b
taken to contide this cleaning or re
pairing to careful hands; an incapable
workman may do great injury to I
watch even of the simplest construc
tion.