Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-04
NEW WATCH FACTORY.
alr, T.. +. BOwman's Enterprise.

Mr. Il. +. BOwmsn's Enterprise.
All of our Lancaster readers are. of
course, aware that Mr.. E. F. Bowman is
the owner of very well-appointed jewelry
store, No. 106 East King street, and does
Il very large retail business; but all Of
! them do not know that his retail trade
constitutes good deal less than one
half Of his business: and still fewer Of
them, most likely, are aware Of the fact
that he is engaged in the manufacture of
watches and has in his employ some OF
the most skil!ful mechanicians and de
sisners of watches in the country-men
who have held leading positions in the
most famous watch manufactures both in
England and America.
A representative Of the lNTELLIGENCER
called upon MIR. Bowman yesterday and
was shown through his establishments from
the basement up. The stOrerOOm contains
many hundred watches from all the best
makers, both foreign and domestic, many
of the movements being elegantly cased in
gold or silver, and many Of them ready
for casing to order, or for sale to other
dealers. An immense fire and burglar
proof safe is packed full of movements,
cases, chains, jewels, and Sther varieties
of fine goods, while the shelves are rs full
rs they we'll can be of clocks of all shapes,
styles and prices, while several smaller
safes are stored with watchmakcrs' tools,
machinery and materials, in which he
deals largely.
But it is the ,cdtch ti.ctory, and not
the manufactured goods, We set out to talk
about. This occupies the second story Of
the building. the machinery being run by
Il 4 horse power engine in the basement.
which. besides doing the factory work as
signed it, also heats the building, and tho
adjacent store room of Miss Reinstcin.
In the beginning Of September
1879 Mr.. Bowman determined to COM
mence the manufacture Of watches
not cheap ones, to come i'll competition
with the ordinary Swiss or American
watches-but first.class watch, ut least
equal to, and, if possible, better than the
celebrated makes of FrOdsham or Jurgen-
| son. With this object in view ne went
quietly but energetically to work and Sc
cured the assistance, rs above stated, Of
the best mechanical skill to DO had. First
the machinery and tools for making the
tools were made :; then the tools and ma.
chinery for making the several parts of
the watch were made ; and then the busi
ness of making the Bowman watch began.
Three of these watches have been finished
| and one of them was shown to
us yesterday. 1t is beautiful piece
Of workmanship, elegantly cased in
gold. 1t is full,jeweled, containing II ru-
| bies, greater number, We believe, than
in any other make Of watch. 1t is q stem
| winder and stem setter is accurately ad-
| chronism and position, and, by means of
NJ hmm Ant Of m % nn
regulator used in other watches (Of
which Mark Twain writes SO humOrOusly)
is dispensed with. To Mr.. VIM. N. Todd is
due the credit for the manufacture Of this
| fine piece of workmanship, He is certain
| ly Il mechanical genius, and one of the few
men able to make a watch from beginning
to end. Mr.. Todd made tho first model
watch for the Lancaster watch factory.
| and was for eleven years employed in the
model room of the Elgin works. lie is
| tho inventor of a number OF valuable im-
| prOveMents in watches. and is in charge of
this branch Of Mr.. Bowman's business. in
which his assistant is Mr.. n. Frck, for
| merly of WaynesbOrO, Pr.
When the first Bowman watch was
finished and shown to eminent Now
York and Philadelphia experts, it
| was pronounced "the best watch in
America" and to prove THAT these dx-
perts meant what they said. IN order was
at once given for twenty five of them,
with promise to take more as fast rs
they could be made. About fifty Of these
movements arc already we'll Oh to
completion, and about two hundred and
fifty more in less advanced stage.
1t must be remembered that everything
| about the watch Except the casc) is man
| ufacturcd on MIR. BOwman's premises.
The rubies are imported in the rough state
| and with delicate machinery made fOr tho
purpose they are ground and drilled down
| to the proper shape and size for jewels.
! Many OF the tools and Elucl! of the ma
chinery arc inventions of Mr.. Bowman or
/ his skilful superintendent, and some of
them, to our amateur eyes, seemed very
intricate, delicate and wonderful. Ono of
them is Il gauge, SO dclicatcly constructed
that it will accurately measure tho TWEEN
| ticth part of the diameter Of u human
hair. We were given an opportunity of
| Inspecting, under powerful glass, tho
several timer parts of the watch. Many
Of these ;.ny parts are hidden from view
when the watch is cased but all Of them
arc accurately cut and polished US highly
as it is possible for gems, or gold, Or steel
to be polished.
Mr.. Bowman is certainly entitled to
great credit for his enterprise and heavy
outlay in establishing second watch fac
| tory in Lancaster, and is to be cOngratu-
lated on the success which has crowned his
efforts in the production Of y watch that
has been pronounced by able and impair
| tial judges to DO second to mono in tue
| world.