River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-09-06
INDIVIDUAL TIME.
A Little Sketch That illustrates How
VehementIy Man viii Swear by
His Watch.


A fat man with a bald head and
little man with hooked nose sat next
to one another in one OF the smokers
seats in an open horse car which was
jogging down a Boston street. Though
evidently strangers, they were convers-
ing pleasantly. AS the car neared the
head of Milk street, the bald-headed
man CHANGED to look upward toward tue
historic church,tower which loOmed in
front With an exclamation of surprise
he turned away from its contemplation,
hastily pulled out handsome-looking
gold watch from his fob, regarded 1t a
moment, and settliRg back in his seat
with an air of mingled relief and salts
faction, remarked to his companion,
cold South clocks off again, / see.
Thoughtit couldn't be quite SO bad"
"Ohp Of?' cried the man with the
hooked nose, with an argumentative air,
like one who has been challenged and
was bound to stand on the defensive
"You say it's off, do you2 Well, maybe,
sir, maybe. Let us see"
The watch which he drew out OF some
recess of his waistcoat was not dlgnlhed
with chain, had a broken secondhand,
discolored dial, furnished case and a
RbntIdl All Oh 6tdDlutsSs DuN VIC At't'N
man bent over it with an air of respect
full confidence Carefully scanning the
face of the church clock, and looking
narrowly at the dial in his haad. and
repeating this dual inspection for q
second time, as if to make perfectly sure
4 4 be read them both right, he replied
to the fat mans questioning gaze, IN
which there was the barest suspicion OF
contempt:
'Clock's all right, sir; quite right, sir;
in short. exactly right, sir. My watch
here Verifies it.
ooh, your watch agrees with it, sir, does
it?' replied the bald-headed man, with
a bit of flush rising into each of his fat
cheeks. "Well, now, it is little sin
ular, but my watch, sir, makes tie clock
three good minutes out of the way, SIR"
The bald headed man had pro-
nounced the words "my watch" very
loud indeed But the little man was un-
ruffled. Tapping that portion of his
clothing in which it was presumable that
his timepiece lay hidden, he reioined
with perfect GOODNESS:
"Then your watch is wrong, that's all.
Mine agrees with the clock and, rs we
are two against one, | fancy that You
will not care to contend"
Contend, sir? Contend? I'd have you
know that I'd stand by my watch II the
odds were 100 to one, sir; yes, sir, 100 to
one Why, sir / paid $50 Tor that
watch within year, and it hasn't need
ed setting since / first began to carry it.
Tll bet $500 that it isn't fifteen seconds
out of tht way. My watch wrong? Pre-
posterorsp And TIE fat man mopped
his halo. head vigorously, the while he
looked askance at his quandom compan-
ion a # the latter began to show signs
of beil g a suspicious character.
81 don't care if you paid $4,000 for
your watch, sir. Yours is handsomeT
than n inc, I'll admit, and cost more
money; but when it comes to running
why. I'd bet my head on it. This watch
is an heirloom, sir. My old father car
RED it for twenty five years, and then
left it to me when he died. fifteen years
ago. Rnn2 You never saw such u watch
to run! 1t hasn't varied half minute a
year since I've had it, and it's only been
cleaned once. Run? tell you,sir, that
this watch"
Unfortunately the reporter was obliged
to leave the car at this point, and there
fore it is impossible to state whether the
bald-headed gentleman was duly con
WINGED OF the superiority Of the hook
nosed mans timepiece to his own or not.
Boston Herald.