The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-03-03

Anglo Saxon word meaning to wake.
The first portable timepiece Of which we
have any record was that of the Chinese
pocket dial mounted upon the head of
cane or carried by a chain round the neck.
An italian sonnet written by Gaspar Vi
cont in 1890, makes mention Of watches,
and Shakespeare refers to one in "Tweltth
Night" when he makes Malvolio say IL
frown while, and perchance wind up my
watch" Queen Elizabeth had watch in
shape exactly like duck, with chased
feathers, the lower part of which opened,
and the face or dial was of silver, orna-
mented with gilt design. The outer case
was of brass and that in its turn was orna-
mented with silver studs Mary Queen of
Scots gave curious token of her affection
to her faithful maid of honor, Mary
Seaton, in the shape of a watch in the form
of skull, the dial occupying the place of
the palate and the works that of brains.
The hours were marked in Roman letters.
A bell in the hollow of the skull received
! the works and hammer struck the hours
Striking watches were uncommon, and In
the time of Louis XI stolen watch was
discovered in possession of the thief by its
striking Guy Fawkes and his associates
had watch when they intended to blow up
the Houses of Parliament, "to try conclu-
sions for the long and short burning of the
fuses" All these early watches had but
one hand, and required winding up twice
day, until, in 1850, springs were substitut-
ed for weights,
Very few persons estimate the amount
of work there is in watch OF modern
manufacture Nearly thousand processes
are in use in completing them. There are
fifteen distinctly different kinds, and as
many as $50 varieties of finish, number of
Jewels construction of balance, etc, indie
pendent of cases and their varieties.
Women are largely employed in the work
of matchmaking, especially in Switzerland;
but since the year 1850 the whole process
has undergone immense change by the
substitution Of machinery for hand-work,
which originated with Mr.. Dennison and
Edward Howard, of Boston, who establish
ed the first mandatory of watches at Rox-
bury, Mass, whence it was moved, in 1881,
to Watham, on the Charles River. Each
separate portion of the watch is made on q
machine specially constructed for the pur-
pose, and the gauges employed are SO ac-
curate that the one seventeen-hundredth
part of an inch can be measured Some OF
the portions used in making a watch are
50 minute that it takes $50, 900 of them to
weigh one pound.
1t is quite unnecessary to enumerate the
marvellous clocks which have world wide
celebrity. the Strasbourg clock, for eX-
ample, or that at Berne, the many old
cathedral clocks in England, that, for in
stance. in Exeter, which retains the strik-
inc part made in 1900, while the great
clock in Canterbury Cathedral Is nearly 6OO
wears old. But it is of interest to know
that two great clocks have been exhibited
in this country within the last two years
which were made, we believe, at Columbus,
Ohio. and one of which is an exact repro
duction of the world-renowned clock Of
Strasbourg Cathedral. When we come to
consideration of modern clocks we find a
variety, limited only by length of purse and
purpose for which they are intended, from
the little timepiece costing less that dol
lar, suitable for hipboard and travelling, to
the exquisite horologe in marble and gold
with its canoes and statuettes costing hun
dreds of dollars. Musical and Ginning
clocks play an important part In modern
households as surely as they are losing
favor in church steeples. They We're in
vented in Germany, and we read of them
in 1880. AS adapted to rooms, they are
sometimes exceeding sweet in tone and
sometimes very great nuisance How
, ever chime-clocks are favorite5 in many
, homes, and what is known as the West
minister chime is as popular as the cuckoo
| clock of German origin was a while ago,
Clocks are, of course, adapted in style to
| the rooms for which they are intended,
t and certainly no room is complete without
one 1t is becoming more and more usual
: to increase their number, and as every one
l nowadays carries watch of some sort OF
other, so every loom, however humble, has
e its clock. In France notably, and in Eng,
< land usually, it is the fashion to have
t mantel-shelf sets, including the clock and
/ candelabra of the same style, and very
handsome such sets often are For dining
i rooms they would be in marble Or bronze
S or dark, carved woods; in the drawing
: rooms of ormolu or gilt, beautifully decora
h ted. very often with medallions painted by
d hand, and frequently covered by glas
e shades. Very handsome stands are mad'
: in Dresden china, the value of the clocl
: depending, after certain moderate sun
s for the works, entirely upon the materia
e and workmanship of the case.
j The latest improvements in horolog,
y have been mainly in the adaptation o
electricity to the working of the mechan
e ism. Until quite recently difficulties o
f various kinds have bah1ed the inventors
e but it seems now that there is a prospect o
e electrical clocks coming into general use
f The French some time ago introduced th'