Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-02-08
watches And Personal Magnetism.

"Sir, you should wear an open-faced
watch ii you desire to be accurate in
your time said matchmaker to the
stout man you are too magnetic"
"Why, what the deuce has the case
got to do with it 2" was the interroga-
tive reply.
"Everything. Your watch has hunt
ing-case, necessitating steel springs for
opening and shutting. By constant as
sociation with your body those springs
become magnetized, and they generate
their condition to other necessarily steel
portions of the watchworkS, and thus
render their movements imperfect"
"Then, If 1 were not fat my watch
would not lose two minutes, more or
less. day." said the puzzled stout man.
Exactly" returned the matchmaker.
81 have worn your watch for over a
week and it he's neither gained nor lost
a dozen seconds ; but then am, from a
corporal point of view, your antithesis.
| am exceptionally thin and slender"
The stout man mused. Accordingly,
said he, "open-faced tickers for fat men,
closed cases for thin, eh?"
mot at all, replied the other. "Thin
men have at times more magnetism in
their systems than fat men. Everybody
Is more or less magnetic you happen
to be particularly so; I happen to be
quite the reverse hence my remarks
and advice. For the rest, open-faced
watches are always more accurate than
hunters. They are more air-tight for
one thing. AS for the steel springs in
hunting cases, mechanical science has
not yet discovered anything else to re-
place them ; the public like double cases,
and there the matter remains for the
present. There are, however, many i'll
contrived portions in watches, and while
the demand continues for watches of
certain price it Is impossible, from a
commercial point of view, to think of
improvements. Long-used methods and
ingenious engines have been specially
provided to fashion and cut out every
one of the minute parts which go to
compose the existing instrument. Every
watch consists of over 200 pieces en-
ploylng over 200 persons, distributed
among forty trades, to say nothing of
the tool-makers for the artisans. If the
construction of the watch were ma
terlalIy altered, all the trades would
fwneeI-cIIIlng engines would have to be
devised, ana rne majority of working
watchmakers become useless. The con-
sequence would be that the watch would
become enormously enhanced IN value
and its possession q token of wealth.
You see. in your complicated state of
society even machines ia the process of
time come to surround themselves with
circle of vested interests which EN-.
barrass attempts at Improvement.
You are interesting me-" remarked
the stout customer, as he placed his
watch in his pocket. 'You have been
many years, I suppose, in the business.
OF course, there must have been some
improvements In your time ?"
"Of course. Watches during the
past ten years have grown much in
thickness. Old-fashioned watches are
thin and fiat. have had q watch IN
my charge as fat as trade dollar. 1t
is impossible 10 properly adjust the
works for heat, cold and position under
such circums tances, l should have to
give you long explanation OF the pack
ing OF mechanism to explain to you
why"
"WelI, has the increased thickness
raised the value ?"
"No. On the contrary, watches are
now worth 25 per cent less than they
were twelve years ago. That fact, you
will say, bears against my previous re-
marks. am referring to the cheaper
grade of watches worn by the majority
of people. There are watches which
bring 81, 500, and watches which can be
purchased for $1S dozen. If you are
willing to pay for costly work almost
anything can be accomplished.
"I made a watch for a physician
which fitted into a signet ring not much
larger than pea. 1t had only second
hands. 1t was perfectly accurate, and
was used by the doctor to time the pulse
of his patients. That cost $400.
Watches are made from the size Of a
ten-cent piece to half a dollar, and worn
as trinkets by ladies. They are also
fixed in bracelets, brooches, tops and
pencils, eyeglasses, and even umbrella
handles f; but they are very luxurious
toys"
The stout man paid his bill and went
home,
The KhedIve's Wife.