Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-03-07
TRICKS OF MACHINES.
UNAccoUNTAsLE STOPS AND STARTS
 WHICH PUZZLE MECHANICS.
Watches That Have Needed only Little Rest-The Shoemaker and Ills Cranky Maciins-A LoeOmo-
 tiVe's Queer Freak.
-Phnnd-lnl,i, Tinrs.l

l tiVe's Queer Freak.
 | Philadelphia Tiues.l
 There are times. said a well. known | machinist. when nearly all machines get | cranky. The trouble is often simple ! one and is not infre luently owing 10 the | machinist not knowing his business. But ! that is not always the ease The very | best mechanic in the world gets hold of nut sometimes that is difficult tO crack. \ machine, no matter of what kind, may | work perfectly for months. and then one l day something goes wrong with iL The | n!achiuist looks gt 1t. eNam.EeS it. perhaps ! even takes it Co pieces and puts it up again, but all of no avail; the machine remains like a balky horse. which nothing will make go. At last the ma l chinist gets tired and goes home. sick of | pOttering with the troublesome thing l lie comes Co work the next day, per laTs having forgotten the previous trouble. touches a handle here. q wheel 1 there, drops a hule oil in half dozen places. turns on the steam and oil she goes without a murnur as if nothing had 1 ever happened No. l can't explain it neither could be The only conclusion to be drawn is that he omitted on the oc- casior of the stOppage those little neces- saTy touches of handles. turning of wheels and dTOppings of oil But there are other case, Of a slightly different nature
 Watches are so small and their mech anism is sO delicate that 1t requires care full inspection tO find the cause of any trouble, saiC q jeweler. ~The causes of sudden stOprage are very various. but among the most frequent is want of oil A drop of oil in watch will1ast from eightC-T months tO two years as lubri C:ttOr At the end of that time the works become dry and considerable wear ensues. sill a watch may run five years before 1t stops If watch is brought to me can not always say instantly what Is ''e mat Ter. though l often have to make some statement tO satisfy Q lady or an incOnsiderate man Some times l have had watch to cure. and have taken it to pieces. but do all would l could not grt il right Then l lay it on one side and go Co work on something else When l come back 10 the watch it is just as likely as not that everything will slide into place as easily as possible. Of course. the reason of my trouble has been a little nervousness. l have been tired or anxious. or my eyes or fingers have been.
 sometimes l have repaired a watch
 
 fore returning it Co is owner in good working order Then perhaps in two or three days he brings it back stopped again. That Is sometimes a poser. but in such case l put the watch in my pocket and cary it round with me for a few days. Hanging a watch on the rack, which is perfectly still and of even temperature. Is not fair test By carrying it in my pocket l often discover the trouble, which Is generally very simple one.
 ~Sewin machines are jest as pesky an cranky as women. said old Tom Me Clane. one of the oldest shoemakers in Philadelphia i've worked 'em all There's Mackays machine you've heerd so much about l used 10 work at one O Mackay's and was considered a pretty good hand. l thought l knowed that machine like book. but it went back on me one day. IL played pOssum for two days IL went so stiff l couldn't do nothin' with it, then it broke all my threads. and at last it took and tore about a inch and a half into one of my uppers.
 Well couldn't find out what was the matter. l guessed the thing was be- witched Anyhow. l went out and bought some spirits O turpentine and cleaned up every part of 1t, then oiled It afresh and let him be for a whole day 1 member me an my ole woman took holiday that day an spent 1t on the river in Delaware steamer. Well. don know what did it. whether it was the rest had put 1t iu good humOr. or the cleaning, or the oil, but when I went down to the shop next day the old thing went along like house a fire. as though there hadn't never been nothin the matter with it
 Ever had any bother with my engine?7 said Ed. Murray. an engi ger on the Pennsylvania railroad. No. | can't say I ever did, but I've heard old Jake Fin lay. who used 10 run the express between Philadelphia and New York, tell queer story of q trouble he got into once. He was considered a good engineer and was undoubtedly a thoroughly capable man. IL was one winter a good many years ago, he was running his usual en- zine on the evening express He reached 1 Trenton safely and stopped there twenty minutes for refreshments The rest was over. the passengers all seated, the line signaled clear the bell rang and old Jake took of the brake and turned the steam on The engine gave a sort of feeble kick and the big driving wheels revolyed half dozen times. but didn't grip the rails and the train didn't move. Jake thought the train was too heavy. so he backed it little to gain an impetuS ! Then he put on the steam full again to go forward. but the old engine just kicked again and the driving wheels went round again, Lut the train never moved Jake got mad last and got of the cab to look for ] the trouble He shouted 10 the fireman to turn on steam. His order was obeyed and without the slightest trouble the engine | gliled out of the station as if she were on | a soaped board Jake was so worried about | it that it preyed on his mind and about ! six months after he resigned his position. | l haven't the least idea what was the mat | ter. but guess Jake had forgotten some ! thing he ought 10 have done. and the fire man. being just told 10 let her go. went through the proper business. Jake thought the engine was bewtched and | Iia ir, that f,aiiaf