Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-09-11
TRICKS OF MACHINES.
UNAcC oJNTABlE STOPS AND STARTS
Witch PUZZLE MECHANICS.
Watches That Have Needed Only a Littl,
Rest-Th- Shoemaker and His
Cranky 'Iachine-A Locomo-
tiIc's Queer Freak.


mere are tlUlcS. SAID Il Unknown
machini>t, when nearly all machines get
cranky. The trouble is often simple
one and is not infrequcntly owing to the
machinist not knowing his business But
that is not always the case The very
best mechanic III the world gets hold OF a
nut sometimes that is difficult to crack. 4
machine no matter of what kind. may
work perfectly for months, and then one
day something goes wrong with it, The
machinist looks at ii. examines it. PERHAPS
even takes it to pieces and puts it up
again. but all of no avail: the machine
remains like a balky horse. which
nothing will make 20. At last the ma
chinst gets tired and goes home, sick Of
pottering with the troublesome thing
lie comes to work the next day, per
haps having forgotten the previous
trouble. touches il handle here. a wheel
there. drops IA little oil in half dozen
places turns on the steam and oil She
goes without Il murmur. as if nothing had
ever happened No. cant explain it
neither could he. The only conclusion to
bt drawn IS ;tat he omitted on the oc-
casion of the stoppage those little neccs.
sary touches of handles turning of wheels
and droppings of oil But there are other
cases OF II slightly different nature
"Watchcs are 81 small and their mech
anism is 50 delicate that il requires a care
full inspection 10 find the cause of any
trouble. said IL jcwccr. The causes Of
sudden stOpra@e are very various, but
among the most frequent is want of oil.
y drop of oil in watch will last from
eighteen months To two years rs lubri
Gator. At the end OF that time the works
become dry and considerable wear cnsues
Still watch may run five years before it
stops. If Il watch is brought to me can
not always say instantly what is the mat
ter, though | often have to make
some statement to satisfy lady
or an inconsdcrate man SOM
times have had "a watch I. cure, and
have taken il To pieces. but do all would
l could not ct ii right Then lay it on
one side and 20 u work on something
else. When come buck TO the watch It
Is Just rs likely as not that c,cr,lhing will
side INTO place - cash. - res, blc IF
course. the rca IN of my ,ro .b.c las ben
a !tt'C nervousness. have been tired or
ANXIOUS. or my eyes or fingers have bccA.
"Homcincs ! have rel a:f'd . watch
and hung il o.. rack 70: a r." DAYS he.
fore rctuYn:.." il To lis ownc.' in good
working order T'l,n l.c:.iapS in two or
three days he brings il la. ' stopp Il
again. That is Sometimes Il POSER. bus in
such Il case ! 1T she watch in NV pocF I
and carry ii ru,nd with me for lew days. |
hanging Il watch on tn, I'll, :. which is
Perfectly still and Of even t.ir. nature. is
10, Il lair ties; ';y carr, ing :, in III,
pocket Oft, il .sruvcri til, trouble Will Ia |
Is generally very SimP.t one
">ewin machines are est as prsky an |
cranky as women. said old Tom Nc |
lane. one of the oldest shocmakcrs in !
Philadelphia Il We worked en- AL |
There's Mackay's machine you've hccrl so |
much about. | uSrd 10 work ut one o. |
Mackay's and was considered IL pretty |
good hand thought | knowcd that |
machine like book, Tut it went back on |
me one day. Ii Played posSum for two |
days. 1t went SO still | couldn't do |
nothin with it. then it broke all nv |
threads. and AT last it took and tore about !
inch aud a half into one OF my uppcrs
well. coullnl find out what was the |
matter. | guessed the thing was be
witchcd Anyhow. | went out and bought |
some spirits o turp;nline and cleaned up |
every part of ii. then oiled it afresh aad |
let him be- for Il whole day. / member
me an my ole woman took Il holiday tn
day an spent ii on the RIVER in Delaware
steamer. VEL don know W hat did il.
W u Nst> tii' lt>A uVl Iill III Ill Htfful
humor. or the cleaning, or the oil hut
when went down to the shop next day
the old thing went along ike a house
fire. as though there hadn't never been
nothin the matter with it.
Ever had any bother with my engine"
said Ed. Murray. an engineer on The
Pennsylvania railroad No | can't SAY
ever did but I've heard old Jake in.
lay. who used TO run The express between
hiiai.clphia and CIV \ ork. tell queer
story OF trouble he rot into once
He was considered Il good engineer and
was undoubtedly Il thoroughly capable
man. 1t was one winter n coed many
years ago. he was running his usual en-
CINE on Ike evening express He reached
Trenton safely AMI stopped there twenty
minutes for refreshments The rest
was over the passengers all seated the
Inc signalcd clear the tcll rang and
old Jake took OIL the brake and turned
the steam on. The engine gave sort If
a feeble kick and the ig driving wheels
ievolved half Il dozen times. but didn't
z, ip the rail, aud the train didn't move
lake III .aght the train was too heavy.
so he backed il Il lit C to gain an impetus
Then he put on the steam full again to 90
forward but the old engine Just kicked
again and the driving wheels went round
again, but the train never moved. AXE got
mad at last and got oil the cab to look for
the trouble He shouted TO the fireman to
turn on steam His order was obcycd and
without the slightest trouble the engine
glided out of the station as if she were ON
"A soapcd board Jake was so worried about
it that it preled on his mind and about
six months after he resigned his pos ton
haven the least idea what was The mat
Ter. but guess AXE had forgotten some
thing he ought 10 have doue. and the fire
man. being just told TO let her go. went
through the proper bus ncss AXE
thought the al -iGc was bcw :, he'd and
died in that be Of "