Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-12-04
ABOUT TIME PIECES.
A Chicago watch-Maker Gives Some In
sight Into tho History of His Craft
"The history of the art OF clock and

A Chicago watch-Maker Gives Some In. |
SIGHT Into tho History of His Craft
"The history of the art OF clock and
watch making is an interesting one,
and | often think how few Of the
many curious spectators and pur-
chasers who starl daily around my
windows understand any thing about
it.
The individual who gave utterance to
the above expression OF opinion was the
proprietor Of an old-cstablished jew
elry, watch and clock store in one OF
main thoroughfares of the city.
"The invention of a clock driven by
a weight is. by many. attributed to a
famous Archdeacon Of Verona in the
ninth century," he continued, ''and by
others il is credited to Gerbcrt, after.
ward Pope Sylvester H.. who made the
clock of Magdeburg in 906 when he
was an Archbishop. Ny belief, how
ever, is that the invention of this pre-
late can not be set down in the cate
| CORY of clocks, for it is described in a
very old history of inyentions--Beck-
manns | bclieve-as 'time-piece
which was set by looking at the pole
star through a tube There is no
doubt, however, that genuine clocks
had been invented before the com
mencement of the twelfth century. 1t
may seem strange, but it is neyerthc-
less true, that watch making is the
outgrowth or offspring Of the older but
ruder trade of blacksmthing.
although there is no watch-makers'
union in Chicago, or indeed any city
in the United States that | have ever
heard Of, it is nevertheless fact that
away back in the reign Of Henry VIII.
Of England there existed in London Il
watchmakers' union which was one OF
the most powerful and famous of the
trade guilds Of that city.
These ancient guilds originated,
believe, in the old Saxon law, which
demanded sureties from every free
man OF the age Of fourteen years for
his good behavior. This custom, or
law, which survived under Norman
rule, compelled artisans and workmen
of every description to combine into
associations organized to meet expense;
imposed upon members for violation o.
the law. The guilds were divided into
two branches or sections, one of whicl
was denominatcd the ecclesiastical ant
the other the mercantile. The ecclcsi
astical guilds were under the guidance
and control of churchmcn, and had fo
their principal object the adyanceinen
Of religion and the cause of charity.
The mercantile branch containC,
| all the trades associations, and ha,
certain rules for the improvement O
| the particular craft to which the mem
bCrs belonged. Ancient though th
watch-makcrs' guild is acknowledge
, to have been, there were many who's
inception was many generations Older
Among these may be mentioned tina
t Of the Weaycr,, which was the oldes
: trade guild in the world. its chartc
, dating from the reign of Henry il
: The SINNERS, bakers and tishmongcr'
+, |
J than Chat Of the watch-makcrs' Twel
0 tv years before the watch-makers wei
G chartered. in l6il, they We're inco
: poratcd with the blacksmiths.
Y "Although in the international eHh
bition held in Paris in 1873 the Frenc
0 and Swiss exhibits formed fully fouI
, ffths of the many hundred specimen
. Of workmanship in the watch-makin
{ department, there is no doubt Til;
: America is rapidly coming to the fror
, in the manufacture Of this as in 4
. other articles Al that exhibition I'll
: other countries which entered the lis
, with France and Switzerland in I'll
, horologc department were EngianC
| Austria. Spain, Denmark, Belgium
{ Holland, Sweden, Italy, Russia and til
, United States.
= among the many curiosties in cloc
| manufacture sent in from Switzcrlan
9 were a variety of watches which woul
, run for one month after being woun,
. A clock was sent there from Par
r which was said TO be able to 20 fc
f fifty years, but this was totally eclipse
4, by a time piece from Geneva in SwiIze
A land, which was solemnly guarantee
0 to be capable of running for y thousan
' wears. There is no one alive at pre-.
! cnt able to say whether this latter a!
/. surance has ever been carried into e
feet. and life was too short to wait
see whether the tiftv-year promi>
would be fulfilled. The AuStrians ha
a pneumatic apparatus that wouldw wor
dozens, hundreds and even thousand
of clocks in all parts of the city at tn
: same time.
. The French showed watch th'
told the days of the week and the mont
and marked the changes of the moor
o They also exhibited limc-pieces tn;
$ would sound an alarm by the discharg
r of pistol or work out problems Z
a latitude ana longitude. Among Il
curious pieces OF handicraft turned o,
bv these artists was an extra ordinari
Il small watch which was exactly the sii
e OF dime. This little article con
p strike the hours and half-hourS in
$ clear and distinct tone. Chicd!