St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-03-20
NIGHT WATCHMEN,
An Invention Which Accurately Tells
Whether They Do Their Duty.


Whether They Do Their Duty.
'Ihere has been great demand OF
late years for a clock that would record
the going and coming of night watch
men in factories, hotels and other LARGE
buildings" said a manufacturer to a
reporter recently. "You may provide
building literally with tire-escapcs,
but they are of little use if the watch
man, being asleep, neglects to give the
alarm when the ire breaks out. Thus
the best OF all precautions is the selec-
1flc Waterman clock and rcoister.'
Natchmcn are no better than other
mortals; they will grow weary and
sleepy. and some of them would rather
doZc al night III an armchair in some
snug corner than march their appointed
ROUNDS. But the electric clock and
register Is an invention that serves as
the most potent stimulus to the watch
man to make him go his rounds. II is
so arranged as TO serve for any desired
number of stations, and controllinr
from one to ten watchmen if necessary
AT each station the Waterman inserts
Key ana gives one full turn This
makes Its unfailing record on a blank
when Is locked inside the clock in the
ONCE and which is so placed that no
Waterman, however Ingenious or sly.
can tamper with it. The record when
S'aheh out IN the morning shows exactly
what stations the Waterman visited in
the night and the time of his visits
ARE there no other contriyanccs.
portable and more 5 nipple, that answer
the purpoSe?"
There are other contrivances, Ger.
talnlv, but none so reliable as the cleo
trsc clock. For instance, there is con.
tr1vancc which a Waterman carries |
about with him. This contains a paper |
dial on which record is to be made dur
ing the night by the use of kew fas-
tened at each station to be visited. This
Is delivered to the Waterman when he
goes on duty. The blank paper dial is
locked inside Of it. But supplying HIM
self with lot of false station KEYS the
Waterman can. punch all the holes he
pleases and deliver the detector to the
proper official in the morning correctly
marked. | tell you it is good deal OF
trouble for a Waterman to walk about
all night There are some people. even
night watchnen, who think the nicht
was made for sleep and rest. One such
who had been employed in a large hotel
where the portable detector had been in
use, astonished his employers By resign
ing shortly after they procured an cleo
tr1cal. lie admitted that the new clock
kept him going all night and disturbed
his rest. Under the old arrangement
ne had slumbcred and lounged to
us hearts content. The superintendent
81 large factory recently rugged pc
!ometcr to night Waterman. The man
went his rounds, and in the
morning the machine registered
nearly fifteen miles. In large factory
n Connecticut where the portable detec-
or Is III use. one of the officials took
letlon one night to walk quietly through
md see what was going on To his
urprise he found the Waterman living
Il half-drunken condition in the en- !
,ine-room. He thought, of course, that
q the morning the dial would be pre-
ented in very imperfect condition.
'ot he was very much astonished to find G
brought to the office with all the !
markings duly made. He said nothing. /
ut took observations the next night. :,
nd noted similar state of affairs, the B
narkings being apparently correct in E
lie morning. The Waterman was sum- :
loned to the office ard ordered to give an L
ccount of himself and his detector. The
lplanation was SO rambling and inco- =
erent that the man was at once dis 81
issed. The factory folks were mysti- f
ed and racked their brains to discover W
ow drunken man, who spent most Of &
s nights in an engine-room, could pro- p
ice such records in the morning. After
any days they learned that the deceit @
fellow had procured a number of ~
ank paper dials and also key to the &C
elk which shut them in. He would o.
ok. them in the evening before going p1
duty, then open the concern, take &C &C
t the blank which had been supplied o.
n and slip The fraudulent one in its P Pj
lce.-N. 4. maj and Empress. BA
co