Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-10-05
ABOUT TIME PIECES.
A Chicago Watoli-h Maker Gives Some In
sight Into the History of His Craft.

"The history of the art OF clock ant
watch making is an interesting one
and | often think how few of the
many curious spectators and pur
chasers who stand daily around my
windows understand any thing about
it,"
The individual who gave uttcrance tc
the above expression of opinion was the
proprietor Of an established jew
elry, watch and clock store in one Of
main thoroughfares of the city.
"The invention of clock driven by
Il weight is. by many, attributed to q
| famous Archdeacon of Verona in the
! ninth century," he continued, land by
| others it is credited to Gerbert, after
| ward Pope Sylvester H., who made the
clock of Magdeburg in 996 when he
was an Archbishop. My 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 inventions-Be Beck
mann's | beheve--as 'timc-pieco
which was set by looking at the pole
star through tube There is no
doubt, however, that genuine clocks
had been invented before the com
menccment of tire twelfth century. Ii
may seem strange, but it is neverthe-
less true, that watch making is the
outgrowth or offspring of the older but
ruder trade of blaeksmithing.
"Although there is no watch-mak ers'
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 a
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 expenses
imposed upon members for violation OF
the law. The guilds We're divided into
two branches or sections. one of which
was denominated the ecclesiastical and
the other the mercantile. The ecclesi-
astical guilds were under the guidance
and control of churchmen, and had for
their principal object the advancement
OF religion and the cause of charity.
THE mercantile branch contained
all the trades associations, and had
csrtain rules for the improvement of
the particular craft to which the mem
bers belonged Ancient though the
watch-makers' guild is acknowledged
to have been, there were many whose
inception was many generations older
Among these may be mentioned that
of the weavers, which was the oldest
trade guild in the world, it's charter
dating from the reign of Henry III.
The SINNERS, bakers and fshmongers'
guilds were also much more ancient
than that of the watch makers Twen-
ty years before the watchmakers were
chartered, in 1911, they were incor-
porated with the blacksmths.
although in the international exhi-
bition held in Paris in 1873 the French
and Swiss exhibits formed fully four
lfths of the many hundred specimens
of workmanship in the matchmaking
department, there is no doubt that
America is rapidly coming to the front
in the manufacture of this as in all
other articles. AT that exhibition the
other countries which entered the lists
with France and Switzerland in the
horologe department were England,
Austria. Spain, Denmark. Belgium,
Holland, Sweden, Italy, Russia and the
United States.
"Among the many curiosities in clock
sent in from Switzerland
were variety of watches which would
run for one month after being wound.
A clock was sent there from Paris
which was said to be able to 90 for
ttty years, but this was totally eclipsed
by timc-piece from Geneva in Switzer-
land, which was solemnly guaranteed
TO be capable of running for thousand
years. There is no one alive at pres
ent able to say whether this latter as
has ever been carried into eff
feet, and life was too short to wait to
see whether the iifty-year promise |
would be fulfilled. The Austrans had |
A pneumatic apparatus that would work /
io1cns, hundreds and even thousands
If clocks in all parts of the city at the |
same time.
'The French showed watch that
old the days of the week and the month /
md marked the changes of the moon. /
They also exhibited timc-pieces that /
would sound an alarm by the discharge /
If a pistol or work out problems of T
attitude and longitude. Among the /
'nrious pieces OF han' icraft turned out
~ these artists was an extraordinarily
mall watch which was exactly the size
# dime. This little article could
trike the hours and half-hours in
lear and distinct tone. h-Chicag0
NeCS.
"A woman can't keep secret. OF
course; yet when there is a secret his
DRY of any important transaction
Woman is usually in it.-NeW Hucea
NacS
Popping the question is like pop
ling corn. The popped article wants
be taken away from the fire imme-
lately aud sailed while it is warm. -
7. q, PtcagH5.
-Ioungster-"Papa, what is rev.