Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-05
FIXING HIS WATCH.
A BOSTON REPORTERS EXPERIENCE
 WITH A TIMEkEEPER.
Tricks of the Watch Repairer's Trade-Big
 Prices Charged for Correcting Trivial De- rangements-Petty Swind1ing-Men Who

Prices Charged for Correcting Trivial De-
 rangements-Petty SwindIing-hen Who
 Are Honest.
 The man I called upon was slim, blue eyed chap, who sold daily papers, candy, cigars, stationery, toys and all sorts of knicE- knacks, and run a watch and clock doctoring counter besides. We fell to talking about the tricks of the trade; how charges were made for trivial Arrangements, and how prices were charged, not in proportion to the work performed, but according to how much the matchmaker thought he could collect To make long story short, that slim, blue eyed watch tinker and entered into a com pact to test the honesty of the watchsIniths of Boston, and I was to take my watch around town and see what ailed it. I paid him $1 for cleaning the interior of the watch and then started out.
 My first venture was in little store on Washington street. A broad shouldered youth, with dark face and big nose, took off the ulster of my pet, lifted up it's shirt and looked ill. The scrutiny was long and thorough.
 "Your watch is very dirty" said he. Il must clean it before I can repair it." This information was veryAconsoling to me for the reason that l had just paid my money for the cleaning. Still, consented, and departed with Q ''checl" in my hand.
 In three days I called again. It was done. The roller pin was broken. It was necessary to put in new one. That was S1.5O The cleaning was $1, making the total S250. I paid the bill and went back to my blue eyed down easter. He looked at the watch.
 ''What did you pay for this job9" ho asked.
 'Two fifty"
 "Howa What for!'
 kITA H. NJ .oJIo l. was gone. A new one cost 50 mOro."
 The man was mad If told you just what he said, there would be joy in sheol over the fact that soul was lost He took out the roller pin and showed it to me- It was an ordinary brass pin such as you can buy for five cents a paper in any storo of Boston. The head had been filed off. Also the point But the pin was there and it had cost me S1. 50 I thought it was pretty good profit on the investment.
 'Can you afford to try them again9" asked my jeweler
 'Yes; go ahead"
 He lifted up the hairspring, hitched it over the movement and told me to go. went. went laundering into store on Fremont street
 "What ails it?" asked I.
 The old man at the desk put on his eyeglass. tSSA the watch was going.
 "Nothing," said he.
 ''Whats the bill2"
 ''Not cent"
 ''Please put the spring back where it was before," said I. He refused, and had to go back to my old friend, who hitched up the hair spring. Then went to Q store near Park square and passed out the watch again. He laughed at 1t.
 ''You have got bad roller pin" said he.
 "I know it, but brass pin is good enough for me. think my hair spring is broken" He peeped again.
 Ut is. You must leave the watch with me until Saturday, when will have new one n
 ''What will the bill be?'
 ''About s250."
 "All right" I got around the corner, saw him take his tweezers and lift up the spring, saw him grin a g. 50 smile, and then went away. When l came Saturday he was ready for mo. After l had paid the bill he said:
 ''Hour watch was very dirty. l have cleaned it up for you, but will not charge you anything" When told him that had seen him lift up the spring and put the watch on the rack he got mad and said I was poli- tician and called me other names which I did not like. l asked him to come out and fight. He would not accept. As he had the money, could see nOCD1QG TOT me CO QO put S1DInlU. submitted of course.
 When 1 talked it over with my friend he said he would try a new dodge and sec how it worked. It was rather expensive, but the cause of science was at stake and the sacrifice was worthy of the object. He took out the whole internal arrangements, so l could see | the backbone and kidneys of my watch. This done, he carefully removed one of the jewels | from the under side of the movement and | put the works back again. My watch was dead. I went to a smith on Harrison avenue. 1 He told me just what ailed my watch and said it would cost S2 for cure. All right. He could go ahead. When I took my watch | back to my partner in the secret was in- formed that the man had put in a nice jewel, as good as the old one and that had paid a fair price for the job. was not satisfied. Again he removed the jewel, and again l went out, this time to another man on Washington street. Here I learned that a jewel was gone, and that it | would cost me S2 for a new one . He looked hungry, and so he got the job. Two days later returned to my friend with the watch. He dissected the job. The place lately occu pied by jewel was filled by bit of tin with a hole in it. The watch was going, but in a few weeks 1t would stop, and I should have to contract another bill I took the watch | DdCk IO Lu6 uldll WHO udu LldQo the Lln JeWel and said:
 1T forgot to mention it, but think my watch is dirty. Will you clean itf'
 'Yes, it is dirty" said he, with happy look in his face, 'but did nosfeel like doing a job which was not asked to perform" told him to go on and show it up. He opened the case, took out the movement, and looked in. When he saw that my friend had re placed the jewel, be looked blank. & "What do you think of it?' asked.
 < "Thinka Why, think it is dirty"
 "But how about that jewel you put inf'
 "Here it is," said he, pointing to the jewe my friend had placed there instead of the tin, land it Is fine one, too" I lett out al him. If he had been possessed of anyasparl of courage he would have como out anc whipped me then and there. But heTwas coward, and would not fight. What wa. still worse be would not give up the money.
 My friend broke the main spring this time It was not much of a job, and he did not talk of over an inch, which stopped the watch and that was enough. An old fellow at tn West End was my next victim. He knev what ailed the watch at a glance. The main spring was broken. A new one would cos him fifty cents. It was worth fifty cents t put it in, or S1 in all.
 70. K.," said I.
 Two days after thiss my friend and wer looking over my watch. From two or thre , peculiar flemarks on the spring we knew a | once that all be had done was to shorten u