Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-06
FIXING MS WATCH.
A BOSTON REPORTERS EXPERIENCE
WITH A TlMEKEEPER.


tricks of the Watch Repairer's Trade-Big
Prices Charged for Correcting Trivial De-
rangements-Petty swindling-Men Who
Are Honest.
The man | called upon was slim, blue
'yed chap, who sold daily papers, candy,
,igars, stationery, toys and all sorts of knick-
snacks, and run watch and clock doctoring
,oanter 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 l entered into a com
pact TO test the honesty of the watchsmiths |
of Boston, and | was to take my watch |
around town and see what allied it. paid |
him 81 for cleaning the interior of the watch |
and then started out
My first venture was in a little store on
Washington street. A broad shouldered
youth with dark face and big nose, took
off the ulster of my pet, lifted up its shirt
and looked in. The scrutiny was long and
thorough.
Your watch is very dirty said he ~
must clean it before can repair it." This
information was very consoling to me for the
reason that had just paid my money for the
cleaning. Still, l consented, and departed
with Check in my hand.
In three days l called again. It was done.
The roller pin was broken. 1t was necessary
to put in a new one That was $3.50. The
cleaning was 81, making the total $3.50
paid the bill and went back to my blue eyed
! down easter. He looked at the watch
What did you pay for this jobF' he asked.
1.-TWO fifty
How What forl'
IL was dirty; that cost 81. The roller pin
"aS gone. A new one cost s.. 50 more"
Inc man was mad. If l told you just what
- sand, there would be joy in sheol over the
.av' That "a soul was lost. He took out the
aoiieE>fin and showed it to me- It was an
Urinary brass pin such as you can buy for
five cents paper in any store of Boston.
The head had been filed off. Also the point.
But the pin was there and it had cost me 81. so.
l thought it was pretty good profit on the
investment.
"Can you afford to try them again" asked
my jeweler.
YES; so ahead
He lifted up the hairspring, hitehed it over
the movement and told me to 60 went. l
went laundering into a store on fremont
street.
"What ais itl' asked l.
The old man at the desk put on his eyeglass,
took out a pair of tweezers, and in u second
the watch was going.
Nothing said he.
whats the bill!'
"Not a cent
"Please put the spring back where it was
before" said l. He refused, and had to go
back to my old friend, who hitched up the
hair spring. Then | went to store near
Park square and passed out the watch again.
He laughed at it.
You have got bad roller PIN said he.
81 know it, but brass pin is good enough
for me- think my hair spring is broken
lie peeped again.
at is. You must leave the watch with me
until Saturday, when viii have new one {"
'What will the bill be9n
"About $3.50"
Gan right" l got around the corner, saw
him take his tweezers and lift up the spring,
saw him grin a 50 50 smile, and then I went
away. When came Saturday be was ready
for me. After had paid the bin he said;
"Your watch w2s very dirty. l have
cleaned 1t up for you, but VIII not charge
you anything When | told him that | had
seen him lift up the spring and put the watch
on the rack be got mad and said was poll
tician and called me other names which l did
not like. l asked him to come out and fight
He would not accept. As he had the money,
could see nothing for me to do but submit.
submitted of course.
When | talked it over with my friend he
said he would try a new dodge and see how
1t worked. Il 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 | went to smith on Harrison avenue
He told me just what allied my watch and
said it would cost s. for cure All right. HI
could 60 ahead. When l took my watch
back to my partner in the secret l was in
formed that the man had put in a nice jewel
as good as the old one, and that had paiC
fair price for the job
l was not satisfied. Again he removed TIN
Jewel, and again l went out, this time Il
another man on Washington street Her
learned that jewel was gone, and that j
would cost me s. for new one. He locke,
hungry. and so he got the job. Two day
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 wit
hole in it, The watch was going, but in
few weeks it would stop and | should hav
to contract another bin | took the waite
back to the man who had made the tin jewe
and said:
Il forgot to mention it, but think IN
watch is dirty viii YOU clean itf
YES, it is dirty said he, with happ
look in his lace, but did not feel like dom
a job which was not asked to perform"
told him to go on and show itup He opene
the case, took out the movement, and locke
in When be saw That my friend bad r
placed the jewel, he looked blank.
"What do you think of iti' l asked.
"Think! Why, | think it is dirty
''But how about that jewel you put in!7
Here it is said he, pointing TO the jew
my friend had placed there instead of Il
tin, land it is fine one, too" l let out
him. II he had been possessed of any spal
Of courage he would have come out al
coward and would not fight. Whas W
still worse he would not give up the money
My friend broke the main spring this tin
1t was not much of u job, and he did not ia
off over an inch, which stopped the watc
and that was enough. An old fellow at t
West End was my next victim. He knt
what allied the watch at a glance. The mai
spring was broken. A new one would CT
him fifty cents 1t was worth fifty cents
put it in, or 81 III all.
30. k said l.
Two days after this my friend and we
looking over my watch. From two or TIL
peculiar iilemarks on the spring we knew
once that all be had done was TO shorten
the old spring and make it serve for IL
one, which was the work of not over
minute. That West End shop was 81 in.
By this time my adventures among
watch men were pretty well known. l tr
my old lodges and several new ones on ?
haps half a dozen. but the men told me
real trouble and charged me fair price, S
had no reason for finding fault. | had S
ceeded in demonstrating that there are ma
tricks played upon the uninitiated in
watch business, and l believe that an exT
ure will DO good.-Gil Ford in Boston Gle