The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-12-15
FIXING HIS WATCH.
A BOSTON REPORTERS EXPERIENCE
WITH A TlMEKEEPER.

A BOSTON REPORTERS EXPERIENCE
WITH A TlMEKEEPER.
Tricks of the Watch Repairer's Trade-Bic
Prices Charged for Correcting Trivial De.
rangcments-Petty Swindling-NIen Who
Arc Honest.
The man | called upon was q slim, blue
eyed chap, who sold daily papers, candy,
CIGARS stationery, toys and all sorts of knick-
knacks, and run watch and clock doctoring
counter besides. We fell to talking about
the tricks of tho trade; how charges were
made ior trivial arrangements, and how
pres wsro charged, not in proportion to the
work performed, but according to how much
the matchmaker thought he could collect.
10 make long story short, that slim, blue
eyed watch tinker and entered into COM
pact TO test the honesty of the watchsmiths
of Boston, and l was to take my watch
AROUND Gown and SEQ what allied it. Ipaid
him 81 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 n big nose, took
Off the ulster of my pet, lifted up its shirt
and looked i'll The scrutiny was long and
thorough.
"Your watch is very dirty" said he. ~
must clean it before can repair it.n This
information was very consoling to mo for tho
reason that had just paid my money for tho
cleaning. Still, consented, and departed
with "checi" in my hand.
In three days | called again. 1t was done.
Tho roller pin was broken. 1t was necessary
to put in a new one. That was $3.50. The
cleaning was 81, making tho total $780, l
paid the bill and went back to my blue eyed
down easter. IIo looked at tho watch.
"What did you pay for this joba" he asked.
"'rwo fifty"
"lIow9 What for.'
sit was dirty; that cost 81. Tho roller pin
was gone. y new ono cost Sl.5O more.n
The man was mad. If told you Just what
he said, there would be joy in sheol over tho
fact that Il soul was lost. He took out the
roller pin and showed it to me. 1t was an
ordinary brass pin such as you can buv for
five cents Il paper in any storo of Boston.
The head had been filed off. Also tho point.
But the pin WAS there and it had cost me 81 so.
thought it was pretty good profit on the
investment.
"can you afford to try them again7n asked
my icwcler.
"Ycs; 30 ahead"
He lifted up tho hairspring, hitched it over
the movement and told mo to 90. l went. I
went laundering into a store OH fremont
street.
"What nils t'' asked I.
The old man ut the desk put on his cyeglass,
took out Il pair of tweezers, and in q second
the watch was going.
"Nothng," said he.
"Wllut's the bill!'
'Not n cent"
"Plcaso put the spring back where it was
before" said /. He refused, and | had to 70
back to my old friend, who hitched up tho
hair spring. Then l went to u storo near
Park square aud passed out tho watch again.
lie laughed at it.
"You have got bad roller pn," said he.
81 know it, but n brass pin is good enough
for me. think my hair spring is broken,n
He pccpcd again.
''lt is. You must leave tho watch with mo
until Saturday, when will have new one.'
"Wlat will tho bill bes"
"About $3.50"
"All right" 1 got around the corner, saw
him take his tweczers and lift up the spring,
saw him grin $3.50 smile, and then 1 went
away. When came Saturday hc was reudy
for me. After had paid tho bill he said:
"Ionr watch was very dirty. l have
cleaned tup for you, but will not charge
you anything" When told him that had
seen him lift up tho spring and put tho watch
on the rack he got mad and said was poll
tician and called me other names which did
not like. asked him to come out and fight,
lie would not accept. AS lie had tho money,
could see nothing for me to do but submit.
submitted Of course.
When talked it over with my friend no
said he would try n new dodge and sec how
it worked. 1t was rather expensive, but tho
cause of science was ut stake and the sacrifice
was worthy of the object. Ho took out tho
whole internal arrangements SO could SEQ
the backbone and kidneys of my watch. This
done, lie carefully removed on" of tho Jewels
from tho under side of the movement and
put tho works back again My watch was
dead. went to smith on Harrison avenue.
Ho told me just what allied my watch and
said it would cost s2 for cure. All right. He
could go ahead When l took my watch
back to my partner in the secret was in
formed that the man had put in nice jewel,
US good as the old one, and that had paid
u fair price for the job.
wa iloe olGlsAeu. 1Aballl uc removed the
jewel, and again went out, this time to
another man on Washington street. Hero
learned that jewel was gone, and that it
would cost me Sc for new one He looked
hungry, and so he got tho job Two days
later returned to my friend with the watch.
He disscctcd the job The place lately occu
pied by jewel was filled by n bit of tin with
u hole in it. The watch was going but in u
few weeks it would stop, and l should have
to contract another bill. l took the watch
back to the man who had made the tin Jewel,
and said:
81 forgot to mention it, but think my
watch is dirty. WIN you clean it;'
,, "les, t It is dirty" said he, with happy
job which was not asked to perform"
told him to go on and show itup Ho opened
the case, took out the movement, and looked
in. When he saw that my friend had re-
placed the jewel, he looked blank.
What do you think Of itf' asked.
"Thinkf Why, think it is dirtyn
"But how about that jewel you put ins"
Here it is" said he, pointing to the jewel
my friend hud placed there instead Of the
tin, "and it is a fino one, too" let out at
him. If he had been possessed of any spark
OF courage he would have como out and
whipped me then and there. But he was
coward, and would not fight. What was
still worse he would rot give up the money.
My friend broke tho main spring this time.
1t was not much Of a job, and ho did not take
off over an inch, which stopped the watch,
and that was enough An old fellow at the
West End was my next victim. He knew
what allied the watch at a glance The main
spring was broken. A new one would cost
him fifty cents. 1t was worth fifty cents to
put it in, or 81 in all
so. k.," said l.
Two days after thisi my friend and were
looking over my watch. From two or three
peculiar Gemarks on the spring VIC knew at
once that all lie had done was to shorten up
the old spring and make it serve for new
one, which was tho work of not over
minute. That West End shop was 81 in.
BY this time my adventures among the
watch men were pretty well known. l tried
my old dodgcs and several new ones on per-
hals half q dozen, but the men told me the
real trouble and charged me a fair price, so
had no reason for finding fault. l had suo-
ceedcd in demonstrating that there are many
tricks played upon the uninitiated i'll the
watch business, and l believe that an expos
ure will do sood.-Gil Ford in Boston Globe.
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