The St. Johns herald., 1889-10-10
WATCH MAGNETISM.
What Causes the Trouble, and How Ii
 Can Be Easily Remedied.


 Can Re Easily Reppedied. Watch your watchesi is generally the instruction imparted to sight-seers on entering the dynamo-room of an electrical establishment while dyna- mos are in operation. Now. the natu- ral tendency of the minds of these sight-seers Is to ask, why? If they do not do it audibly it is there all the same, and keeps turning itself over and over until the owner is tempted to do just what he or she is told to. but not intended should be done, take it out of the pocket and look at it. My advice would be, ''ieave it at home," or with your uncle while on tour of inves. tigation of this sort. for jusG so sure as you enter that room your watch will be magnetized and then you will have the confidence in your watcn-maker shattered, if not entirely destroyed. by finding that since he last repaired it it does not keep time. You go to him again and he looks at it, then exam ines and pr0nounces the awful sen- tence. "Magnetized. You look at him with contempt and say you know better; if it was magnetized it would stop like our grandpa's clock, never to go again.
 Now, there is no greater mistake, yet so generally believed, as this. 4 watch when magretized stops only from this cause while in very strong magnetic feld,' and will start of again on being removed from that f'field" If given slight jar.
 Then comes the query: What does it do, then? What effect does it exert over it? Now this is the point which I wish you to note. ''It loses time. But how much? you ask. This is very hard to answer, as 8 great deal de- ponds upon the construction of the movement, the style of case-hunting Or open face - whether you work around or come in contact with iron or steel objects, such as safes, engines, iron pillars, girders or even smaller objects, as these will change the di- rections of the lines of 'force." l have found from observation that the variations range from 1 minute to 20 in twenty-four hours, according to conditions, the general average being from B to minutes per day.
 Many persons suppose that electric ity is magnetism, and vice versa. Electricity is no more magnetism than steam is water, or apples are apple trees, but the one is the production of the other. Electricity is generated from magnetism by permanent or electro-maghets under certain con- ditions 2nd operations known by electricians and some others, and is of itself perfectly harmless to watches even were they to be put in circuit with electric lights, as l last week placed fine movement in circuit of one thousand volts for ten minutes, and on removing could not find the slightest trace of magnetism in it.
 Another very false idea is the finer the watch the less liability to mag netic action, when the truth is the finer it is the more magnetism it will retain on being enlarged, i. G., magnetized, and, in consequence, the more time it will lose, for the finer the watch the finer the adjustment and, in consequence, the closer contact of the parts affected. Some say: "Oh, never was in a dynamo room, and my watch could not be magnet ized."
 It is not in the electric light plants that all the magnetism exists, for since electricity has been used as a motor force it exists around every mo- tor, whether under street car in an office running fan or printing press, or exciting a plating battery. Yet who ever suspected the relay or sounder on telegraph operators desk, the wonderful telephone and many other appliances too numerous to mention with which you come in contact every day?
 Another new invention has just made it's appearance in Cleveland, by which a crane is fitted with a large magnet and used to load cars with steel rails and large pieces of iron, inn parting its influence to all steel ob- jects within its range. thus practically bringing the laboring men in daily contact with this unsuspected trouble to watches.
 Some say when watch is magnet ized it is destroyed. This is again false, for by demagnetizing it can be made to operate as well as ever. Do not trade them off as worthless, but take and have them demagnetized, and all will be delighted at home to see the head of the house on time for din- ner,-Pittsburgh Dispatch.