Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-06-06
WATCH MAGNETISM.
What Causes the Trouble, and How 1t
Can BE Easily Remedied.

WATCH MAGNETISM.
Whist Causes the Trouble, and How It
Can BE Easily Remedied.
Watch your watches! is generally
the instruction impaired to sight-seers
on entering the dynamo-room of an
electrical establishment while dyna-
mos are in operation. Now, the natu-
raj 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, ''leave it at home" or with
your ''uncle'' while on tour of inves-
tigation of this sort, for just so sure
as you enter that room your watch will
be magnetized and then you will have
the confidence in your matchmaker
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 pronounces the awful sem
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 A
watch when magnetized stops only
from this cause while in a very strong
magnetic field" and will start off
again on being removed from that
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
! wish you to note. ut loses time"
But how much? you ask. This is very
hard to answer. as 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 l minute to
20 in twenty-four hours, according to
conditions, the general average being
from 8! to Z 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
electromagnetic under certain con-
ditions and 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 a 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 charged. i. e.,
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
lied"
1t 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 a 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?
made its appearance in Cleveland. by
which a crane is fitted with large
magnet and used to load cars with
steel rails and large pieces of iron, i'm
parting its influence to all steel OBJ
jects within its range. thus practically
bringing the laboring men in daily
contact with this unsupported trouble
to watches.
Some say when watch is magnet
lied 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.
CROWNS AND CRAZINESS.
g