Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-06-27
ALMOST A LOST Ant.

ALMOST A LOST Art.
rhe Making of . Complete watch
The Trade Formerly Known by AL
Jewellers Now Carried On by 1m-
mense Facteries-Only -Four Horo-
logical institutions in the Country.
From the first pocket timepiece made
called from its peculiar shape "Nurem-
berg egg"-to the modern watch with horse
timing attachment is such development
that one can scarcely reconcile the two as be-
longing to the same class of mechanical
work. Matchmaking has frequently and not
inaptly been called profession because in
its present degree of perfection 1t ia based
entirely upon scientific principles. The field
of practical application of science. from the
hair-spring to the demsgnetization of the
watch, is so vast that 1t can hardly be COM
pretended by any one not of mechanical |
turn of mind. A glance at the situation |
shows how vast the unexplored field is in |
practical achievements, even If one will 60 |
no farther than non-magnetic watches. To |
shut ones eyes to the fact that watch, to |
meet present requirements, should be one
not Influenced by magnetism would seem to
be like shutting the eyes to the desirability
of electric lights. Of course, as there are
people who hold faith in muzzle-loading
shotguns and smooth bore rifles, 80 there are
people who maintain that the old style of
watch is the only reliable sort. Considers
tions of this kind lead naturally to the ques'
tien Of Matchmaking as trade.
Watchmakers, ss artisans pure and sim
pie; men who conduct their trade indepen-
dent of factories; employ journeymen and
train apprentices; are extinct in this country
If they ever existed In any appreciable
numbers. The huge watch factories are ena-
bled to make timepieces serviceable to the
average citizen at such rates that the individ-
ual artisan or mechanic cannot compete with
them. Hence, since the establishment Of
these great workshops the individual watch
maker has gradually become plain watch
repairer. Say that Waltham watch gets
into the repairer's hands. He knows the
"make'' from the stamp upon it, and he can.
readily ascertain the size, whether it Is odd
| or Nos. l, A, g., 8, 10, IA. 16 or IL. He
| knows how to remove the defective part and
| how to replace it by new one, which he
| can readily purchase in any wholesale Jewel-
ry store or from the agency OF the main es-
| tablishment. The proceeding is in principle
a good deal like repairing stove by putting
| in new CRATE or any other part. But to
| build watch, construct this marvel Of the
vest pocket from the rough material, has al
most become lost art. Great jewelry
| houses as rule import skilled mechanics for
their repair department, but they do not
teach and train apprentices. To do that
would require an j, amonnt OF mechanical
knowledge of details, of chemistry in COM
| pounding metals, and an outfit of apppli-
/ ances which can rarely be found in indlyid-
ual firms.
Hence for the Matchmaking trade techno.
logical schools have become necessity.
1 mi Co. 1>ra h1k
schools in this country Theological insti-
| tutes, as they are called. One is in La
/ Porte. Ind: one in Baltimore, Nd; one In
| Winona, Mimi, and one in this city, the lat
| ter not quite two years old. The idea of the
Chicago Horolegical institute originated
with Urban w. Frink, who in 1850 became
connected with the repair department OF one
| of the leading jewe!ry houses in this city.
| In the absence of a thorough system of ap-
premiership and iourneymanship something
was needed to give the present and coming
workman the highest technical and practical
instruction. Mr.. Frink associated himself
with o. G. Jaquith, and together they incor'
porated the Chicago Theological institute
under the laws of the state, SO that any oi
it's friends feeling 80 disposed might leave te
the institution bequests, the income IRON
which would support one or more free sohol
arships for INDECENT students. The institut
was started in a small room on Dearborn
street. It occupies at present the entir
eleventh floor of the tall Owings building.
The most important step OF the yoan
, school was to secure the proper man for tn
q position of first instructor. This was fnall
accomplished by prevailing upon Z. E. Fen
q ner to leave a lucrative position and cast hl
| lot with the new institute. J. B. Wiggtni
q ono of the oldest and finest sngIayers in Il
{ | west, was secured for the teaching of bis ar
I | OF the scope of the institute Mr.. Frink say
] "There is that called theory and that calle
practice, and while one may be had withou
}, the other, no man may justly consider hin
q self a matchmaker in the full sense of tn
term who is not familiar with both. 1t
| hard to find workman at the bench that ha
not been taught theory and who does not re
gret the omission. Few such men who hsv
!, not, been taught theory can draft their ow
II designs or make their own calculation
which, were they versed in this high'
branch of their art, they could reprodu'
Z. correctly. In this practical age that woul
n | seem to be the most valuable instructio
g which most nearly resembles what its rec
,s pients are expected to accomplish outside
" it. Therefore we urge the student OF horo
= opv to learn both, as each is an aid to Il
other. The fine and accurate workms
h knows the need of being able to correct
/ Law out his work before he attempts to put
"a in practical form. Hence the student wi
}. can correctly design and draft any part of
o watch that may be missing or broken Is tt
| better worth his hire"
In accordance with these general principl
10 student at the Theological institute is n
70 only taught how to make watch in all
,s parts, but why it must be constructed Q
- cordinp to set rules. The theoretical
'o struction in drafting and lectures 60 hand
hand with the practical execution. For t
N latter each student is furnished with lat
=, and all attachments consisting of thousal
and one things, the enumeration of viii
es would be simply bewildering to the uniniti
30 ted. The item of trade work In repatri
81 has become a very important one with t
institute, and the receipts from this sour
ur | are divided equally between the establis
is ment and the institute. For practical pr
ID | poses there is a large tool cabinet containi
ve all the appliances used BY the student
b. There is drafting room with all the Par
as phernalia for theoretical instruction. He
the student is taught to draft COMPILE
n. | watch and everything contained there1
wv from the main wheel with it's coarse teeth
as the most minute escape wheel and tiny p
he let There are two large work rooms Gro"
~ ed with students busy at filing, turning, je
n. cling and doing all the different kinds
work that come to watchmakers sns
Finally there is laboratory with hea
" benches, wise, anvil, bellows and automa
Nv blowpipe. For correct time there is m
- nificent mercurial four year pendulum reg
- | lator, and in one of the work rooms there
ss clock worked by electricity, which is set
5s 70 the fraction of second every hour by
oe master clock in the Office of the West'
Union.
re The school now numbers sixty stude
is from all parts of the country. Some Co
ed from Russia, England and one from Ec
NIX dor. Il is a cardinal principle with the
me stitute sever to indorse its pupils beye
rec their real capacity, and consequently
"a, fact speaks louder than words that the gr
aer yates are eagerly sought for from all over
country.
OPTICAL TELEGRAPY.
How Signals are Flashed from MOI