Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-06-17
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TAe Use of the watch has become %
common and people Are ~ accustomed %
take note % time by the pieces which
they carry In their pockets that they are
apt 10 forget how recent an invention h
isl The n>t watch Was not twenty years
oil when America wAs discovered. The
great mas ~ the human race never $40
q watch, and N men have lived (as some
scientists claim Cor 100. 900 years. then
how singular the fact that for 1900
years u that time 40 one ever had .
watch.
Of oourss the watch grs~ out of the
precedent use u the clock. and u wss
about GO years between the FRA oIook
AMI the first watch. That 10 ~ ciossly
a. one can estimate date when the pre-
cise year - either invention 10 unknown.
The invention of the clock 10 generally
a-crit-ri to the mont Gerbsrt. Who was
aft-r~ard rais.,i a. the tiara undsf the
name u Pops sylvester II. The nrss
clocks wer. cumbrous things. calculated
only h. IT, hung to the ~All and worked
with cords and weights. For . long
tim. they we're only us~d In converts
and monastsris.. wh-ro they h.iped ~
make miserable the live. of the inmates.
Others .ay that the invention u the
olock was due to the saraosns some
time Ia the Fourteenth century the 80
capsment ~as introduced In what 10
known a. IL wyck. clock. This al.
lowed - reduction in sire. but IL srems
% have taken $50 years more foe ths
idea to have gotten Into mems minds
that the clock might h. made small
enough to carry In the pocket or to hang
~ an ornament upon the p~r-on.
The city ~ Surrmlnrg clAims 90 have
made the first watch In itTT. and Peter
Hell. % that city. made watches of steel
a. Early a. iieo. 10 is certain that the
first wairhc. were called Suremburg
eggs, q fact that ilentihe. both the place
% making aud the shape % the watch.
The works were inclo-sd In circular
metal cas~s and wer. hung from the cir.
die. They generally suggested the Idea
~ the egg
The firs, English watches had weights
and were used A. pocket clock. Such
early walche. had only On. hand and r.-
quirri to H. wound upt~ice . day. The
dial were 70 silver aud brass, the cases
hal no crystals. but op-n~i at the hack
and front and were four or i've inches In
diam.ter-about the ala. ~ q common
dessert plate.
The first great improvement of the
watch-the substitution 81 springs Zoe
wcights-was In 1850. These springs
we're not coilci. but ~ere only straight
pieces - steel. Som Aftsrvard the fuse,
vas invented. connected With q main.
spring In = barrel THIS Was fastened a.
piece ~ catsui. which Vas wound
around spiral grooved fuse In the .hAps
- a cone. tn. lat coils were around
the small end 20 the cone. thus prssnt-
ing In the running ~ the watch the least
leverage to the greatest fore. of ths
spring. A. the cone wN unwOund the
leverage changed In proportion 10 the
fore. ~ the spring. Thi. made u pos-
.ible to attain considerable accuracy In
the running - the watch. A small linked
chain was substituted for the oaigut, AMI
this style ~ chain remained until com.
paTatively recent times. Tie spiral hair
spring. which u - n.yessary for equAlir
ing the motion. va. invented and at
tached about the year 1855 by Dr. Hook.
Lsngthsning or shortening tho spring
ls..sn. Or increases the vibrations and
make. th. regulation % the watch an
Easy matter
tn. casc. - the early watches were
made for personal adonmsnt and we're
oi all -orts AMI shap~. one that b--
long,d to Lady Fitzgerald tells In = curl.
ous way the classic tale 81 Jupiter and
Ganymeie. Tn. works are contained In
the body ~ the eagle. which open. across
th. center and display. the dial plate
richly engraved with scrolls AMI flowers.
The silver gilt watch la the form ~ .
deaths h.ai was given to Mary. Queen
~ scots. by her husband. th. dauphin
of France. IL was lately In the posses-
sion ~ sir John Lauder. and came 10
hi. family through Catherine seton, TO
whom the unfortunate Mary gave h 10
fore her execution.
There Is a similar watch In . Bo~ton
museum that belonged Ia one - the Pal.
grim fathers Il is % silver. In the form
u deaths head. opcning at the under
Jaw. II has at the top small ring. by
means % which IL was attached to the
girdle -Jewelsr. Review.