Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10

People Who Believe Their Watches Al
Stopped by Electric Cars.

People Who Believe Their Watches Are
Stopped by Electric Cars.
ssTTNHIS WATCH OF NINE" said he. as he
l. leaned over the counter in the store of
a jeweler on 9th street the other day, touching
the elbow of STAR reporter accidentally as he
spoke. this watch of mine. 1 say, has kept
perfect time for five years and has not stopped
once during all that period, and here it is going
slow and losing nearly an hour a day. What
shall do with it?"
The jeweler took the piece and smiled. "How
long have you had lt?" he asked
"Five yearsI' was the reply; "and it has
run continuously"
The jeweler smiled again, and was evidently
about to dispose of his diagnosis of the case
when the watch owner went on to say, in q
rather aggrieved tone, as if he wanted to make
q complaint against some one:
"That watch always kept perfect time until
last week, and it was Wednesday, I think that
had to take ride out to lexington on the
electric cars. The next day found the watch
running slow and am pretty sure that the
works have been magnetized by the electric
current Of the line. think that it is shame
that there Is not some method whereby passen-
gers can be protected from the loss Of their
property while they ride on the cars
The smile Of the matchmaker deepened
little and he gave the reporter barely per-
ceptible wink as he told the irate individual to
call in the morning and he would have his watch
demagnetized by that time, and, handing his
customer cheap timepiece to carry in the
meantime, he babe him good morning. As
soon as the coast was clear the smile returned
and intensified until it was real true and
earnest laugh that caused the pendulums of
the clocks on the wall to shake out of their
course.
HE is but one of a hundred men whom
have had to humor lately" he went on to say,
as soon as he could straighten his face. ellis
time piece in the city, but, as he has said, it
has run without stop for five years, and that
is enough to make any watch stop. This watch
Is simply dirty and all it needs is little clean
ing, am sure. / could have given it to him
in an hour, but it is better to humor such peo-
pie. When they take an idea of a certain thing
1t Is dangerous work to try to undeceive them,
for they might 60 to some other place for sym
pathy. There is not one watch in a.million,
would almost say, that is affected by the cur
rent on an electric street car line. OF course
there are plenty Of cases where watches have
been magnetized by the effect of dyramos and
other electric machines, but / do not believe.
that the current of street car line can possibly
affect a watch. There is something peculiar
about this matter. Some watches YOU cannot
possibly affect by electricity, while others go
to pieces as it were, as soon as they are brought
within ten feet of dynamo. 1t is claimed that
there is non-magnetic watch made, and this
Is probably true, but do not think that they
are as good time pieces as the others. They do
not seem to be able to combine the two quail
ties OF being proof against magnetism and keep
ing true time.
This man who has just left here is az say,
sample case. His watch has been running SO
long that he imagines that it is impossible for
1t to go wrong. He forgets that watch needs
food and care once in while. just as much as
does man. and when his watch gets tired
and rests he thinks that the trouble is caused
by some other means than a natural cause
Then he happens to think that he has been on
an electric road not long before, and, not
knowing very much about electricity-few peo-
pie do-he at once seizes on this as an excuse
for his magnificent watch. 1t has. in all prob
ability, worn out all of its OIL or it may
have run SO long that it has worn
grooves in the case, often happenG In
the former instance it is q matter of but few
minutes to remedy the evil. but when there are
ruts In the case 1t is often impossible to get the
works into shape again 80 that they will find
their old places 1t is very easy to demagnetize
watch. All you have to do is to make a series
OF counter passes over it in a certain way and
the deed is done, but you have to know how to
do it. would not advise You to try it unless
you are matchmaker. / do not tell this man
who has just left us all this because he wants TO
be hunored, and humoring men is q matter Of
business"