Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27
EFFECTS on nor WEATHER.
Matchmaker Say Tina, sudden Changes OF
Weather Are Dangerous 20 Them.

Weather Are Dangerous 20 Them.
From the New York World
'NninsprIngs are very much like people"
said Broadway matchmaker thu other day.'
They are as susceptible ~ extreme degrees Of
heat and cold a. humaa beings. When the
thermometer is lowering around the freezing
point or da-cing away up in the nineties the
little handspring viii give up in disgust aud
uncoil itself and die, just men succumb to
freezing or sunstroke.'
The jeweicr said that on Monday, August l.
he received seventy mine watches to be lifted
with new mainsprings. This was on the Mon
day following the deadly hot spell Of the last
week in July. Other jewelers. were seen. who
reported greatly increased business because u
br oxen mausprings.
This uncertain piece Of mechanism is sup
posed 10 lie adjusted 10 meet the various de-
grees of temperature. but when the change il
very great and comes with short notice there
Is nothing that prevent them FROM snap
ping. They are made in Switzerland OF the
very finest quality of steel absolutely Jaw
less. Very often the matchmaker can detect
a bad spring before putting II in the watch.
either by Its color or the softness OF its
spring. These have been too highly
tempered in the making aud instead
heat the fire has been brought 20 white
heat, thus weakening the strength Of the
metal. The finest watches that are handled
by reliable dealers are put through
cooking and freezing" process before they
are sold. for the purpose OF testing their re-
liability In all temperature. The watch Is first
placed i'm a little metal box. which l. made air
tight. Then n strong gas fame il turned on
the under surface of the box and is kept there
for two or three hours. that the watch Is so
] hot fh.s Of hat l.
touched with the bare hand. From this ii 4.
immediately taken and put INTO another metallic
h-z-r Inch Is buried In ice. There the costly
watch L. allowed to freeze for an equal length
OF time. when its torture and the ex-
animation Is made. IL during this excessive
test the watch appears to have licked merrily
on without devlating fractional nart of a
second il II placed back in the case nnd marked
guaranteed for two wears" The maiuspriag
Is the first piece % mechanism that succumbs
to the test Ii IL survives nothing else need Dr.,
feared
Mainsprings are. however. about the only
part OF watch that the jeweler cannot sue
cessfuliy diagnose. They can guaran tee anv ~
the numberless little wheels or pivots or bal
ances that go Ia make up the anatomv Of the
watch. but the main pring has Vet baffied the
most skilled makers of watches of ali countrie-
Ii Is not SO much the severe extremes Of the
weather that prove fatal 90 these springs Ms il is
the process Of changing from hot to cold or
vice versa. Lake the human frame. il the rib
bon-like little coil of steel can withstand the
effects OF this change i: NAV be considered
proof against breaking when the change TO
normal weather comes
Many people who have been possessors Of
new watches but short time come into the
dealer with blood in their eyes. declaring that
they have pad an enormous price for the time
piece and the handspring has broken after only
q weeks Use.
That IL nothing" remarked the jeweler.
I'VE have them snap In orr case before the
watch has ever been shown For sale." Others
imagine that they might have wound the watch
too tight. but this does not harm il. IL is
rather the ierlly. hurried winding that will
eventually tell the temper of the metal
Every good steIn-winder has n stop placed In
the stem. W ich prevents the winding too tight.
Damp weather has an Ill effect on main
springs. and H. England they do not. as o rule
last AS long rs in this country. severe thnn-
der and lightning storm also frequently proves
disastrous 70 the durability Of the spring The
dealer who took in seyentv-nine watches on
August said that last summer a day imine-
diately following a terrific elec .rical storm
there were twenty-one watches brought into
his store within five hours for new mainstrings
The cost of a new handspring IL the small part
of making such repair. IL is the putting them
in. the labor expended that costs. ID costs
from Si2 80 els 10 pat handspring in the
Jurgensen watch and little less in a Patek
Philippe, while in a cheaper American make it
may cost only 30 cents or 81.
man purchased $500 Jurgcnsen from Q
leading dealer several years ago. and shortly
after he left for q tour around the world. He
was gone year and when be returned he went
back 10 the dealer with his watch and COM
planned: Heres a watch paid Won $500 for
year ago, and while j travelling abroad it
lost two minutes. You guaranteed IL and want
you TO make IL good" The watch Was placed
in the window with this card beside il:
This watch los. only two minutes in year
in trip around the world. Price $500" It
sold within hour.
II d said that one bar Of iron costing Is viii
produce s25o 600 worth OF mainsprings.
Some springs are made In this country by the
manufacturers Of cheap watches. These springs
are several feet long and take nearly two min
utes TO wind uu-