New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-28
AMERICAN WATCHES.
THE, EXHIBIT OF DOMESTIC MANUFACTURE
ERs AT THE WORLDS FAIR


ARE NOT MORE EXniBIrs-woNEN No
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES WATCHES
OF THE LOAN COLLECTION.
Ch,c.go Aug. % (speciaD.-If one takes INTO az
count tho extent of watch manuiactuie 49,.
,.,,a, states then the American exhibit Is no' up
- ,ho scratch. 1t is excellent rs FAR as II So
nut II does not go far enough at 'h's' 'e FL, ore
- al, Worlds Fairs. Two firms or mahes o.'' ,,.
o,resen,ed the Waltham ana the 40
Na,,ber the Howard. which Is high graue' NV -
rlpin the biggest and most popular ""'o e., tho
in the Northwest are "in It," the Ho"a' do
-, american make of exclusively hish s'a
perhaps for this reason and that IL IL ~ ~
firm there is not so much surprise ~ yvost
sonce The Elgin Is nearer nome thorous".. =.
ern and expected, like everything III 'he 81,
orter into the spirit Of the Far. bu' '"e ~
.otcb is conspicuous by it's absence, ana coi'''e
a, merchandising people are somewhat reu-
on, but nevertheless there Is but the one s'ois
Of exnlanation and 1t Is Straightforward
nretty well known that the Eigih piai'' 10 a 49,.
hoot NJ the WaItham works. The young hrm tnat
branched out on the Illinois prairies was iou"u
~, former employes OF the Waltham hrm. IL HAS
grown until 1t does not need the push y,
Using and It is to the West what 'he "'
., ,bo Eas, Instead Of rivalry, there mas oeen
something of fraternal interest between '"e Wv"
and new business. For reasons pest NM"
themselves the Waltham and Elgin people e",.'.u
into an agreement not to place exhioits at '"e az"
Each firm was to hold al0of, resist all .e''p'a' =,
of the Columbian show. and have nothing " w
with its glory This. In substance, Is saiu " "'e
hoon the agreement by the two biggest American
watch concerns But soon after the "ai''.'"' ~"
changed its mind. and without informing ''e i19'
firm of the change went ahead WIN eN'
preparations for an exhibit. When the Egih peop'e
learned tho facts they were astounded' ana peiore
mil together
time 10 prepare an exhibit on n scale win the
Waltham The result is the Elgn watch Is ho'
represented at the Columbian Exposition But WHAT
is more serious the Egin firm regards the action
of the Waltham people az one OF bad iaith' Inc
above story is repeated in Matchmaking circles
with or less comment but IN SUBSTANCE az
WAYS the same version
The Waltham exhibit IS placed In hne style anu
at much expense. Its handsome open paVloh II
one OF the most prominent In the American sec
ton one gets some idea Of the money expended
in preparation by the dozen more nickel-plated
automatic machines made expressly for this ex-
hbit They run with noiseless electric movement,
and practically illustrate the different processes OF
watch manufacture. Above each machine IL a pia-
card stating the part OF the watch 1t Is making
The machines are tended" by women experts from
the Wal,ham factory The delicate precision with
which they touch the fine work going on Is
source OF neyer-endng interest 10 visitors ana !
makes them even more attractive than the SHINING
machinery Apparently the women have fun charge
of this machine work Now and then man APP
pears with little oilcan and oils the machinery
bat that is all There 1900 employees in the
Wntham works. OF this number 1850 are women
The Columbian Exhibition is fast disclosing the
fact that In many manufactures the work OF men
and women Is inseparabls. Manufactures hereto
fore SUPPOSED TO be the work OF men are found
to he In large part the work Of women. In watch
making alone women are doing the larger share.
When asked his opinion Of women watchmakers,
the foreman Of this exhibit said promptly:
"Our experience Is that In many lines OF the work
women superior 10 men, ard In all lines women
are more faithful. They have not the Dechanical
ability Of men-at least they do not show IT, Women
tend machine we'll or better than men. so long
AS the machine runs all right. But II it gets out OF
order they at once drop it and send for n man 70
fix IT, Nv own idea Is that mechanical ability IL
NATURAL TO men and not 10 women. Ii crops out
in the small boy. but seldom or never In the little
girl In this one respect alone men are ahead OF
women in the watchmg king. But In delcacy Of
touch qucAuess and smoothness. and falthfulness.
women are greatly the superior We have women
who do more work and better work than men, In
the long run. though women are not as valuable
TO the company az men. for the sole that they
do not enter :he business as life work. or II
they have this aim when they begin they pretty
sure be diverted from 1t sooner or later by mar
riage. In nine cases on, Of ten when a woman
Matchmaker becomes most valuable to the company
she gives w matchmaking and gets married No
body blame her Of course. but It is the fact all
the same. There exceptions. There women
in our establishment who have worked up from APP
preutices TO experts. one OF our largest and most
important divisions. in which both men and women
work. has woman az the head of IL. She IL Just
as valuable as a man. and she receives the sam"
pay. oar apprentices. whether boys or girls.
receive the same pay. They in equal.
and all must be sixteen years OF age. But all APP
prentices do not learn the watch business. or any
part OF It. We give apprentice three trials that
Is. three OF work. II he fails to earn his
seventy-hve CENTS day he is not retained for #
is pretty certain that he does the bent
and will never be matchmaker"
The Waltham factory turns out the works OF
300 watches day. The exhibit proper "a one DAYS
manufacture of 1900 watches OF four sizes laid
In one long showcase and all are running There
are five hundred of each size and out OF cases The
works Of this great number "all going at once" Is
visitors say are an interesting study. Excellence Of
time and durability claimed for the waltham
watch IL Is favorite watch with railroad men, and
Is much IN use by engineers. who OF all people must
possess reliable timepleces The extensive use OF
machinery has brought about the manufacture OF
Watches 80 cheap that no man Is too poor to afford
his watch. The hours OF labor have much TO do
with the use Of American watches. Every work
man Is his own timekccper nowadays and there
fore II Is the watch of the employee and not the
watch OF the employer that regulates the sun"
The large manufacture Of the watch works has
put the making OF watch out OF the Waltham
factory, and 1t no longer makes it's own cases
Indeed. watch case making IL quite a separate
and extensive business OF its But the exhibit
includes n collection of beautiful dals enamelled
and decorated by hand. Added interest is given by
a loan collection OF historical watches. loaned by
Evan Roberts. OF Manchester, England. who pur-
chased them from the famous Rosken collection In
Liverpool. where they had been for more than 4
century. Aside from their history they are curious
to look at. The frequent comment OF visitors is:
well. ! do declare. Them's regular oldtimers.'
One must go early wait late for a chance 10 see
these "od-mers" for the crowd seldom thins ont
at other hours Some OF the oripinal Of he