Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-04-21
FILLED WATCH CASES.
Five Hundred Thousand OF Them
Made Every Year.
How James BOSS Patented tho Article
That Is Ono of tho Greatest Factors
In tho Jcwelry Tr,ide y Whore
Most OF tho CRsos Arc Made.

hiiuuclPuih Il Itooy UhaJ
few Philadolphians are aware of, ant
probably thrce-fourths OF tho million
residents of tho city are totally ignorant
of its existence. Nevertheless, 1t is ont
of tho powerful factors in PHILADELPHIA.
collection Of industries, and carries Tho
fame of tho Quaker City into foreign
countries that many other homo produc
tions fail to reach.
The manufacture of gold-fllled watch
cases is the industry in question, and
ono thousand skilled artisans arc daily
employed in their production. AS the
filled watch case is of Philadelphia
birth, and tho unrivaled product OF
Quaker City watch factories, it should
be source OF special pride to those who
doto on home-manufacturcda articles.
Tho filled case has an entertaining
history. A dingy old building at Dock
and Walnut streets was it's birthplace
Thirty-two years ago q watch-case maker
was puzzled about tho tendency of tho
low carat gold in his cheap cases to
tarnlsh. For their selling price no
could not furnish q bettor quality; but
the persistence with which tho cases
would tarnish was source of much
thought to him. Tho casc-maker's
namo was Reese Peters, and his en-
ploye was the workman to whom credit
is due for tho great industry which
finds it's leading opponents in Phila-
dclphia. James Boss was the workman,
and he was continually experimenting
with acids and metals. In his anxiety
to procure n better watch case Reese
Peters unconsciously furnished tho idea
which resulted in tho patentinB OF tho
f1lh,d case.
One day In sheer desperation Peters
told Boss IL no could get good quality
gold-wearing surface, with base CEN
ter and low-carat inside, there was
fortune in tho idea. a month later
Boss had finished tho model of ma
chino that is tho groundwork for all
filled case manufacturing. Two plates
OF gold were laid on either side of a CEN
trail piece OF metal, which after being
rolled out to tho desired consistency by
heavy mills were placed under tho ma
chino and struck off by dio. 1t was
only by the finest calculation and level
Ing PROCESS that tho surfaces would
cling 10 each other without tho did of
solder.
Boss surmountcd tho difficulty and
made tho three surfaces SO smooth that
they became adhesive, and tho suction
established would allow ono plato to
bear the others weight withoutartiflcial
aid. Boss was in high spirits over his
success and soon forwarded the model of
lis machine to Washington. Tho patent
was granted, and tho first cases made
were known rs the James Boss filled
watch cases. Peters took his workman
into partnership, ana for several wears
they had complete monopoly of the
business.
Tho first appearance created big
sensation in tho jcwelry business, for
the idea OF making gold case out of
any thing but gold had never been en-
tertaincd. Tho patent was regarded to
be tho most important ever known to-
the TRADE and Boss cases wcro eagerly
So confident were the pat
entees OF tho superiority of their new
case that they furnished written guar
anteo with every case, STIMULATING that
unless the case wore for twenty years
they would refund the money of the
purchaser. This shrewd policy made
the filled case moro famous than evor,
and they could not DO made rapid
enough to supply orders. Boss sol, ~
his patent few years later to Jon
II case-maker, who continue,
their manufacture until he died from a
disease contracted while using the acids
needed to prepare tho plates. His pat
ent was disposed of to IIagstoz e Thorpe,
who began their work in tho Ledger
building, and were fortunate enough to
arouse the interest OF George w. Childs.
With tho money thus obtained tho in
dustry was doomed, and soon assumed
colossal proportions. a property was
purchased at Nineteenth and Brown
streets, and plant erected upon the
site now occupied by the keystone
Watch Case Company.
When tho patents expired they were
eagerly appropriated by watch-case COM
panies, and tho filled case was manu-
featured in far larger quantities than
gold cases ever were.
Philadelphia has retained tho lead
she secured, and is in tho van OF nil
hlled-caso manufacturing cities. Near
ly 100000 gold-filled cases is the YEARLY
capacity of our factories. Thoy can not
DO distinguished from n solid gold case.
Tho wearing surface is of INEQUALITY
gold and tho composition lies between
this and another plato of gold that COM
poses tho inside of the case.
Tho filled case of to-day is vastly diff
ferent in appear ance from the pioneers
OF Boss time. They are graceful and
handsome, and the ongraver can display
his art upon them as successfully as no
can bcautify the solid gold case. Then
they were made by hand, but now the
most valuable machinery produces them
with great rapidity.
Philadelphia gold-flled cases arc
known all over the civilized world. Tho
expectation of filled cases is very large.
Europe has taken more kindly to the
American case than it would be SUM-
posed, but their superior finish and
wonderful durability have made them
universal necessity wherever watches
are worn.
The Bitten Trying to Bite.
Say" said the hotel-keeper to tho
reporter, '.if there's ono thing do got
tired OF it's the way the people have of
TELLING ma bOw m r,,n n bo,.I