Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-05-05

MS x,rstsWatch.
The New York Standard is .
monthly which the watch and jewelry
trade find specially interesting, but
In its April number it speaks to every
man who has pleasant memories over
the way he acquired his first watch.
1.-THE Story Of Ny First Watch" is a
symposium to which several famous
men and women contribute, and
from which the stories Of the Hon.
Jerry Rusk and Bill Nyc may be
taken as samples. Writes Bill Nye:
"My first watch had an American
watch movement in silver hunting
case, engine turned. 1t cost me s1s,
and I was eighteen years of age. I
bought it and paid for 1t myself out
of my wages as a teacher.
"I kept the buckskin pocket over it
most Of the first year, so that it
would not get scratched.
sNo watch since has given me that
feeling Of wealth or comfort and ease
that this one did. 1t had a good tick
with q cheerful ring to it, and a
placid, honest face. 1t was a willing
watch, and did whatever its hands
found to do.
~ remember how proud and.
happy I was to confess to the tax
collector that I was subject to tax
on watches, jewelry, etc.," and 1 felt
sorry Q rthose who were simply voters
W3thont assisting the government in
pecuniary waysby being Taxpayers.
~ was my companion when I had
@r0o@ofe else through a prolonged
financial panic, confined entirely to
myself and of a purely local nature.
1T did not go over the counter of a
pawnbroker even when I was hungry
and jobless."
Ex-secretary Rusk's story goes as
follows: 81 have a very distinct
recollection of the first watch 1 ever
owned, and Of how I acquired it.
When l vas quite young-tarely
i1fteen-an older brother and 1 were
thrashing a load of grain for a
neighbor. In those days the machine
that was used for thrashing was
known as a 'grubber.' 1t was simply
acylinder with four-horse power, and
the separation of the straw from the
grain and chat was done by raking it
from the machine as the grain was
run through the cylinder and
thrashed. 1t took twelve or fourteen
hands to operate one of these
machines. Ny brother and 1 were
running it. No one in the party had
a watch, and when we wanted to
know the time we had to send up to
the house. The owner of the grain
suggested that it would be a good
tit,.tE for one of the thrashers to own
n watch, % that he could furnish the
time for the crew to go by. He
mentioned that he had a very good
watch that he would sell. 1t was one
of the old fashioned kind, known as a
bull's-eye, with adouble case, the out.
side case being removable, and the
winding done with a key in the back,
I suppose my looks betrayed my
ambition to be the owner of the
watch, for he kept at me until he
finally coaxed me into buying it. ]
paid him 50 for it, 81 more than my
months wages, but I felt as If I wa
the richest one of the whole crew
every time 1 was called upon to give
the time Of day. I carried thi.
watch for a number of years; indeed
If remember rightly, it was the
only one 1 had until 1 moved Wes1
fron the State of Ohio. I suppose ;
watch like that to-day would fetcl
about 81 or $3.50, and alongside one o
i fJInodern watches it would looks a,
much out Of date as would the OLE
sgrubber, in tending which I earned
the money to pay for it, alongside o
the latest improved thrashinl
machine. Perhaps, like the OLE
darkey who wss reminded of a vers
in the Bible on seeing his master pa,
$1,000 for q Shorthorn heifer, y,u ma,
think / was pretty green to pay NOR
than I could earn in a month for
watch, but let me tellyou, lots of mel
who are esteemed pretty wise fellow
pay more than they earn in a montl
for things that do not give them a
q much genuine satisfaction as I got gu
Il Of the ownership of that watch"
81 There has been considerderable tall
81 lately about whether men should Civ,
up taeir seats in a street a Il
women. In the west there is NJ