The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-25
WATCHES IN JAPAN.
The Big Factory at Osaka Be-
gan Operations in June.
WILL SELL GOODS IN AMERICA
American wafchraakers SIS Day.
japanese 40 Cents-Japan TO ship
Coal to California.
Chicago Record.


Tokyo. July ra.-The first American
msuufactory 10 be established IN
japan is the Osaka Tokei Selzo
Kabashiki Kwaishs. Familiarity known
IL English as the American Naica
Company. II was started January ana
turned out the first watch April TO- Most
OF the time thus far has been spent IN the
education OF Japanese workmen. but more
than a hundred watches have been nm
ished. The institution Is the result OF the
enterprise of A. III. Butler, OF san DleSo.
Cal who has with him j. ii. Hanoury' OF
San Francisco. and two Englisnmeh'
named Whitehall and Litchfield- the
company is incorporated under Japanese
law, and the stock Is all in the names or
Japanese citizens, although 40 OF the 80
shares actually belong 10 Mr.. Butler ana
his associates.
No foreigner as / have stated in prevl-
Gus letters is allowed to engage IN manu-
featuring outside of certain limited as
tricts in the treaty ports of Japan untiI
the new treaties go into effect IN 1873 ana
therefore il was necessary for MI bntler
TO evade the law. which he did, with the
knowledge and consent OF the authorities.
by having his stock issued in the name OF
japanese citizens who assigned 20 him the
certificates in blank and gave him writ
ten agreement TO protect his interests Al
the end OF four years Mr.. Butler VIII have
the stock registered in mis- own name and
become an Officer OF the company
In some manner ne became possessed OF
a lot OF Matchmaking machinery several
years ago--I understand that a part OF IL
came from the old Cornell factory at
Grand Crossing-and endeavored 10 make
watches in California. but the enterprise
was failure there and he moved his
plant over 10 Japan. His original inten-
ton vas 10 establish factory In the Tor
ssff ~ NDknnana hut no got
in with the wrong men and was compelled
20 abandon the scheme. He then went 10
Osaka which r. the most enterpr!sing city
IN the empire and is becoming a great
manufacturing center. and interested two
or three OF the leading merchants. chiefly
those who dealt IN watches and clocks
There was already a clock factory or
limited capacity IN Osaka. owned by these
gentlemen. and they decided 10 merge the
two enterprises and organize new COM
pany with a capital Of $4,000. Nearly one
half Of the shares were set aside for Mr.
Butler and his partners TO cover the value
OF the machinery. their experience and
their efforts as promoters. and the
mainder MAS divided into eight equal
shares and assigned to as many capitalists.
who put up s2oooo cash each.
japanese architecture is not suitable TO
factory work which requires a great deal
OF light and protection from Nind and
TO erect a new building of brick upon the
American plan, 24Ox40 feet in size, with an
abundance OF windows. Ii was completed
a few days ago and is quite handsome
structure in the eyes of the natives, who
are not accustomed to foreign building. Ii
attracts much attention as a japanese
house would attract in Chicago.
In the meantime the machinery was set
UP in temporary quarters and a large
number Of men and boys, who had already
been engaged in repairing and manufae-
turing hand made watches and clocks were
assembled to be educated by Z. III.
Wheeler, the superintendent. and his as
sistants Mr.. Wheeler is an all-round
American and seems to have made bust
ness OF organizing and instructing watch
factory hands. He has worked in Elgin,
Rockford and Springfield Ill, and in CO.
lunlbus. O. He brought with him from
America nine experts. who. like himself.
have contracts for three years and an
option OF renewal for three years longer a
the end of the first term. They are as fol-
lows:
From Elgin-F NJ Clark and William
keene.
From Roekford-T. Schnarke.
F'rom Springfield. Sylvester. f. V.
Goodman and Charles Gassler.
From Columbus-H. Barber, s. b. Finch
and George Flick.
These gentlemen say that their japanese
students show very great aptitude and
skill learn much more rapidly and have A
much more delicate touch than persons
/ OF similar intelligence and condition In the
United States. Nearly all of them had
some experience in making or repairing
watches and clocks before they came into
{ the factory. and a few had used little hand
/ machines for drilling. polishing and that
/ sort OF thing hut the modern machinery
{ al which they were placed is entirely new
TO them. They are mostly young men,
aged from Is 10 80. none of them can
/ understand a word of English and none Of
! the American experts could speak Japan
/ csc when they arrived. so that the work of
/ instruction might have been very slow but
| for the very keen perception or the pupils.
Il is difficult to explain proposition 10
! a japanese through an interpreter that
he viii understand It, and one loses his
patience when he tries 10 tell a servant or
/ a tradesman or a mechanic how 20 do
/ something they have never done before.
Bu: their power OF imitation is SO well de-
veloped that the easiest way 10 teach
( them is to 60 through the process yourself
/ and let them watch you. Almost instant
" they are able TO repeat il and will con-
( finue 10 do so until the end of their days
without the slightest variation. Another
difficulty In this school Of instruction is
/ that there are no words in Japanese TO
+ describe certain portions OF machinery and
/ the parts of the watch but the English
B terms were adopted and are now exclu-
/ sively used
/ Labor is very cheap. The highest wages
! paid 70 the skilled native workmen in the
factory is only - sen day. which is
I euuixalent 10 - cents In our money. The
lowest wages Is 10 sen. or cents a day.
! while IN American factories the same labor
- seag -