The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-07-24
EXPERTS IGNORE FACTORIES
Finest Swiss Watches Are Made in Little
COTTAGES.

Cinest swiss Watches Are Made in Little
Cottages.
II is most interesting to compare 'lN
different methods by means Of which
the highest grade of mechanical perfec.
lion is attained in various cnuntrie.
Notwithstanding the high character oil
American watches, for example, the
finest Swiss watches still maintain theiy
great reputation. The Swiss workman
receives the parts from the manufacture
! e. in the rough, takes them to his hoMr.
puts his bes. individual skill into the
finishing and assembling, and brings
the completed watches to his EN-
ployer. The latter inspects the wo'k
and out Of a batch of, say, so watches
he selects five or six as worthy of his
own attention, and puts the others int:
his regular trade under some general
trade name. The selected watches he
readjusts, working them over for days
weeks, and months, before he consider.
them worthy to bear his own name, AMI
II is these watches which go to those
who not only have the money to buy
but also the patience to wait.
A prominent firm of American jewel.
ers, chatting under the Inconvenience OF
this old world method of doing things.
sought to introduce American methods.
and see if the highest grade of Swiss
watches could not be made more me.
thodically. A factory was built, EN-.
icing rates Of wages were offered to
! the most skillful workmen. and the en-
pertinent was tried. But, alas! The
| Swiss workman soon found that no
regular wages could pay him for his
:oss of liberty. To be on hand when the
whistle blew in the morning, to hav',
ais stated hour for dinner, and his fixed
hour for quitting at night-these. re-
ttrictions he could not long stand.
! Formerly he had worked when he felt
like it and stopped when it pleased him,
/ and when he was paid for one job he
took his time to begin the next general
~ waiting until his funds ran low. The
! factory plan did not work for long, and
the idle building now bears silent test.
mony. to the Swiss love for independ'
snce, which is as much n factor in pres.
INT life as it has been in past history.
The fact that much of the work of the
swiss watchmakers and instrmut
makers is done in this primitive manner
! does not in the least detract from its
| high quality, but rather adds to it's per-
lection by embodying in each article
the individual skill Of the workman
The writer desired to procure one of the
| famous Goldschmidt aneroid baromet.
ers, and only after some difficulty and
many inquiries did he succeed in find
| ing the whereabouts of the maker at al.
At last he was directed to the quaint
street in the quarter of the city al
Zurich known as the "Trittligasse" 9th.
street. of the little steps,. There ke
found a gate in a wall bearing the Ge.
sired number. but no name or sign OF
any description TO. indicate what was
within. Knocking to obtain admission
he was finally let into garden, owe,
another wall and up picturesque set o!
steps and ushered into little room in
which was worIz of the finest descrip
ton.
A few men and boys, couple o!
women-this was the working force
but here were products which surpassed
the finest instruments of any he hat
| ever seen. Each article was shown and
|, handled as if it had been personal pet
hardly to be parted with. and it was in
! deed interesting to see how every
| instrument was calibered and TESTED
and recorded in Il manner which cou,f
| rot but prove that for such work in
dividualism had its advantages over col
lectivism. The articles were indeed
manufactured" in the true etymologlc
ell sense of the term. "hand made" ard
+ head made. too. for that matter. and al
this in Il little out-building accessible
only after diligent search and many
Observation-Disclosures Magazine.