The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-03-01

materials for watches and watch making
to San Jose, leaving the San Diegans to
settle among themselves the dispute over
the lands appertaining to the Otay Water
Company.
Mr.. K imb balls interest in the Otay plant
was protected by mortgage on the New
Chicago factory. Then Mr.. Wheeler gath
cred his scattered forces again, and the
company was assured that the factory was
fully equipped and ready to begin making
money.
After the first week OF operations at the
new factory the mem bers of the company
got down to serious figuring. They dis
covered that the watches being made could
never be sold for an amount equal TO the
actual cost. Mr.. Wheeler couldn't remedy
the situation. AS a result, the San Jose
Watch Company at New Chicago had
turned out very few watches, and had put
very few movements together when the
members of the company quit advancing
funds. Mr.. Kimball took the factory and
New Chicago lots. equal in area TO a small
farm, and Mr.. Wheeler sailed for Japan.
He interested some wealthy Europeans
and japanese in his enterprise; returned,
bought the Otay and New Chicago mate
rails and machinery, and shipped it to
Osaka in the land of the Mikado.
One of the very few watches that now
serve as relics of the vain efforts to create
booms in real estate by building watch
factories on speculative townsites at Otay
and New Chicago Attorney Richards
carries about with him i'll his vest pocket.
If the land schemes which resulted in
directly in the manufacture of that little
watch had proved as successful as that
timepieee every body who may regret the
fact that he was interested in the original
California watch factory might be in clover
to-day. As it is, the outcome OF those
meteoric schemes, as far as they relate to
this State, is enough to have stamped
look of pain on the face of the California
made watch.
And how about the japanese watch fac
tory which uses the machinery that once
formed quite basis of hope for New
Chcago2
The transplanted factory is operated by
the Osaka Watch Company. The directors
are Japanese. and p. III. Wheeler turns
right side up with care as general superin-
tendent. The company Is making 20
watches, 60 clocks and 25 warehouses; per
day, and is the only factory in the world,
moreover, that makes watches, watch
cases and clocks complete under one roof.
Mr.. Wheeler claims that Americans
have nothing 10 fear from japanese COM
petition in this industry. On the other
hand, it is said, the departure will stimu-
late the demand for American watches,
the Osaka watch being on the American
plan.
The lowest-priced watch made at Osaka
is sold for IA yen (silver dollars). and ac-
cording TO Mr.. Wheeler the company is
mot making very much at that price"
The newspaper report that the Japanese
were making watches for SO cents apiece
is scorned as an absurdity. Mr.. Wheeler
declares that 1.-THE cost is nearer So" 1t
cost nearer three times the latter figure to
make watches at New Chicago.
The Osaka factory is said to be success.
The japanese pick up the trade rapidly.
Their wages average about eighteen silver
cents a day. The American experts en-
ploy Japanese cooks and servants, and all
it costs them each per month is SIS in silver
or 81 so in gold.
p. Ii. Wheeler travels about the interior
of Japan IN rIckshaw drawn by Japanese
coolies. He is bigger man at Osaka then
ever he could have been at Otay or New
Chicago.
Yet it is to be hoped that providence and
protection will defend this land against
the day when industry of any kind shall
depend for its success on 18-cent labor, or
when labor in this good land shall be
forced to work for even several times IS
cents day.