Hutchinson gazette., 1900-01-25
OUR CLOCKS ABROAD.
TIMEPIEoEs SENT TO EVERY
QUARTER OF THE GLOBE.
Demand For Cheap Goods 80 Great tho
Manufacturers Cannot Meet It--PsOuli-
Rritisa OF tho TrAde--Round Clocks
for China

civilization has made or IN making its
way, says tho New York Evening Post.
They are for the most part of kind
with the nickel alarm clock and the
dollar nickel watch-machine-made
goods, with which the foreign manu-
facturer cannot compete The export
demand Of last year has been the
greatest the manufacturers have
known; they have not resources sutli-
Client to supply tho whole of 1t, The
shipments In the ten months ending
october aggregate in value nearly sl,-
100000; which is the same as saying
about q million and quarter clocks
and watches, In 1878 the exports were
valued at about 81 100000; in 1889, at
about sl,S00O00, and II is estimated
that for 1899 the value will reach about
S1,700,0O0, The clocks 30 to Hong
kong, Buenos Ayres, Bombay, London,
Cape Town, Manila, Arabia, northern
Africa-everywhere; even, in some
considerable quantity, to Switzerland.
The clockmalSing industry in the
United States Ia Just as old as the CEN
tury. II is on record, however, that
Eli Terry patented and manufactured
an equation clock In 1907. In 1907 this
same Terry entered into contract
with clockmaker Of Waterbury to
make 1900 thirty-hour clocks with Sec
onds pendulum, dial and hands, and
oil for 81 each, He was given three
years to complete his contract. There
was then q clockmaker at Plymouth,
another at Salem Bridge and another
ut Roxbury-all distinguished in their
profession, In 1914 Terry perfected q
thirty-hour clock Of new construc-
tlon and at once all the makers took
II up successfully.
Since then the industry has rapidly
developed, until now one concern, the
Ansonia Clock company, makes eight
clocks and cheap watches a minute, or
5000 day or 100000 year; and
another, the Seth Thomas Clock COM
pany, makes, Of clocks alone, two a
minute, or 1900 a day, or 100000
year. It may be said, in passing that
the cheapest nickel clock requires 450
"handlings" to complete.
II estimate" said n manufacturer,
"that about 10000 clocks q Gay are
made in the United States. That this
enormous supply continues Is simply
explained, The cheap clock or watch
will keep good time for about two
years. Then the oil dries and clogs
the wheels; and the owner buys new
one rather than go to the expense OF
having the old one repaired. Here's a
little clock called the bee 1t was in
vented in twenty minutes, 1t has gone
all over the world, and / shouldn't
wonder II It held It's own In the mar
ket until 20,OOO,00O are sold, You must
know that clockmaking some time ago
reached a point in progress near per-
fection, The important improvements
Of recent years have been few"
In ten months of 1898 $11 900 worth
Of clocks and watches were exported
to China and $4,000 worth to Japan
The japanese are teaching themselves
clockmaking; in the corresponding ten
months Of this year only $1,000 worth
of clocks and watches were exported
to that country. The demand In China
however, has increased and 1t Is Pc
culiar concerning It that nothing but
round or octagon clocks can be sold tc
the Chinese merchants-old fashioned
wooden, large dial clocks, sucn as have
hung in country schoolrooms and
churches for years, and which now
must be made to supply this demand
The Chinese are beginning to make
the cases for themselves, as the Japan.
ese did long ago; for the most part
only the movements to fit are sent tc
these countries. The amount saved tc
the buyer is extremely small. The
manufacturers have tried vainly to in.
troduce clocks Of an improved form
and movement; but there Is practical
ly no sale for anything other than the
octagon style, which can be shipped In
any position, and therefore first made
their way so far east
The nickel alarm clock goes to the
mining camps of Alaska and the Hud
son bay posts of British North Amer
: lea and to North Africa and Arabia
: even to the tents Of the Bedoulns. II
the orient however, the sale is small
as 1t is to all indolent peoples. Queer
orders come to the manufacturers
from such places. The catalogues O.
the various firms drift through many
countries, being carried to this place b.
O commission salesman and to that BY
a travelling merchant, being lost anC
found and traded and sold gathering
business for the firm all the time Otter
orders arrive In New York that werC
put in the mail in some out-of-the-wa!
corner Of the world six or nine months
; before. It turns out usually that thu
selection is made from long out-of
date catalogue and sometimes 1t hap
pens that the clocks are out Of date
too, being made no more at all. Whei
such orders are filled the packing case
are wired tightly, as they are in al
shipments to eastern countries; for tht
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