The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-03
mn. ELDEFs HIsrORIC WATCHES.
Tmepiece, That Were Carried ny Napoleon,
Josephine and Henry Clay.

When anybody asks A. r. 7. Elder whit the
time Ia he Ia liable TO answer almost anything,
for he has all sorts Of time. MIR. Elder IL q man
with a fad and about $50 watches, lie had one
In every pocket yesterday. One was q big.
ugly thing that was presented TO him years ago
by an employer, which looks like II might have
been bought by the pound, but whichkeeps time
10 the second. In another pocket Is n watch as
big, not as thick. which has n dial rs plain as a
dish and n history that would mako my watch
proud. Napoleon presented the tinepicco 70
his old friend and stan officer, Col. Bouton. The
Colonel dicd in this country IN exile and his
family went broke" But that Is neither here
nor there. Al $50 o'clock the Napoleonic watch
said II was not Guitea 2. but q watch that was car
ricd through Waterloo and Is stil running may
claim the right 10 do almost anything.
H precisely tho moment that Napoleon
struck the hour OF 3, q gem, q perfect gem
OF a watch. said 4 was a39. and !, said wha.
the Eapoleonic. but It ia as romantic, II IA
a genuine Josephine watch, For n long time
The then Duke e. orleans was q fg "a
puks came 70, tho ,French throne, and II
his heef syelled 4 did not swell enough 70
train had been most kind to his royal highness,
and IN return. merely as n memento, the 10y
watch surely TINT ever left the hands OF n maker.
II Is not larger than a nfty-cent piece. nor much
thicker than n silver dollar. 1ts back IL Of
craven gold, with q noseeay painted by some
master hand. and the whole enamelled in away
that never has been surpassed, Even tho
ring for attaching the guard Is enamelled The
dial. as a contrast. is absolutely without orna-
mentation.
A much more handsome dial Is that on n
watch owned BY Henry Clay IBIS watch vas "a
time Mayor Of New Orleans. IL Is entirely Of
gold. case. dial. hands and even the plates
which hold the works together. Az II when
been no limit put on the expense. the works
are arranged In the form ot a spread eagle.
The timepiece must have cost $500 20 make,
but II Is supposed 70 be worth three times that
Mr.. Elder seems TO prize his Clay watch
most, but tho two French watches are the
most popular. no eonfcsses. The big one. the
one Napoleon owned. IL a triumph. II has
tunes, one for each Of the hours. The watch
has never been out Of repair. and. from the
looks Of the inside, a complicated watch and a
whole music box, the thought Of repairing It
i do not sell these Mr.. Elder says Il
buy them the same as some buy paintings
The ring | have on was once owned by lAfny-
cite. ALWAYS liked watches. ] can remember
Il was one Of the old-fashioned bulls eye affairs
In his absence | took II all to pieces. When
he discovered me he gave me n laundering
humping. I got NJ, put the works together,
filed my hat with stones and ran that brother
OF mine all oyer the farm. I fairly dote on an
old watch. I have some with pendulums In
them. They are glorious but this Clay watch
is my favorite.
great afalr with It's stately minuets and FIVE
marches In the music department, and TO the
Law woman the sweetest OF josephine watches,
are the favorites.