The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-01-27
OUR CLOCKS ABROAD.
TIMEPlEcEs SENT TO EVERY
QUARTER OF THE GLOBE.

Demand For Cheap Goods 50 Great the
Manufacturer Cannot Meet It-Pecull-
:srities Of the Trade-Round Clocks
for China. =
American-made clocks and watches
are now shipped direct from this port
to every quarter of the globe where
civilization has made or is making it's
way, says the New York Evening Post.
They are for the most part of a kind
with the nickel alarm clock and the
dollar nickel Northumberland
goods, with which the foreign manu-
Eacturer cannot compete. The export
temand OF last year has been the
Greatest the manufacturers have
known; they have not resources sut1-
Gent to supply the whole of it. The
shipments in the ten months ending
October aggregate in value nearly ST.
100000; which is the same as saying
about a million and a quarter clocks
and watches. In 1873 the exports were
valued at about 81, 200, 900; in 1889, at
about 5 1900, 900, and it is estimated
that for 1899 the value will reach about
$l,7OO,000. The clocks go to Hong
kong, Buenos Ayres, Bombay, London,
Cape Town, Manila, Arabia, northern
Africa-everywhere; even, in some
considerable quantity, to Switzerland.
The clockmaking industry in the
United States is just as old as the cen
tury. 1t. is on record, however, that
Eli Terry patented and manufactured
an equation clock in 1897. In 1907 this
same Terry entered into a contract
with a clockmaker of Waterbury to
make 1900 thirty-hour clocks with Sec
onds pendulum, dial and hands, and
all for "a each. He was given three
years to complete his contract. There
was then a clockmaker at. Plymouth,
another at Salem Bridge and another
at Roxbury-all distinguished in their
profession. In 1914 Terry perfected a
thirty-hour clock of a new construc-
ton and at once all the makers took
1t 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 a day or $500, 900 a year; and
another, the Seth Thomas Clock COM
pany, makes, Of clocks alone, two a
minute, or 1000 a day, or 400, 900 a
year. 1t may be said, in passing that
the cheapest nickel clock requires $50
landings" to complete.
Il estimate" said a manufacturer,
that about 10000 clocks a day 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 a new
n rather than go to the expense of
having the old n repaired. Here's a
little clock called the 'bee.' 1t was in
vented in twenty minutes, 1t has gone
all over the world, and I shouldn't
wonder If it held its own in the mar
ket until 20,0 0 900 are sold. You must
know that clockmaking some time ago
reached a point in progress near per-
lection. The important improvements
Of recent years have been few"
In ten months of 1893 $11, 1000 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 $4,000 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 to
the Chinese merchants-old fashioned
wooden, large dial clocks, such as have
hung ipr 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 to
these countries. The amount saved to
the buyer is extremely small. The
manufacturers have tried vainly to in
troduce clocks of an improved form
and movement; but there is practical
" no sale for anything other than the
.octagon style, which ear 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 Bedouins. In.
the orient, however, the sale is small;
as It is to all indolent peoples. Queer
orders come to the manufacturers
from such places. The catalogues OF
the various firms drift through many
countries, being carried to this place by
a commission salesman and to that by
a travelling merchant, being lost and
found and traded and sold, gathering
business for the firm all the time. Often
orders arrive in New York that were
nut III the mail in some out-of-the-way
corner of the world six or nine months
before. It turns out usually that the
selection is made from a long out-of-
date catalogue, and sometimes 1t hap
pens that the clocks are out of date.
too. being made no more at all. When
such orders are filled the packing cases
ara rired tightly, as they are in all