The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-01-21
"wATcH SICKNESS" IN CITIES.
How Many watches Arc Anected by
Electricity.

Electricity.
Watches, especially those of the
higher grades, are suffering to no
small extent from an upto.date NAL
ady. magnetization, and the services
OF the doctors for their ailments are
needed I'm proportion to the introduc-
tion of electricity for light aud trac-
ton. Doctors In watches Of the fin
est make, say that II has happened
that n dozen timepieces have been
brought to their repairing counters
In one day. knocked out" by electric
currents. or late much of this has
been ascrlbed to the introduction of
electric traction on the system of the
Manhattan railway company. The In
fluence of such traction on watches
on the surface roads became appar-
ent as soon as the cable system was
supplanted by overhead and under
ground trolleys.
The influence of electricity on
years ago. when so-called non.mag.
netizablc watches were made for
electrical engineers and others who
were brought into contact with pow
erful electrical machinery, and II was
usual to ask visitor to such places
to leave his watch outside the build
ing. Such watches had their balance
of silver or platinum alloy, and the
balance spring of gold or palladium.
the use Of steel in any part of the
watch being avoided. But such watch
es were Indifferent recorders Of chro-
nology, and soon wore out. In this
city IL years ago the advance I'm the
utilization of electricity was marked
by "watch Sickness" and this came
to be established beyond doubt
when watches out of gear were TAX
en- TO be cleaned or repaired and moth
ing was found to be the matter with
them except maFnetlzation.
This led at first 10 tho trade en-
ploylng an expert In electricity and
chronographs to treat all watches de.
moralized by electricity, but two
years later the principal firms found
It more advantageous and economical
to install demagnetizing device as
adjunct to their repairing and clean
ing plants, under the charge of an OK
pert. The demagnetizer Is q simple,
scientific apparatus, to which the sick
watch is exposed. When the watch
is drawn away from 1t, the evil influ-
once is left with the machine, and the
timepiece In restored to health.
II do not believe" said an expert in
the employ of one of the most impor-
tant concerns In the United States,
that any one not in the business
knows how capricious watches are in
regard to electricity. Women are
not in t. with watches when Il comes
to frealdshness. Two men may go
out together with watches of the
same grade, and only one Of the time
pieces will catch magnetization. A
watch magnetized and demagnetized
will develop the ailment sometimes
the next day II Is worn. No watch
n,agnetized ever fully RECEIVERS with
out dcmagnetization. The unmagnet-
liable watch of high grade and fault
less performance has not yet been
made. Such watches exist. and just
'do;' they are not good timekeepers.
or course susceptible watch may
be kept out of electric influences In
an India rubber bag, but when 1t
comes to that better do without
watches. Devices to protect watch
es, such as hard. rubber cases. are
many, but no watch is thoroughly
protected by them, even without a
chain. And watch with a steel
chain in such conditions would get as
sick as one laid on a dynamo.
There's nothing to be done, outside of
trusting to street clocks, or such
chance information about the fleeting
hours, but to watch your watch close
ly and when 1t develops the up-to-date
malady to take 1t to the doctor. Some
day a non-magnetizable watch of high
10, x.,tl h.