Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1905-11-24
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER -. 1893
THE DAYS AND HOURS.

pocket o Will have II your hand one
OF the most wonderful pieces OF ma
chineTy ever constructed. Think how
it works throughout the day and nigh;
and how it keeps it up year in, year u
Think how the second hand points to
1900 divisions of time during every
hour. 1t never sleeps.
II it is like the average watch, it will
be built up Of 10 fewer than lI5 differ.
ent pieces. These pieces will have
passed through more than $4,000 sep
arate operations, each beng a distinct
form Of manufacture.
The fourth jewel wheel screw is so
very small that il il almost invisible.
To the naked eye il appears to be but u
speck Of dust. When examined under
a magnityinR glass 1t will be seen to he
a perfect screw, having go threads to
the inch, each thread beng well cut.
Actually the diameter OF tins screw is
60 little ne the four one-thousandth part
OF an inch, and it would take no less d
i'll order to ill an Ordinary thlmLic as
used by the ladies.
Each screw has a double head and
has to be hardened. After the harden
ing process the screws are arranged in
frames, being placed in with the heads
upward. This delicate operation is
done 10y the sense OF touch alone instead
of by sight, and great raridity marks
tho skillful operator. here about
a hundred screws are placed ID each
frame, and the frames are attached to a
machine which polishes the head OF the
screws 10000 at a time.
1t will be seen how marvellous these
screws are, yet one 81 them forms but
one .iny piece OF a watch. Still, this
will show the remarkable nature nf that
everyday article. When special watches
are considered there is indeed room for
wonder.
For Instance, take the watch which
was presented to Cattle rine /. ON her
coronation as empress Of Russin. This
watch was one OF tho most remarkably
constructed instruments ever made.
On the opposite side OF the works OF
this extraordinary timekccpcr there was
in exact representation Of the holy
sepulcher. with a carved image Of the
jtoman guard stationed outside it. AZ
soon as the watch case was opened the
Imitation rocks would rod away from
The mouth Of the sepulcher, the soldier
would kBeel, angels would appear at
opposite sides Of the opening, and sweet
strains OF music would be heard. This
remarkable watch took nine years III.
interrupted labor in order to construct.
Tho first clock III my way resembling
those III use at present was made hy
Henry Wick III the year 1870, and it was
made for Charles V. OF France. This
monarch was surnamcd the Wise, but
his education was imperfect iii many
rcgpecte, and he knew it well. As a
result he was very obstinate in his clam
to know everything. lie showed this
obstiDacy when Wick brought the new
timepiccc Tor his approval. Tho king
could not find any fanlt with its work.
ing, so hc criticised the figures on the
dial.
lie told the maker that lie had made
the hour OF 4 shUuld he four IL. Poor
WICK venturcd 10 tell the king that he
was wrong. Il am mover wronp!- thInd.
cred the irate monarch. cake the clock
away and correct the mistalSe Mt Once
upon pain 70! my disploasurc!7
Wick had to do IA he was told, with
the result that all our timcpiaces have
the foutb hour labeled III instead Of
Nv, rs should bc the ease il tho correct
Enumeration were followed.
How many people have the sIigh'cs,
ro,ion why sixty seconds mako a mn.
ute md Why the hour il divided into
sixty minutes, and so on? Why are
there no ten hours to tho day md ten 10
the night2
Tho reason is very simple. IL is he.
cause the people Of Babylon rnckoncd
not only by u decimal system Of nota.
ton, but also by n gcxngCfimal eystcm.
That ia 10 cay, they not only rcCkouCd
by tens, but 9lso 10y r~ixtico. rhc
w. A'''' WV WY 'l'N'l l''. llif
and they aaw that the decimal p, stnn,
was by no means the best.
1hoy know tim, no number had ga
many divisoTp rs has xty.
How about the division ui tho day
into boursY Tho Baby lDnianp began 10y
comparing the progress made by the
sun ON it's daily journey to tho d]istnucc
covered by good walker, this bc,ug
done at the time OF equinox. Ia,
astronomers dividcd the Guns journey
into tw~eniy.fnnr rnreangs, whence our
hOura.
Tho BabyIonian System WA adopted
by the Grecka. 1t ia one Of the most
remarkable facts 81 history that the
system has survived through every
change made since the days Of Baby.