Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-08

these watches has made the European
trip. is numbered and stamped with the
name, either Waltham on Elgn. In order,
however, that the skeptical or even the
most timid may be relieved OF any pos
sibe doubt of the absolute reliability of
these watches, as 90 their being OF stand
ard make, and that they are not old
goods, but that they are of the latest
designs, this man. Charles A. keene, who
has thus circumvcnted the Trust, gives TO
each purchaser written guarantee
that it is In an respects as represented,
agreeing to return the purchase price If
any dealer to whom the purchaser may
submit the watch win say that it is not
a genuine Waltham OF Elgin of the lat
est manufacture and of the grade as
represented
It is, perhaps, too much TO expect that
with so many other phases of the Trust
question engrossing the public thought,
that the name of this American who de-
ies and harnesses the Watch Trust will
become a household word, but if pos
terity is to accord fame in proportion to
the effectiveness of the blows each of us
may deliver against Trust extortions,
then the name of Charles A. Keene will
surely be associuted with the fight
against an arrogant monopoly, the
Watch Trust
Whether "Keene is" as a newspaper
has said, IAN effective Trust buster" or
not certainly ne has shown that he is
not merely Keenc by name. but keen by
nature; for in reimporting their own
watches and selling them in competition
with their own agents at from a quarter
to a half less than they are sold for
almost next door, he hits the Trust a
solar plexus blow Kcene is evidently
an American who is alive to his appor
tunities, one who is not to be deferred
from going straight TO the mark by any
| threats OF the Trust that "they will put
him out of business" and "will not per-
nit him to get any watches to sell" !"
| Fortunately, he is endowed with that in
domitable grit which is the character
istic of his race, and he has not been
blufled, caioled or frightened. This case
is but another illustration of how little
one knows in this big city of what his
neighbor is doing. II seems that Mr..
Keene has reimported and sold thous-
ands of these watches during the past
year, and yet it was only a few days ago
that l learned of IL, and / find that a
similar ignorance of the matter existed
among my friends, although some pass
the store almost daily But then a crowd
no longer attracts permanent New
| Yorker
Keene distinctly disclaims being a
philanthropist He SAYS he is merely
! following that immutable law which
| governs the actions of men, which leads
them to crafty their desires with the
least exertion
Having figured out land consequently
proved that there was more money to
be made by defying the Trust than in
accedmg TO its demands, and having the
necessary grit, he proceeded to defy IL.
For the Watch Trust fellows the prac-
tice of other monopolistic combinations.
II exacts written pledge from dealers
that they viii not sell to customers for
less than certain stipulated prices.
The pledge is cast-iron and copper
riyeted, and woe betide the dealer who
dares to break it by selling his watches
at less than list prices
Fourth of July orators tell us that
this is a republic; that freedom reigns,
and that we are sovereign citizens. And
yet this proves that thousands Of watch
dealers all over the country are really
| nothing more than the hired servants Of
the Watch Trust. II is true that their
names are emblazoned on store windows
and over doors. But in order to reveal
the condition of servitude that exists,
the real relation existing between the
Watch Trust and retailers of watches,
their signs should read not civilian
Jones, Watch Dealer and Jeweler,n but
William Jones, Employe Of the Watch
Trust"
No wonder that when Keene hoists
the Trust with its own petard, It
squirms, fumes and threatens him with
the most dreadful penalties if he does
not desist from buying their own goods
! labroadl and retailing them at from 80
to 80 per cent less than they permit
American retailers to sell them for. Pos
sibly the Trusts wits have been sharp
ened by Keene, but they have not yet
devised n plan to prevent his continu-
ance of what, for his customers, at least,
is a philanthropic act.
As an illustration; The most expen-
sive watch made by the Waltham Watch
Co. is the grade known as Riverside
Maximus. The usual price at retail is
SIS. American dealers have to enter
into an iron-clad agreement not to sell
for less than $50. kecne buys this
watch abroad pays all expenses, COM
missions, express and insurance charges,
and yet IS able to sell it at retail for
S42.3O, and still makes a good profit.
He tells me that this holds true as
to practically all other grade of watches,
about the same proportionate reduction
Of price being made all through. He is
even able 20 reimport an American Wal
than watch and retail it for S298.
Surely this is a lesson in protection"
for the American people.