Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-10-14
FIRST CHEAP WATCH
The Story of the Famous Old
Long Winding Waterbury.
SCHEME OF AN OLD coBBLER

Mas Taken Up nnG Wicked out--A
| Tiuepisoe That Came to Be Known
All Over tho World.
In a small country town In Con-
necticut lived a cobbler. He was
poor man and a peculiar one. The
boys called him n "gcne." aud some
thought him crazy. But he kept on
I'm the even tenor OF his way. living
his own life and thinking his own
thoughts. One OF these thoughts was
that he could make watch that would
have only three wheels.
A matchmaker out or Job heard
OF the cobbler and called at his little
shop This was the beginning OF the
famous Waterbury watch. which was
the first cheap watch TO he manufac-
tured. IL is now n thing Of the past
But its cheap price and It's remarka-
bly, long wind" OF was stem winderl
were known around the world.
The Waterbury was named for the
town where IL was made. 1t had more
than the three wheels that the cob
bier had planned. but the little old
shoemaker's idea was the original
germ from which was evolved the
successful cheap watch
Having got the idea. the purchaser
OF the cobbler's rights found That the
first difficulty in his path was lack OF
money. He looked about for Il man
with money enough. nerve enough and
Imagination enough 10 lead him TO rem
der the financial aid without which
no first step could hc taken. lie was
found. because It was Il Yankee with
an indomitsble will that was looking
for him.
How much money will Il take and
how long n time do you want before
you can begin 20 make your watches
in sufficient quantities 60 make the
I thing Il success" he inquired
II will be frank with you" replied
the inventor 1T will require $4,000
and shall need eight months for
preparation"
7 Go ahead" said the daring capital
list
He went ahead He Tlet unexpected
difficulties and had spent S250.OOO and
used up twenty eight months before he
turned on, single watch But the
capitalist never faltcred Then the
factory. for which every piece OF ma
chirery had to be invented and spe-
cially made. turned out its first thou
sand watches.
Not one OF them would gol Among
other things. II was found that the
sheets OF brass out OF which were
stamped the wheels OF the watch had
n grain somewhat like wood. The
wheels cut out round would not stay
round.
This difficulty being remedied. n sec
ond thousand watches were made. A
large number OF these went. but the
percentage Of shoppers" (watches that
refused TO gol was still too large.
New study. new experiments. how
ever. finally perfected the cheap little
timekeepers 10 the point OF perfection
that only about 10 per cent were stop
pers. The good watches were tested
in six positions-lying on the face. on
the back and in four positions on the
edge. The maker OF each part stamped
his mark on the part he made so that
II fault was found I'm that part he
must make II right
Then came the question OF selling the
watches. aud over $4,000 was spent
In the years of it's vogue In advertising
the Waterbury watch Some OF the
methods used were interesting
A negro minstrel troupe were paid 10
open their show by saying. I'VE have
come from Waterbury. the land OF
eternal spring." referring TO the long
time required to wind the Waterbury
watch
One day the owner OF one OF these
timepieces was winding It on the train.
Across the aisle n traveller noted that
his neighbor was winding his watch.
1t caused no thought until second
look and then n third showed the wind
Ing still under way. Then the astonish-
ed man spoke. Excuse me. sir. but
are you winding n watch?"
Yes" said the winding owner. land
I'm tired or IT, You wind awhile. will
your This led to explanations and re-
suited in the ordering by the stranger.
who had never before seen n Water
bury. OF 10000 watches for the use OF
his business house In its China trade.
The great business went on. and
large sums OF money were made In IT.
All over the world people were buying
these watches. so cheap were they.
All over the world people laughed M
the long wind" The old hacker of
the enterprise had died. and one Of his
successors felt indignant because his
son In travelling in some remote mart
OF Hungary was asked II the Water
bury he came from was the place
where the watch with long wind
was made.
And" said the man. u don't want
the product OF my factory laughed
about all over the earth" But his am.
billion led him to try TO make a good
watch. The new Geld he soon found
was by this time occupied By most
successful competitors. and after get
ting into hopeless Indebtedness the old
Waterbury Watch company died in
the house of those who should have
been its friends.-John +. Simmons in
New York Tribune
l.