Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-06

to fully appreciate the joke connected
with the winding. In the meantime,
millions Of these watches had been
sold all over the world But the origi-
nal Waterbury watch is no longer
made. It deserves credit as being the
lpioneer in its field; but 1t has been
superseded by other cheap watches,
lneater, thinner, shorter wind, more
durable and almost as inexpensive.
Among Uncle Johns friends is Mr..
A. Bannatyne, a most agreeable young
Scotchman, who was the Inventor OF
several of the almost human machines
that were used in the production Of the
old Waterbury watch. He was at one
time with the Waterbury Watch COM
pany; but as q business proposition,
the Waterbury never had the sanction
of his Judgment. His native Scotch
canniness told him that the watch was
not practical and substantial enough to
command continuous favor and that
it's manufacture and sale could not be
established on a permanent basis. For
this reason he got out Of the company
several years ago and shortly after
ward began preparations to build a
watch that would come nearer fulfill
ing his own ideas. Mr.. Bannatyne is
man Of considerable means himself;
but his Waterbury friends wanted to
be interested and as the result, he is
now at the head Of a powerful compa-
ny that is just beginning to put on the
market what Is known as the Banna-
tyne watch, a most substantial little
| timepiece in nickel or gunmetal
case that retails at $1.5O. I went
through the factory and followed the
making of the watches from the raw
steel and brass on through to the
starting and regulating. At this time
the watches are being turned out at
the rate of about 500 day; but Mr..
Bannatyne and his associates consider
this as merely starter. After two
years Of preparation and as the result
Of an advertising and demonstration
campaign commenced some six months
ago, they have already begun to re-
ceive orders from different parts Of the
world, and they see that within few
months more, they will have to en-
large their capacity. During my visit
l was shown a big lot Of watches that
had just been prepared for shipment
to Australia
| But while Waterbury has been ad-
vertised more extensively Throughout
the world, because Of her watches and
clocks, than because Of her other i'm
portant Industries, the watch making
industry is of secondary Importance.
The leading industry Of the city is
brass making. Here are located sew
eral of the most extensive brass man
ufacturins plants in the world, and l
had the pleasure Of going through the
works Of the Waterbury Brass compa-
| ny, one Of the most notable OF the
group. Uncle Johns son-in-law, Mr..
H. M. Steele, Is second vice president,
assistant secretary and treasurer and
executive manager Of this vast estab-
lishment and it was he who kindly
piloted us through the place. To me
1t was revelation, and I despair at
giving an adequate description Of 1t.
The buildings housing the plant cover
a good many acres, and there are sew
eral thousand men and women on the
payrolls. We started in backwards,
that is, in the departments from which
issue the finished products, and wound
up with the foundry, where they begin
to work with the raw materials; but
it was all the same to me, as I had
never seen any part Of it before.
The manufacture here begins with
pig copper, zinc, tin spelter, mangan-
ese, etc., according to the quality Of the
brass to be produced. These metals
are weighed out in the proper propor-
ton in quantities sufficient for days
melting for each gang Of three men.
There are scores and scores Of these
gangs, each consisting Of founder
and two helpers. Each gang is re-
quired to do so much work day. OF
course the reader does not need to be
told that it is hot work around the
furnaces. The work requires skill,
strength and endurance, and one can
not fail to be impressed with the In
telligent appearance and the physical
development of the giants, who look
after the moulding and for that matter
all the other details. After the mix
ture Of metals has been melted in cru
cibles, and poured into moulds, 1t
comes out in various shapes, mostly
slabs, two inches thick, IL or Is inches
wide and about three feet long. Some
Of the moulds turn out long bars, and
rods and other various shapes. The
butts of the big slabs are cut off with
monster steam shears, and then the
crude brass finds its way into the de-
partments where it is rolled into plates
of all thicknesses down to thin paper.
| The bars and rods are drawn down to
various thicknesses, including wires
Of every size down to that Of hair.
Millions of pounds of brass are mar
keted at this stage; but the manufac-
ture of other millions Of pounds is car
red a great deal further. Among 9TH
er things they were making brass eye
lets, copper cent blanks, cartridge
cases, and a thousand and one articles
could not Identify including a great
many that Mr.. Steele himself knew
nothing about. He, by the way, said
he did not go through the works Of
tener than once in two or three
months His business Is altogether in
the general office, and the details OF
manufacture are looked after by the
heads Of the different departments.
The output of the works aggregates
several million pounds of brass
month, and Mr.. Steele has enough to
do without trying to keep up with the
details Of the manufacture.
| At Waterville, a ward Of Waterbury,
there is a great pin manufacturing
plant; but 1 did not have time to go
to it, as insisted over Uncle Johns
protests that 1 must go on to Rutland,
and could not possibly remain in his