El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-12

: ence between it and the real time
/ the true timepiece is the earth Ac-
/ cording to professor Newcomb the
! earth has not altered its course one
I hundredth and probably not one-thou-
sandth part of a second since the be-
ginning Of the Christian era.
The direct effect Of this rotation is
the apparent revolution of the stars
across the sky. Every conspicuous star,
and there are about 500, has its posi-
ton carefully determined by right as
cension and declination. and from
prepared catalog the astronomers can
ascertain just what time it is by the
passage Of a star st a certain mertd-
ian.
From the various observatories all
over the world. the principal one in the
United States being the naval observa-
tory at Washington, d. c.. the correct
time is communicated twice day. Five
minutes before each of these messages
is sent every wire in the country is
opened, and every operator stops send
ing messages. Another manner Of an
nouncing this exactly is by time balls
These are placed on the tops of build
ings in all the large cities of the United
States, and at the exact second the time
is sent from the observatory these balls
drop.
Time Troubles of Japan.
There is one country in the world
where no matter how careful the as
tronomers are, or how well made the
clocks or watches. the proper time can
not be kept This is Japan, and the
there being a movement of the earth
quakes which occur in that country,
there being a movement fthe earth
about every three or four days The
surmounting of this obstacle has been
undertaken by astronomers. and a way
has been devised OF keeping correct |
the observatory clock at Toxic Wheth- |
er or not this device will prove a per-
manent means of having correct time |
cannot be ascertained until it has been
in use for some time.
Whether made by hand or by ma
chinery the construction of curious and ,
ingenious watches has always been /
source of pleasure to those concerned |
in their making. In the hundreds OF /
years in which watches have been |
made there have been numberless |
specimens which have been wonders Of
inventive genius and which have con- |
sumed years in completing
Watch Sells for $4,000.
Perhaps the most expensive watch |
ever made was one which sold for $4,000. |
This was made by Mr.. Junod for count |
A. a. De Canvalho Monteiro, OF Lis |
bon.
It has two dials. the second of which |
is protected by the case. The front |
face has, besides the hours, minutes |
and seconds, four extra small dials. On |
these are shown the phases and ages OF |
the moon, days of the month and week |
for 400 years. the years and seasons |
dicating the fractions of a second |
Among the other things it contains |
are q thermometer, a mariners COM |
pass and a dial showing the time In /
12S different cities. This wonderful |
piece Of mechanism represents seven /
years work.
A curious fact concerning timepieces |
is that the Roman numeraI is not used |
for the fourth hour as in the case of /
all the others, four ones being sub
stituted
This is said to have resulted from a |
whim Of Charles Y. Of France. who. on /
being brought a clock he had ordered |
remarked that there was a mistake in /
the lettering of the dial.
Wherein asked the maker.
The four should be four ones"
You are mistaken, your majesty"
replied the Matchmaker.
I am not" stoutly affirmed the king. |
Have it fixed at once"
Since this incident the figuring of
all clocks and watches numbered with |
Roman numerals shows this eccen-
tricity.
Curious Tlmepiece.
At jewelers. in Saco, Maine. there
is watch as large as a baseball in
and about half as thick.
This extra thickness is caused by an
attachment which strikes the hours. 1t
Is OF heavy silver and was bought at
q Chinese pawnshop in the island of
Sumatra in 1865. It was designed for
a powerful Battak chief as a reward i