Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-05

VIZ KSHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 31.-Horol-
wv ogy is going to be added . the list
of professions. BY getting it recog-
nzed as a learned vocation, on the same
plane as pulling teeth or defending and
prosecuting GRIMM ais the Horological Insti-
tute of America hopes that some embryo
dentists and lawyers will be DETECTED to
horology. 1t is promised that they will find
less competition, and more chance of service
in this neglected field.
Perhaps it should be explained that an
horologist is not crystal gazar, but a
matchmaker. The term is going to become
more -amiliar in the future, because the new
Neurological Institute has decided that it is
a title preferable to that OF matchmaker.
1t might also be explained that a watch
maker is not a man who makes watches. At
one time he was. But now, when watches
are made in a factory, the employe who
makes a certain wheel fol- thousands of
timespieces gen orally has no claim to the
title of matchmaker. That name is reserved
for the man who knows the anatomy Of
watch as a surgeon knows the human body.
The matchmaker repairs watches and de-
signs new models.
The country needs 1000 more of these
horologists than it has, and the public is
suffering accordingly, though it may not
realize it.
You may have noticed that getting a
watch repaired of late years is a difficult I'M
dertaking. You take the watch to watch
doctor, and he returns it in time-generally
much longer time than you expected. 1t
might have been fixed. Or, again it might
lott frV doctor
again, or you try another. Watchmakers
who can correctly diagnose the trouble in d
watch without proceeding by the trial or err
ror method scarce.
This is a serious situation because the
time we carry is inevitably less accurate than
it would be if the country had the proper
number of expert watch rerairers. In the
aggregate we are wasting enormous amounts
of time through the decline of punctLality.
With many individuals a close accuracy
in a timepiece is not regarded as necessary,
though almost everyone has to catch trains
and meet important engagements at times,
With the railroad man, on the other land,
a watch that is unreliable may mean death
or injury to scores of persons.
Railroad Time Vital
There are 2,OO0,OO0 of these railroad time
pieces hat have to be KEEP to no more than
80 seconds error in a week. At the recent
Theological conference it was pointed out
that while there are some excellent horolo-
gists, there are far too few who are capable
of repairing timepiece so important as a
railroad watch. And there are undoubtedly
some doing this work who are not qualified.
To improve conditions n the neurological
industry, the Neurological Institute of Amer-
ca has been formed. 1t has just held its
second conference, and agreed on its pro-
gram. 1t has desired that watchmakers go
back to the standards Of former years when
the designer and epairer of timepieces was
regarded as an artist and a learned man.
Matchmaking was recognized a difficult
art and it consequently attracted many
promising young men.
Now the boy or girl who wants a career
rarely thinks of this old art Horology re-
Quires more study and receives less fnan-
cial reward than other professions and so it
is passed over. At present it is not classed
with the professions, and students refuse to
spend two years or more mastering Voca-
ton lat is generally classed trade.
Most people do not realize that the man
who fixes their ailing timepieces is, or should
be, a highly trail ed technCian To repair
a railroad watch matchmaker should not
only be thoroughly familiar with it's mechan-