Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-03
WATCH DO -TORS NEEDED
BY Frederic J. rIaskin

Washington. Nov. 5s--Horology Ii
going To be added TO the llst OF pro-
fessions. BY getting Il recognized az
learned vocation, on the same plane
as pulling teeth or defending and
prosecuting criminals. the Neurological
Institute OF America hopes that some
embryo dentists and lawyers will be
DETECTED to horoiogy. IL liz promised
that they will find less competition
and more chance OF service In this
neglected field.
Perhaps IL should be explained that
an horologist is not a crystal gazer
but matchmaker. Tho term Is going
TO become more familiar In the future
because the new Theological InstI-
tute has decided that IL Is title pre-
/ ferable TO that OF matchmaker.
! IL might also be explained that q
/ matchmaker 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 Ger.
tain wheel for thousands Of timepieces
generally has no claim to the title oi
matchmaker. That name is reserved
for the man who knows the anatomy
Of a watch as surgeon knows tbs
human body. The matchmaker re.
pairs watches and designs new models
The country needs 1000 more oi
these horologists than il has, and th'
| public is suffering accordingly, though
II may not realize it.
You may have noticed that gettinr
a watch repaired Of late years Is q
difficult undertaking. You take tn,
watch to watch doctor. and he re
turns IT in time--generally a mucH
longer time than you expected. I
might have been fixed. Or, again, 4
might not. In this latter case, yoS
try this doctor again, or you try an
other. Watchmakers who can cor
rectly diagnose the trouble in watch
without proceeding by the trial o.
error method are scarce.
This is a serious situation becaus
the time we carry is inevitably les
accurate than It would be II the coun
try had the proper number Of exper
watch repsirers. In the aggregate w
are wasting enormous amounts o
time through the decline Of punctu
Blity.
With many individuals close &C
curacy in a timepiece is not regard
cd as necessary, though almost every
one has to catch trains and meet i'm
portant engagements at times. wit
the railroad man, on the other hanC
watch that is unreliable may mea
death or injury to scores Of person.
Railroad Time Vital
There are 1000 900 Of these railroa
timepieces that nave to be kept TO n
more than 80 seconds error in a weel
At the recent Theological conferenc
II was pointed out that while ther
are some excellent horologists. theI
are far too few who are capable OF r,
pairing timepiece so important as
railroad watch. And there are ur
! doubte6ly some doing this work WI
are not qualified.
TO improve conditions in the hor,
logical industry, the HorologicaI Il
stitute OF America has been formed.
mas Just held it's second confereuc
ana agreed on its program. 1t has d,
sired that watchmakers go back
the standards Of former years rha
the designer and repairer OF tim,
pieces was regarded as an artist ar
learned man. Matchmaking wa
recognized as a difficult art and
consequently attracted many proui,
! ing young men.
I NOW the boy or girl who wants
: career rarely thinks OF this ola =,
Horoiogy requires more study ana =
{ ceiVes less financial reward than 9th,
PROFESSIONS, and so It is passed owe
/ AT present II is not classed with II
: professions. and students refuse
spend two years or more rnastar;-
2 vocation that is generally class.
as a trade.
Most people do not realize that :,
. man who fixes their aiIing tirnepiec,
: is. or should be. a highly train.
: techniean- To repair a railroad watc
t matchmaker should not only /
: thoroughly familiar with its mecba,
/ rm and himself an expert craftsroa
) out he should know something
Physics and metallurgy. KnowIeds
} o. these subjects and also of astrononn
) ana trleonometry can he used by II
expert matchmaker in his work.
: Fewer and fewer students are q,
! tering schools of horology. one wate
} factory in New England experiment,
with the idea Of filing the depict,
: ranks OF the watchmIkers from II
: high schools. Students in the SEMI
/. year We're offered the chance of spen,
; ing half Of their time in the wats
2 factory, with credit for study there.
/ This was intended to interest ST
dents in the work. so that they wou
? enter the factory or a school Of horo
cgy, when they graduated rhe Dir
. did not work. A representative