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PREFACE. 
 
 FROM time immemorial it has been the custom to give 
 every youngster a name, and so the author has chris- 
 tened this unpretentious vokune " The Watch Factories of 
 America." This little work is not intended to be elaborate 
 or even perfect, nor does it present anything nevs^ or start- 
 ling in the way of discovery, but is simply a collection of 
 facts, recorded in presentable shape, in connection with 
 the rise and development of one of the most marvelous 
 growths of mechanical genius of this wonder-working 
 nineteenth century. 
 
 Within the memory of yet active workers at the trade, 
 this branch of industry has grown from the humble factory 
 of Luther Goddard,with its weekly product of two watches, 
 to the mammoth Waltham and Elgin factories, with their 
 daily output of as many thousands, of the finest productions 
 of mechanical pi^ecision as the world has ever seen. Surely 
 such a developement deserves a history, and whether or 
 not I have succeeded in giving it, I leave you, gentle 
 reader, to decide. One thing is certain, that from the 
 " Nuremburg Egg," to the last novelty in watch making, 
 whatever that may be, the past fifty years of the nineteenth 
 century, in our own favored land, has more than surpassed 
 the endeavors of the intervening centuries, with all the 
 glorious achievements of the fine workers of England, 
 France and Switzerland ; they originated, but the Yankee 
 developed and multiplied, and has " waxed exceedingly 
 great" in the art of modern horology. 
 
 The Author. 
 
THE 
 
 WATCH FACTORIES 
 
 OF AMERICA 
 
 PAST AND PRESENT 
 
 A COMPLETE HISTORY OF WATCHMAKING IN AMERICA, FROM 
 1S09 TO 18SS INCLUSIVE, WITH SKETCHES OF THE 
 LIVES OF CELEBRATED AMERICAN WATCH- 
 MAKERS AND ORGANIZERS. 
 
 BY HENRY G. ABBOTT 
 
 a 
 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH 50 ENGRAVINGS 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 Geo. K. Hazlitt & Co., Publishers, 341-3S1 Dearborn Street, 
 
 1S88. 
 
COPYKIGHT, iSSS, 
 
 GEO. K. HAZLITT & CO. 
 
 
 ■l<^s^S-\ 
 
AARON L. DENNISON. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapteb. Page. 
 
 I. Aaron L. Dennison . . - . . g 
 
 II. Luther Goddard. Pitkin Bros. The 
 American Horologe Company. The War- 
 ren Mfg. Company. N. B. Sherwood. The 
 American Waltham Watch Company - 15 
 
 III. The Nashua Watch Company - - 33 
 
 IV. Edward Howard. E. Howard Watch and 
 
 Clock Company .... - 37 
 
 V. The Newark Watch Company. The Cor- 
 nell Watch Company . - . - 45 
 VI. The United States Watch Company of 
 
 N. J. The Marion Watch Company - 51 
 
 VII. The Elgin National Watch Company - 55 
 
 VIII. J. C. Adams 67 
 
 IX. The Tremont and Melrose Watch Com- 
 panies 69 
 
 X. The Mozart Watch Company of Provi- 
 dence. The New York Watch Company 71 
 XI. The Mozart Watch Company of Ann 
 Arbor. The Rock Island Watch Com- 
 pany. The Freeport Watch Company - 75 
 XII. The Illinois Watch Company - - 79 
 
 XIII. The Rockford Watch Company - - . S3 
 
 XIV. The Adams & Perry Watch Mfg. Com- 
 
 pany. The Lancaster Watch Company. 
 The Keystone Watch Company - - 85 
 
 XV. The Fitchburg Watch Company - - 91 
 
 XVI. The Auburndale Watch Company - - 93 
 
Chapter. 
 XVII. The Hampden Watch Company 
 
 XVIII. The Waterbury Watch Company - 
 
 XIX. Independent Watch Company. Fredonia 
 Watch Company . . - - . 
 
 XX. The Bowman Watch 
 
 XXI. Columbus Watch Company . . . . 
 
 XXII. Aurora Watch Company .... 
 
 XXIII. Trenton Watch Company - . - 
 
 XXIV. Charles S. Moseley. P. S. Bartlett 
 
 XXV. Cheshire Watch Company. Manhattan 
 
 Watch Company 
 
 XXVI. The Self Winding Watch. The United 
 
 States Watch Company of Waltham 
 
 XXVII, The Peoria Watch Company. The N. Y. 
 
 Standard, Seth Thomas and Wichita 
 
 Companies - 
 
 Page_ 
 97 
 
 lOI 
 
 109 
 "3 
 "5 
 119 
 123 
 127 
 
 133 
 
 137 
 
 141 
 
THE 
 
 WATCH FACTORIES 
 
 OF AMERICA. 
 
 THE term watchmaker, in America, does not necessarily- 
 imply one who manufactures ^vatches, but is more 
 generally applied to those who make a business of repair- 
 ing and cleaning time pieces. In days gone by, a watch- 
 maker was a mechanic of no mean order, capable of making 
 and fitting any part of a watch, no matter what make the 
 watch might have been or how complicated its construction, 
 which through negligence on the part of the owner became 
 deranged or broken. To-day, a watchmaker need be 
 possessed of only ordinary mechanical skill and intelligence 
 in order to repair any watch of American manufacture, and 
 all this change has come about by the manufactru'ers of the 
 various movements working on the interchangeable system, 
 first applied to watchmaking in America by Mr. Aaron L. . 
 Dennison in 1850. 
 
 AARON L. DENNISON. 
 
 Aaron L. Dennison was the son of a shoemaker of Free- 
 port, Me. He was born in the year 1812, and in 1822 we 
 find him carrying a mason's hod in the village of Topsham. 
 In 1825 we find him earning his own living, though but 
 thirteen years of age, by sawing wood in the town of Bruns- 
 wick, his father having removed to the latter place in 1824. 
 Two years later he might have been found working at his 
 
lO THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 father's trade. At eighteen years of age he began to grow 
 tired of cobbling. He was of a mechanical turn of mind 
 and was much interested in watchmaking . and kindred 
 mechanical work, and his father recognizing this fact 
 apprenticed him to James Carey, a watchmaker of Bruns- 
 wick, in 1830. In 1833 he left Brunswick, to perfect him- 
 self as a journeyman watchmaker, entering the employ of 
 Cvu'rier & Trot, of Boston. Shortly after, he went into 
 business for himself, but soon gave it up to enter the employ 
 oi Messrs. Jones, Low & Ball. While at work here he 
 received the benefit of the advice of Mr. Tubal Hone, then 
 •considered one of the finest watchmakers in the country; 
 and it was here in the year 1835 ^^^^^ ^^'- Dennison dis- 
 •covered the inaccuracies of workmanship and construction 
 -which existed in even the best of hand-made v^atches. In 
 a letter written at that time he said: " Within a year I 
 have examined watches made by a man whose reputation at 
 "this moment is far beyond that of any other w^atchmaker in 
 London, and have found in them such workmanship as I 
 -should blush to have it supposed had passed from under my 
 hands in our lower grade of work. Of course I. do not 
 mean to say that there is not work in these watches of the 
 highest grade possible to carry the finisher's art, but errors 
 ■do creep in and are allowed to pass the hands of competent 
 ■examiners, and it needs but slight acquaintance with our ar; 
 to discover that the lower grade of foreign watches are" 
 hardly as mechanically correct in their construction as a 
 common wheelbarrow. " 
 
 From Boston he went to New York city, but in 1839 we 
 again find him in Boston, in business for himself. Here he 
 did repairing for the trade and carried a line of tools and 
 materials. A few yeai's later we find him carrying a full 
 line of watches and jewelry and doing a thriving business. 
 About this time he invented the " Dennison Standard 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. II 
 
 "Gauge, " and began to turn his thoughts upon the manu- 
 facture of watches on what is now known as the " Inter- 
 changeable System. " 
 
 We will hei-e use Mr. Dennison's own words : 
 
 " The principal thinking up of the matter was done when 
 I was in business at the corner of Bromfield and Washing- 
 ton Streets, Boston; and many a night after I had done a 
 good day's work at the store and a good evening's work at 
 home, in repairing watches for personal friends, I used to 
 stroll out upon the common and give my mind full play 
 upon this project; and now, as far as I can recollect 
 what my plans then were as to system and methods to be 
 employed, they were identical with those in existence at 
 "the principal vv^atch factories at the present time." * 
 
 Mr. Dennison predicted, in the year 1S46, that within 
 twenty years the manufacture of watches would be reduced 
 to as much system and perfection and with the same expe- 
 dition that fire-arms were then made in the Springfield 
 armory. He often visited this armory and took great inter- 
 est in examining the various processes of finishing fire-arms. 
 
 In 1849 a friend of Mr. Dennison, Mr. Edward Howard, 
 a clock and scale maker of Boston, had a long talk with 
 • him in regard to the manufacture of American locomo- 
 ttives. Mr. Dennison did not agree v\^ith Mr. Howard in his 
 idea of locomotive manufactui-e, but soon convinced him 
 " that the manufacture of watches, in large quantities on 
 the interchangeable plan, v^^ould prove a more profitable 
 undertaking. Mr. Howard soon became as enthusiastic 
 over the idea as Mr. Dennison and together they went in 
 search of a capitalist who was willing to risk some money 
 in the experiment. This gentleman was found in the per- 
 son of Mr. Samuel Curtis, of Boston, who furnished 
 
 *Dr. Leonard Waldo's address, delivered before the Society of Arts, London, 
 May 19, 1SS6. 
 
12 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 $20,000 with which to try the experiment. Mr. Howard's 
 partner, Mr. D. P. Davis, was also interested in the experi- 
 ment. The projectors inet together at an early date to 
 make arrangements in regard to the starting of the factory 
 and buying the necessary material. We will again quote 
 from Mr. Dennison's own words : 
 
 " I suggested that the first money spent in the undertak- 
 ing should be for a tour of observation in the watchmaking 
 districts in England, with the view of ascertaining whether 
 the trade of watchmaking was carried on there on the system 
 represented to me by English workmen I had employed 
 from time to time in repairing. Another object I had in 
 view was to find out the source of supply for the necessary 
 materials, such as enamel for dials, jewels, etc." 
 
 Mr. Dennlson started for Europe and after thoroughly 
 looking over the ground, writes : 
 
 " I found that the matter had been correctly represented, 
 but in carrying out their system one-half the truth had not 
 been told. How that the party setting up as manufacturer 
 of watches bought his Lancashire movements — a conglom- 
 ei^ation of rough materials — and gave them out to A, B, C, 
 and D to have them finished; and how A, B, C, and D, 
 gave out the different jobs of pivoting certain wheels of the 
 train to E, certain other parts to F, and the fusee cutting to 
 G. Dial-making, jeweling, gilding, motioning, etc., to 
 others, down almost the entire length of the alphabet; and 
 how that, taking these various pieces of work to outside 
 workpeople — who, if sober enough to be at their places, 
 were likely to be engaged on some one's work who had 
 been ahead of them, and how, under such circumstances, he 
 would take the occasion to drop into a ' pub ' to drink and 
 gossip, and, perhaps, luifit himself for work the remainder 
 of the day. Finding things in this condition as a matter of 
 course, my theory of Americans not finding any difficulty 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. I3 
 
 in competing withtheEnglish, especially if the interchange- 
 able system and manufacturing in large quantities was 
 adopted, may be accepted as reasonable." 
 
 While Mr. Dennison was looking over the ground in 
 Europe, Mr. Howai'd was engaged in erecting a factory, 
 and on the return of Mr, Dennison, work was immedi- 
 ately commenced. It is not our object to follow the history 
 of this factory just here, as it will be taken up later on, but 
 simply to give a short sketch of Mr. Dennison's career. 
 Suffice it to say, therefore, that the factory was built, the 
 tools manufactured and everj^thing started in 1851, and the 
 first watches were placed upon the market in 1853. The 
 company was not a financial success and they finally made 
 an assignment in 1857. Mr. Dennison was then employed 
 by his successors as superintendent, filling that position until 
 December, 1861. 
 
 In 1S64, Mr. Dennison interested Mr. A. O. Bigelow, of 
 Boston, in a new factory, of which we will speak in due 
 time. Mr. Dennison's past experience had taught him that 
 to start a watch factory the projectors must be bountifully 
 supplied with money, and must be prepared to sink a great 
 deal before realizing a single dollar. Owing to the high price 
 of labor at this time and the necessities above described, 
 Mr. Dennison reasoned that it would be better to have 
 certain portions of the movements made in Switzerland, 
 imported to the United States, and setup with the remain- 
 ing portions which were to be made in America. 
 
 Accordingly, Mr. Dennison went to Switzerland, and 
 after thoroughly looking over the ground decided that 
 Zurich was the best location. He here gathered the neces- 
 sary material together, set up the trains and sent them to 
 Boston. Everything went along swimmingly until 1866, 
 when the directors of the company decided to build a new 
 factory at Melrose, Mass., and make the entire watch there. 
 
14 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 This new idea, however, Mr. Dennison did not approve of, as^ 
 the company was doing very well as it was, and the change 
 would involve more or less risk. Accoi'dingly, in a short 
 time after, he withdrew from the company. Mr. Dennison 
 remained in Sw^itzerland until 1870, having taken a contract 
 to furnish certain material for the Melrose Company. The 
 company having failed, Mr. Dennison returned to America 
 and tried to interest capital in reviving it. Failing in this^ 
 however, he soon went to England, where he interested 
 capitalists, and the plant w^as purchased and a factory opened. 
 Mr. Dennison is in no w^ay connected with this company,, 
 which is still running under the name of the " English 
 Watch Company," but is engaged in watch case manufactur- 
 ing in Birmingham, where it is said he is doing a thriving, 
 business. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 IT would be a very hard thing to determine just who the 
 first manufacturer of watches in America was, since in 
 the beginning- of the nineteenth century many of the trade 
 manufactured movements in small quantities, either to order 
 or for the purpose of carrying in stock until such time as a 
 purchaser might turn up. These watches were of necessity 
 hand- made, and the manufacturers depended considerably 
 upon Europe for supplies, such as hands, springs, jewels, 
 balances, etc. 
 
 In 1S09, Luther Goddard, of Shrewsbury, Mass., com- 
 menced to manufacture watches of the verge pattern, in 
 somewhat larger quantities than had been attempted before. 
 Mr, Goddard could not compete with the cheap foreign 
 watches, however, and retired from the business in 1817^ 
 having manufactured about 500 w^atches. This was the 
 greatest number of watches ever made by any one manu- 
 facturer in America up to this time. 
 
 Following closely in the wake of Mr. Goddard, in 1S12,, 
 an establishment for the manufacture of watches was started 
 in Worcester, Mass. The establishment w^as small, and 
 was suspended shortly after for want of ready funds. In 
 183S the first machine-made watch ever made in America 
 was placed upon the market. It was known as the Pitkin 
 watch, and was manufactured by two brothers, James and 
 Henry Pitkin, at Hartford, Conn. These movements were 
 three-quarter plate, slow train and about the diameter of the 
 modern i6-size. The machinery used in their manufacture 
 
 15 
 
.l6 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 was very crude, and was all made by the Pitkin Bros. 
 The Pitkin watch, however, fared the same fate as its pre- 
 decessors. The cost of manufactui-e was too great to com- 
 pete with those made by the Swiss, and shortly after moving 
 the factory to New York, which they did in 1841, the idea 
 •was abandoned. The total product of the Pitkins was 
 about 800 movements. 
 
 Following Pitkin Bros., came several other small manu- 
 facturers, but nothing impoi'tant in this line was attempted 
 until the year 1849, when the nucleus of what is now 
 known as the American Waltham Watch Company was 
 ■established. 
 
 A person standing on Crescent street, Waltham, and gaz- 
 ing upon the mamriioth structvu'e occupied by the Ameri- 
 can Waltham Watch Company as a factory, a building 
 whose frontage occvipies nearly yoo feet, within whose walls 
 2,800 workmen are daily employed, and from which 7,500 
 time-keepers are turned out weekly, can scarcely realize that 
 tlie company has seen failure and disaster staring them in 
 the face on more than one occasion ; but such is a fact. The 
 road to success is not always strewn with roses, and although 
 the company is now one of the largest of its kind in the 
 world, yet it has struggled with adversity, and has seen the 
 time when, w^e might say, the toss of a penny would have 
 decided whether they would continue, or give up in despair. 
 
 In the fall of the year, 1849, Mr. Dennison commenced 
 to build machinery for the manufacture of watches on the 
 interchangeable system, having -associated himself with 
 Howard & Davis, as described in the pi'evious chapter. A 
 small room was divided off in Howard & Davis' factory, and 
 there Mr. Dennison commenced work on his machines. In 
 1850 a small factory -was built opposite Howard & Davis' 
 shop, and some English and Swiss watchmakers put to 
 work. Mr. Dennison's machinery was not a success, how- 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 17 
 
 ever, and one of Howard & Davis' men v\ras detailed to help 
 Mr. Dennison, and after numerous attempts, they finally 
 succeeded in getting together a few tools and machines of 
 anything but perfect construction. 
 
 In the summer of 1S50, Mr. Dennison completed the 
 (model of the first watch, which corresponded with the full 
 plate i8-size of to-day. This watch was made to run eight 
 days, but proved to be a failure, and its place was filled by 
 a one-day watch. At this time the firm was known as "The 
 American Horologe Company," and consisted of A. L 
 Dennison, E. Howard, D. P. Davis and Sam'l Curtis. Mr. 
 Curtis took no active part in the management of the con- 
 cern, but fvirnished most of the money with which the 
 buildings and machinery were bviilt. After a lapse of about 
 one year the name of the company was changed to " The 
 Warren Manufacturing Company," and the first hundred 
 w^atches bore that name. The first watches were actually 
 placed upon the market in 1S53. The name " Samuel 
 Curtis " was substituted for " Warren " on the next six or 
 seven hundred watches, the reason being that the name, 
 •" The Warren Manufacturing Company," was abandoned as 
 being unfitting, and the name, " Boston Watch Company " 
 •was used instead. These watches were i8-size, full plate, 
 slow train and were sold at $40. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Dennison became dissatisfied with the loca- 
 tion of the factory, as it was very dusty in summer and 
 proper accomodations for the dwellings of the employes 
 could not be obtained. He visited Waltham and looked 
 over the land at Stony Brook, trying to purchase from Mr. 
 Sibley a tract of land, which is now occupied in part by N. 
 L. Sibley's machine shop, a spot which attracted the atten- 
 tion of Mr. Dennison by its romantic scenery and its location, 
 being out of the regular line of travel. Failing to make 
 terms with Mr. Sibley, he called upon a friend, Mr. S. P. 
 
l8 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Emerson, who at that time was in the machine shop of the 
 Boston Manufacturing Company, and to whom he confided 
 the object of his visit. Mr. Emerson suggested the Bemis 
 farm as being in the market and a suitable site. The land 
 was examined and found desirable, and Mr. Emerson sub- 
 sequently introduced Mr. Dennison to prominent citizens of 
 Waltham, who became interested and took hold of the 
 matter, until on March 24, 1854, " The Waltham Improve- 
 ment Company " was incorporated by special act of the 
 legislature, with a capital stock of $100,000, " The Boston 
 Watch Company" owning thirty shares of $100 each. 
 The building for the watch factory was staited at once, and 
 was ready for occupancy October 5, 1S54. At this time the 
 company was making about five watches per day, and em- 
 ployed about ninety hands. 
 
 After removing to Waltham, the movements were 
 engraved " Dennison, Howard and Davis." About this 
 time Mr. Howard made the acquaintance of Mr. N. B. 
 Sherwood, who then resided in New York City, and placed 
 him in charge of the jeweling department. We will here 
 deviate from the subject long enough to give a short sketch 
 of the life of Mr. Sherwood, who was one of the most 
 remarkable and able mechanics ever connected with a watch 
 factoi-y. 
 
 NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SHERWOOD. 
 
 Mr. Sherwood was born in 1823, was educated in Albany 
 Academy, under Prof. Beck, and graduated with high 
 honors. From a boy he w^as passionately fond of mathe- 
 matics, astronomy and chemistry, and was a born mechani- 
 cal genius. After graduating from Albany Academy he 
 decided to practice medicine, and no young man ever gave 
 more brilliant promise of becoming eminent in that profes- 
 sion. For some reason he suddenly took a dislike to the 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. I^ 
 
 calling, and through the influence of a friend, who was a 
 dentist, he engaged in that profession for a time, and was 
 one of the first to realize that the old crucibles thrown away 
 by dentists contained a great deal of gold. At that time all 
 plates were made of gold or silver. He was anxious to see 
 more of the world, so he traveled westwaixl. He was ac- 
 companied by his dentist friend, and when their money 
 gave out they would stop in some town a few weeks and 
 would soon have all the work they could do, as Mr. Sher- 
 wood was a fine talker and had no trouble in securing 
 patronage. When work slacked up they would resume 
 their travels, and they finally landed in Chicago. They 
 soon ran short of money and not being able to secvu'e any 
 dental work, Mr. Sherwood entered the office of an engin- 
 -eer and soon secured a position as draughtsman, and shortljr 
 after was put in charge of a surveying corps and made a 
 survey for a railroad. His friend was one of the chain 
 bearers. He soon had money enough to I'esume his travels, 
 when he and his friend pushed on southward. 
 
 Finally their money again gave out and Mr. Sherwood 
 secured a position as draughtsman in the office of a machine 
 shop, getting a position for his friend in the shop. He 
 finally drifted to Pennsylvania, where he opened a drug 
 store. While engaged in the drug business he took up the 
 study of watchmaking. About this time he married Miss 
 Mary Van Valkenburg. His drug store venture not prov- 
 ing a success, he gave it up and went to Jefferson, a small 
 village in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he opened a. 
 watchmaker's shop, also taking a class in the higher mathe- 
 matics in the school there. He made a good support for 
 his family but could lay up no money, so in the spring of 
 1853, at the solicitation of some of his friends, he opened a 
 machine shop. He made his own drawings, and when his- 
 blacksinith would get on a spree he would do his owrt 
 
:20 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 forging. Jefferson proved to be too small a place for a 
 watchmaker or machine shop, so about 1855 he went to 
 New York, where he engaged as a traveling salesman for 
 a notion house, and on one of his home visits made the 
 acquaintance of Mr. Willson, a son-in-law of Mr. Curtis, 
 and by him was invited to visit Waltham and the watch 
 factory, with the hope that he could be induced to remain 
 there. Seeing the opening for the exercise of his talents in 
 mechanics, this was no difficult matter, and on the other 
 hand Mr. Howard saw in him the material his firm needed, 
 
 A gentleman well acquainted with Mr. Sherwood, 
 recently said: "He was a wonderful man; a thorough 
 mechanic, gifted with the highly retentive memory and per- 
 ceptive powers that seemed almost intuitive. He had the 
 faculty of being able to grasp any subject of mechanics 
 which was brought to his notice, and his fertile brain 
 and faculty for imparting information, made him an interest- 
 ing companion and valuable -writer and instructor. Unlike 
 other mechanics and inventors, he seemed to grasp the 
 whole idea and work out his problem almost instantaneous." 
 
 His connection with the Waltham factory gave him 
 : abundant opportunity to bring his inventive genius into 
 play in originating new tools to do work formerly done by 
 hand. He not only conceived new ideas, but being an 
 excellent draughtsman, he placed them on paper, and then 
 •entering the machine shop, he, with his own hands, made 
 and put them together. 
 
 Under his charge the jeweling department soon made a 
 complete revolution. New systems and methods of doing 
 work were introduced, new machines made and the amount 
 •of work turned out was doubled. Many of the tools used 
 to-day in our watch factories w^ere invented and first built 
 by Mr. Sherwood. A list and description of the various 
 tools invented by this remarkable man would fill a good 
 
N. B. SHERWOOD. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 23 
 
 -sized volume, and we will confine our remarks to but a few 
 of them. He invented what is known as the " Counter- 
 sinker or screw head tool," for jewel screws; " The End- 
 shake Tools;" The Opener " and " The Truing-up Tools." 
 ■" The End-shake Tools," were truly wonderful machines, 
 being self-measuring and so constructed that no matter to 
 what depth the shoulder was cut in the upper plates, by 
 putting the plate against one end of one of the tools, and 
 the jewel with its setting in a spring chuck the tool would 
 cut a shoulder on the setting that would bring the 
 face of each and every jewel exactly flush with the 
 under side of the plate when the setting was put in. The 
 jewels were then reversed and put into another chuck and 
 the top of the setting cut down by this magic tool until it 
 "would come exactly flush with the top of the plate, or 
 rather leave just enough projecting above to allow for 
 polishing. After the jewel settings were " stripped " or 
 polished, they were put into the plates where they belonged 
 never to be removed again. As the plate was already 
 gilded, next the holes for the scre\vs were tapped out and 
 the holes bored for each screw-head on the screw-head tool, 
 that would leave the head of the screw exactly flush with 
 the top of the plate and not raise any burr. The end-shake 
 tool was certainly the perfection of self-measuring tools. 
 By it the shoulder was cut on the setting of the lower holes, 
 '(the holes in the plate being first bored out with a shoulder), 
 so as to give each pinion and staff the exact amount of end- 
 shake required. With these tools one man could do nicer 
 work and more of it than any five men could do in the 
 ordinary way. 
 
 The so-called " Opener " was another ingenious tool. Mr. 
 Shei"wood found that it was impossible to open a jewel hole 
 "by hand so that the hole would be absolutely round, and 
 :accordingly he produced a tool which would do the work 
 
24 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 not only perfectly but rapidly. He never patented any of 
 his inventions, for he never took a pecuniary view of the 
 value of them. His whole purpose and life was devoted to 
 perfecting the article or tool he had in hand, and when that 
 was accomplished, he was ready for something else. Many 
 of his inventions can be found in daily use in the watch fac- 
 tories of the United States to-day. Some of the minor 
 details of these machines have been improved on, but in 
 many cases no improvements have been made in the 
 machines, as orginally built by him, as far back as iS6o. 
 
 Mr. Sherwood left the employ of Mr. Howard in the fall 
 of 185S, to go into business with Mr. James Queen, in New 
 York City. The death of his wife, which occured in the 
 spring of 1S59, played sad havoc with him. She left him 
 with two children, both girls. The youngest child died 
 when an infant and the eldest was cared for by the 
 mother's relatives. She married Mr. David Botsford, of 
 Adrian, Mich., and is now living in Allen, Mich. Shortly 
 after the death of his wife, Mr. Sherwood became restless 
 and dissatisfied. In the summer of 1859 he dissolved part- 
 nership with Mr. Queen and went to Cleveland, Ohio, 
 where he entered the employ of Mr. Crittenden. In the 
 fall of 1859, he left Cleveland and returned to New York, 
 He then went to Perth Amboy, N. J., where he started a 
 small shop and did fairly well. He was very desirous of 
 enlisting in the civil war, but his poor health prevented him 
 doing so. 
 
 In 1864, Mr. Sherwood interested capitalists and organized 
 the " Newark Watch Company." A misunderstanding 
 occurred, however, in a few months and Mr. Sherwood 
 retired. He died of consumption in New York City, in 
 October, 1872, in his 40th year. He was of a generous nature, 
 always ready to help the poor, and he would deny himself 
 a meal or a coat any day of his life, to feed and clothe a men- 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 25 
 
 THE GODDARD WATCH. 
 
 dicant. In his prosperous days he always carried a pocket- 
 full of pennies which he would distribute among the street- 
 arabs whom he might meet. Mr.Sherwood was an able writer 
 and his articles, which appeared in The American Horo- 
 
 logical yournal^ were read 
 with great interest by the 
 trade. 
 
 Mr. Sherwood was a man 
 who possessed more general 
 information than falls to the 
 lot of most men. He was 
 up on all scientific subjects, 
 and kept up with the cur- 
 rent literature of the day. 
 Anything pertaining to mathematics had a charm for him; 
 he delighted in difficult algebraic problems, was a rapid 
 reader, and could read, and take in ten pages to any ordi- 
 nary person's one. He never forgot what he read or heard. 
 He could read a description of a city that he had never 
 seen, and long afterwards 
 give a detailed account of 
 the streets, homes and noted 
 people. 
 
 We will now revert back 
 to our original subject, the 
 American Watch Com- 
 pany, w^hich we left to give 
 the foregoing sketch of 
 Mr. Sherwood. 
 
 The fall of 1S56 found 
 the watch company in des- 
 perate circumstances. All 
 the ready money of the company had been expended, and 
 the sales of watches were very slow. Matters went from 
 
 THE PITKIN WATCH. 
 
26 
 
 WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 bad to worse, until the spring of 1S57, when the company 
 made an assignment. The assignee offered the property 
 for sale, and it "was bid in by Mr. Royal E. Robbins for 
 $56,500, for himself and the firm of Tracy & Baker, of 
 Philadelphia, who were creditors of the defunct company, 
 having furnished them with cases. The property con- 
 sisted of the real estate, factory, and numerous other build- 
 ings, the machinery, steam engine, shafting, etc., together 
 with the material unmanufactured and in process of manu- 
 facture. 
 
 THE WALTHAM FACTORY IN 1S57. 
 
 The new firm was known as Tracy, Baker & Co., but 
 Mr. Baker having a case business to look after, and having 
 had a good offer made him by Mr. Robbins, decided to sell 
 out his interest. Mr. Robbins then associated himself with 
 Mr. James Appleton, and the firm was known as Appleton, 
 Tracy & Co. The winter of 1857 pi'oved a rough one for 
 the new company. Money was scarce and times hard, and 
 in the spiing following Mr. Robbins about made up his 
 mind to remove the factory nearer to New York, which 
 was then the market for his goods. He finally made the 
 Improvement Company a proposition to consolidate, which 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 27 
 
 was accepted, the Watch Company being put in at $225,- 
 000 and the Improvement Company at $75,000. The con- 
 soHdation took place in the summer of 1858. Early in the 
 year 1859 the name of the company was changed to the 
 American Watch Company, with a capital stock of $300,- 
 000, Mr. Robbins being elected treasurer and general busi- 
 ness manager. 
 
 John J. Lynch went to work for the Boston Watch Com- 
 pany in May, 1 852-, and when the factory was removed to 
 
 AMERICAN WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY'S FACTORY. 
 
 Waltham in 1854 he was employed in the jeweling room. 
 For thirty-one years and up to the time of his death, Sept. 
 14, 1885, he was a trusted and valuable employe of the 
 Waltham Company. He was a thorough mechanic and 
 understood perfectly the system of machine watch making. 
 He was born in New York City, Nov. 10, 1830, being at 
 the time of his death in his fifty-fifth year. 
 
 Alonzo Noble, the present foreman of the plate room, 
 went to work for the company March 17, 1859. 
 
28 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 In the fall of the year 1S59 several of the best workmen 
 in the Waltham factory were induced to join forces with a 
 new factory just started in Nashua, N. H., which we will 
 speak of in due time. 
 
 Mr. Ambrose Webster, now of the American Watch 
 Tool Co., Waltham, who was up to this time a workman 
 in the machine shop, ^vas promoted to the position of 
 mechanical superintendent, a position which he filled with 
 great credit for many years. When he took charge of the 
 machine shop it was as 
 crude as could well be 
 imagined. There was abso- 
 lutely no system, no appre- 
 ciation of the fact that the 
 machine shop was the foun- 
 dation of the manufactory. 
 The proprietors did not 
 seem to realize that to suc- 
 cessfully lam a factory they 
 must have some persons 
 outside of watch repairers. 
 
 A, 1 • 1 • "CRESCENT street" MOVEMENT. 
 
 nythmg approachnig an 
 
 automatic machine was frowned upon. In spite of this fact, 
 Mr. Webster forced automatic machinery to the front and 
 consti"ucted a machine to run half automatically against the 
 positive orders of the management. He also reduced the 
 unsystematic method of measurement, then emjDloyed in the 
 factory, to a system, having found that there were nine 
 classes of measuring units or gauges, which he changed for 
 one. He designed, and George Hunter, (now superintend- 
 ent of the Elgin Company's factory), built the first watch 
 factory lathe with hard spindles and bearings, of the two- 
 taper variety. He also made the first interchangeable 
 standard for parts of lathes. The management was soon 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. . 3I 
 
 forced to recognize that good mechanics were more essential 
 as heads of departments than watchmakers, and that the 
 head machinist was, or should be, the most essential man in 
 the factory. He invented many machines now in use in the 
 factory, conspicuous among them being an " Automatic 
 Pinion Cutter" invented by him in 1S65. In 1872 he was 
 made assistant superintendent, a position which he filled 
 until his resignation, in 1876. 
 
 In i860 the American Watch Company declared a divi- 
 dend of five per cent., this being the first dividend declared 
 by any watch factory in America. The first ladies' watch 
 ever manufactured in America, was turned out by the com- 
 pany in 1 86 1, and was known as the " P. S. Bartlett," and 
 was a lo-size, key wind. In 1862 the American Watch 
 Company purchased the plant of the Nashua Watch Com- 
 pany, of Nashua, N. H., organized in 1859, and of which 
 we will speak in another chapter. An addition was made 
 to the American Watch Factory, and the machinery and 
 help were transfered from Nashua to this building. From 
 this time on, the prosperity of the company was assured. 
 Dividends were declared yearly, the greatest of which, in 
 1865, was 210 per cent. In this year, Mr. Robbins paid 
 personally, an income tax on $337,000, the largest income in 
 the city of Boston. The capital stock of the company was 
 increased to $1,500,000 in 1872. In 1878 many additions 
 and improvements were made in the factory. Wings were 
 built on and departments enlarged, until in 1882 scarcely a 
 vestige was left of the old factory. In 1877 the first 
 chronographs were made; in 1883 the first split seconds. 
 In 1S71 the firm erected in Bond St., New York, what was 
 known as the Waltham Building, which contained the gen- 
 eral offices of the company and their gold case works. This 
 building was destroyed by fire in 1877, and the building at 
 present occupied by the firm was built shortly after. This 
 
32 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 company received the highest award at the Centennial 
 Exposition, 1876; Paris, 187S; Sidney, 1879; Melbourne, 
 1880, and Inventions Exhibition in London, 1885. In 18S5 
 the capital stock of the company was increased to $3,000,- 
 000, and the name changed to the American Waltham 
 Watch Company, under which title it still continues. 
 
 In the fall of 18S5, Mechanical Superintendent Marsh 
 invented an automatic lathe that is now in successful opera- 
 tion, turning out 13,000 jewel settings a day. 
 
 The various positions in the factory are at present 
 occupied as follows: E. C. Fitch, superintendent; Mr. 
 Shirley, assistant superintendent; Leonard Green, foreman 
 plate room; Wm. H. Wi'enn, foreman machine shop; 
 Martin Thomas, foreman train room ; Alfred Warren, fore- 
 man of jeweling room; J. N. Hammond, foreman finishing 
 and repairing departments; J. L. Keyser, foreman balance 
 room; H. M. Haines, foreman i8-size finishing room; Joseph 
 Bates, foreman adjusting room ; Thomas Gill, foreman 
 three-quarter plate finishing room ; H. N. Fisher, foreman 
 'scape room; Wm. Murra}-, foreman engraving room; J. 
 T. Shepherd, foreman flat steel department; Charles Berlin, 
 foreman nickel finishing; W. R. Wills, foreman jewel 
 making; E. U. Hull, foreman dial painting; N. P. Mulloy, 
 foreman hand making; Charles Moore, foreman dial mak- 
 ing; Alonzo Noble, foreman plate room; Charles H. Mann, 
 foreman screw making; Charles B. Hicks, foreman gilding 
 room ; John Logan, main-springs, springing of balances and 
 hairsprings; D. O'Hara, foreman case rooms; Charles J. 
 Olney, superintendent of buildings; J. C. Sawin, carpenter. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 IN the last chapter we mentioned the fact that the Ameri- 
 can Watch Company purchased the plant of the Nashua 
 Watch Company in 1868, and to this company, which was 
 short lived, we will now call your attention. 
 
 Owing to the supposed success which Mr. Dennison had 
 in the manufacture of watches by machiner}'-, the attention 
 of jewelers and capitalists throughout the United States was 
 called to the industry as a good investment. Mr. B. D. 
 Bingham, of Nashua, N. H., a manufacturer of clocks and 
 regulators in a small way, went to Waltham and entered 
 the employ of the company, being desirous of learning the 
 modus operandi of watch manufactui-ing. 
 
 At this time N. P. Stratton was assistant superintendent 
 of the Waltham company, and being of an ambitious turn of 
 mind, was desirous of manufacturing a watch of better 
 quality than that manufactured at Waltham. Messrs. Bing- 
 ham and Stratton became fast friends and devoted much of 
 their time while out of the factory in talking over the pros- 
 pects of a watch factory, should one be organized in Nashua. 
 Mr. Bingham felt certain that he could interest capitalists in 
 the scheme, and accordingly with a view of doing so, and 
 looking over the ground, Messrs. Stratton and Bingham 
 visited Nashua in 1859. L. W. Noyes and others approved 
 of the idea, furnished capital, and a company was formed 
 that fall. The capital stock of the company ^vas $100,000, 
 wdth L. W . Noyes as treasurer, V. C. Oilman, president, 
 and T. W. Lovell, secretary. A suitable building was pur- 
 
 33 
 
34 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 chased and altered over to meet the necessities of a watch 
 factory. Mr. Stratton returned to Waltham and succeeded 
 in employing several of the company's best men, among 
 whom may be mentioned, C. V.Woerd, Ira G. Blake, Chas. 
 S. Moseley, who was first or master mechanic, and Jas. H. 
 Gerry. The loss of these gentlemen was a severe blow to 
 the Waltham company, 
 
 Mr. Stratton was a decidedly intellectual and skillful 
 workman, having served his time under Henry and James 
 Pitkin, in their Hartford factory, and was afterward in the 
 employ of the Boston Watch Company. He entered the 
 employ of the Waltham company in 1S52, and was sent to 
 Coventry, Eng., by thiat institution, to learn the secret and 
 art of etching and gilding movements; In 1857 he was 
 made assistant superintendent of the Waltham factory, and 
 in 1S58 invented and patented a main-spring barrel, and later 
 a hair-spring stud, both of which were adopted by the 
 Waltham company. Mr. Stratton was not only a thorough 
 mechanic, but was also an excellent business man ; he opened 
 the London office of the Waltham Watch Company in 
 1874. 
 
 James H. Gerry was also an able mechanic who thorougly 
 understood escapement making. He afterward became 
 superintendent of the United States Watch Company, and 
 left that institution to become superintendent of the New 
 York Watch Company. Later on he became superintend- 
 ent of the Howard Watch and Clock Company, which 
 position he filled until 1877. He was also inventer and 
 patentee of a stem-wind attachment, which after modifica- 
 tion, was adopted by the Howard company. He went into 
 the clock manufacturing business in Elgin, and in 1885 
 went to Brooklyn, N. Y., to act as superintendent of the 
 National Clock Company. 
 
 J. B. Gooding invented the capsule method of making 
 balances still used by the factories. 
 
, PAST AND PRESENT. 35 
 
 Chas. S. Moseley's name will always be mentioned in 
 connection with American watch manufacture as the 
 designer and inventor of some of the most delicate, compli- 
 cated and ingenious machinery used in the construction of a 
 watch. He was originally a machinist and master mechanic 
 for the Boston Watch Company at Roxbury, and was 
 early connected with the Waltham company. He went to 
 Elgin in 1864 to act as superintendent, a position which he 
 occupied until May, 1872. He also occupied at different 
 times the position of machine shop and i8-size train I'oom 
 foreman in the Waltham factory. He invented • a large 
 portion of the machinery, tools and improvements now used 
 by the Elgin company, among which may be mentioned 
 the " compound chuck " and " improved hair-spring stud." 
 
 Mr. C. V. Woerd invented the celebrated automatic 
 pinion cutter in 1864. In 1869 he modeled the Waltham 
 company's "Crescent Street" movement; in 1874 he 
 invented the automatic screw machine, which attracted so 
 much attention at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia 
 and the Inventions Exhibition in London; he became super- 
 intendent of the Waltham factory in 1876, which position 
 he filled with credit until his resignation in 1883. 
 
 Mr. Chas. S. Moseley, upon his arrival in Nashua, im- 
 mediately proceeded to design and build the necessary 
 machinery, and it was this machinery that enabled the com- 
 pany to construct a watch of superior grade and merit, and 
 w^hich was subsequently moved at the time of the sale to 
 Waltham, and with it chiefly the watches bearing the trade 
 marks of " American Watch Company " and "Appleton, 
 Tracy & Co." were made. The movements were 16 and 
 2o-size, key- wind, three-quarter plate, with exposed pallets 
 and expansion balance. 
 
 The company had about thirty employes, Mr. Stratton 
 acting as superintendent, C. V. Woerd as foreman of train 
 
36 THE "WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 room, J. H. Gerry, as foreman of 'scape room, Chas. S. 
 Moseley, as master machanic, Jas. Gooding, foreman of 
 balance making, Jas. Fairchild, foreman gilding room, 
 Ira G. Blake foreman plate room, Frank Robbins, foreman 
 jeweling room, J. Mooi"ehouse, foreman dial room, and B. D. 
 Bingham, master watchmaker. In 1863 the company 
 running short of money, and the stockholders refusing to 
 pay assessments, the company came to a stand still; it was 
 finally decided that the best thing they could do was to sell 
 the plant if a. customer could be found. Accordingly, Mr. 
 Stratton went to Boston, and entered into negotiations 
 with Mr. R. E. Robbins, which resulted in the Waltham 
 concern purchasing the plant for. $53,000. Mr. C. W. 
 Fogg Avas sent to Nashua to take charge of the factory until 
 the fall of 1863, when the plant was moved to Waltham. 
 The Nashua company up to the time of the sale had manu- 
 factured about 1,000 movements, none of which had ever 
 been put upon the market, not being completed; they were 
 afterward completed and sold as Waltham movements. 
 
CHAPTER TV. 
 
 MR. Edward Howard, the veteran watch and clock- 
 maker of Boston, was born in Hingham, Mass., Oct. 
 6, 1813. He is a practical man, having served a regular 
 apprenticeship at the trade of clockmaking. At the age of 
 twenty-nine he entered into partnership with D. P. Davis 
 in the manufacture of clocks and regulators. Their business 
 
 w^as a flourishing one, and 
 they soon earned a reputa- 
 tion for turning out clocks, 
 second to none in the 
 country. Mr. Howard 
 was of a mechanical turn 
 of mind, and a list of his 
 inventions would fill a 
 small volume Among 
 his various inventions was 
 that very important piece 
 of mechanism, the "Swing 
 Rest." The amount of 
 labor saved by this machine and the quality of work done 
 would seem to be enough to make Mr. Howard's name 
 famous ainorig watchmakers. The greatest tribute that we 
 can pay to Mr. Howard for his services to the horological 
 world is to quote the words of a man who was fully capable 
 of judging of the worth of his inventions from a practical 
 standpoint, one who had worked under him for years and 
 knew his sterling worth both as a fellow workman and a 
 
 (37) 
 
 THE HOWARD WATCH. 
 
38 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 master, one who has gone to his long rest — N. B. Sherwood. 
 He said:* "The firmness, sagacity, and ahnost intuitive 
 knowledge of mechanics that he possesses will not be fully 
 understood for years; and yet to no one man are the United 
 States so much indebted, in so far as the manufacture of 
 "watches is concerned. We remember the dark days of its 
 history, when the infant was unable to walk, when every- 
 thing was to be created; even those who were to do the 
 work had to be educated. But it was not so easy a task to 
 navigate the watch factory through the stormy financial seas. 
 In the mechanical parts, ho-wever, Mr. Howard ^vas tri- 
 tunphant; not that he invented even a tithe of the processes 
 and tools, but he had the sagacity to appreciate the value of 
 any plan which might be submitted, and he had the firm- 
 ness to carry out the idea, in the face of all the opposition 
 of those who should have aided — indeed, of the absolute 
 treachery of those in his employ. We do not assert that he 
 was. the entirety of the watchmaking, but we will assert that 
 he has done more than any other one man to bring the watch 
 manufacture to its present high standing in this country." 
 
 Immediately after the sale of the Waltham factory to Mr, 
 Royal E. Robbins, in 1857, Mi\ Howard returned to Rox- 
 bury and continued his clock business in connection with 
 Mr. Davis; but he still had a longing after the watchmaking 
 business, and soon opened up the old factory of the " Boston 
 Watch Company," in Roxbury, with a small force. About 
 one year after starting, Mr. Howard was able to place his 
 product upon the market. They were 18-size, thi'ee- 
 quarter plate, and "were the first quick-train movements ever 
 made in this country. Even in those early days of Ameri- 
 can watchmaking, the Howard watches were noted for 
 their superior qualities as time-keepers; a reputation which 
 followed them up to the present time. In order to increase 
 the working capital of the company, a stock company was 
 
 ♦Watch and Chronometer Jeweling by N. B. Sherwood, written in Oct. 1S69. 
 
EDWARD HOWARD. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 4I 
 
 organized in iS6i, with a capital of $i30,ooo, and was 
 known as the " Howard Clock and Watch Company." 
 The new company struggled against adversity until the 
 spring of 1S63, when it was decided that the factory should 
 be sold to the highest bidder and the indebtedness paid off. 
 
 A buyer, however, \vas not readily found, and in the fol- 
 lowing fall a new company was organized under the name 
 of "The Howard Watch and Clock Company," with a capi- 
 tal of $120,000. Mr. E. Howard was elected President of 
 this company. Several improvements were made by the 
 , new company. 
 
 The entire product of the company was controlled by a 
 syndicate of New York jobbers from 1863 until iSyo, 
 when the company decided to establish their own agency 
 in New York. 
 
 The first nickel movement was placed on the market in 
 1S71, and the year following the first ladies' watch made 
 its appearance. In 1881, the E. Howard Watch and Clock 
 Company succeeded the old company, the capital being 
 jDlaced at $350,000. In 1882, Mr. Howard severed his con- 
 nection with the Avatch company. He has retired from all 
 active business and still resides in Boston. 
 
 The various offices and positions in the factory are occu- 
 pied as follows: Samuel Little, president; Albert Howard, 
 general superintendent; Charles J. Hayden, treasvirer; C. 
 V. Clerque, N. Y. agent; Harry Howard, Chicago agent; 
 W. B. Learned, superintendent; T. H. Sloan, foreman 
 finishing dep't.; A. Horton and Henry Allen, adjusting; 
 J. R. Howard, motion; Wm. Walden and A. L. Mcin- 
 tosh, escapement; E. F. Emery, stem winding; A. B. 
 Winston, screw; Alfred Barton, gliding and damaskeening; 
 Wm. Howarth, engraving; Henry Smidt, jewel making; 
 Chas. Chase, jeweling; Josiah Moorhouse, dial; Orin R. 
 Dickey, balance; H, E. Fay, pinion forwarding; L. B. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 43 
 
 Ranlett, pinion finishing; Wm. Norton, plate; John Hol- 
 den, flat steel; Wm. Bradford, spring making; C. E. 
 Ward, springing; W. B. Hammond, inspecting. 
 
 This company employs about one hundred hands in the 
 watch department, and the output Is about 4^0 movements 
 per month. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN 1S63, Mr. N. B. Sherwood went to New York to tr}^ 
 and interest capital in the organization of a watch 
 factory. Messrs. Louis S. Fellows & Schell became inter- 
 ested in the idea and decided to try the experiment. A 
 room was rented and Mr. Sherwood started building the 
 machinery for the new enterprise. He had under him a 
 corps of efficient -workmen, but after a few months some 
 
 misunderstanding arose, and 
 Mr. Arthur Wadsworth suc- 
 ceeded him. 
 
 Messrs. Fellows & Schell 
 purchased a building in 
 Newark, N. J., and altered 
 it over to serve as a fac- 
 tory. The machinery and 
 tools were moved into it 
 in 1S64, and the name, " The 
 Newark Watch Company" 
 THE NEWARK WATCH. ^vas adoptcd. The parties 
 
 interested were Augustus, Robert and Edward Schell, 
 and Lewis S. Fellows. The original model was made 
 by Mr. Wadsworth, and was iS-size, and closely re- 
 sembled an English watch then on the market. The 
 first watches were finished in 1867. These watches were 
 all key- wind; but later on a stem-wind movement was 
 made, but was pronounced a failure. The movements 
 were called, " Robert Fellows," " Edward Bevin," and 
 
 (45) 
 
46 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 " Newark Watch Company." The stem-wind was named, 
 " The Arthur Wadsworth," after the uiventor. The com- 
 pany manufactured in all about 3,000 watches, but was 
 gradually running behind. Accordingly, in 1869, negotia- 
 tions were entered into with the Cornell Watch Company, 
 then organizing at Chicago. 
 
 Mr. Paul Cornell, after whom the new factory was 
 named, was a wealthy real-estate dealer of Chicago, own- 
 ing large tracts of land in the vicinity of Grand Crossing, 
 a fe\v miles south of Chicago. He conceived the idea that 
 a watch factory would be a good speculation, and if located 
 on his property would " boom " its sale. In company with 
 J. C. Adams he set about organizing a company, and in 
 1870 one was formed with a capital of $200,000. Previous 
 to the organization of the company, Mr. Adams negotiated 
 with the Newark Company, and the result was that the 
 Cornell Company purchased the plant for $135,000, giving 
 stock to that amount as payment. 
 
 Mr. Cornell set aside thirty acres of land as a site for the 
 factory, erected a building at a cost of $75,000, taking stock 
 in the company to that amount. The officers of the com- 
 pany were as follows: President, Paul Cornell; Vice 
 President, C. M. Cady; Secretary, J. B. Jackson; Treas- 
 urer, Robert Schell; General Manager, T. C. Williams; 
 General Agent, J. C. Adams. 
 
 In August, 1871, (just prior to the Chicago fire), the new 
 building was completed and the machinery, etc., in the 
 Newark factory brought on. The departments were as 
 follows: Machine shop, plate room, train room, screw 
 room, regulator and stud room, polishing room, wheel and 
 pinion finishing room, stem-wind room, pinion and wheel 
 room, 'scape wheel cutting room, jewel and pallet room, 
 setting-up room, adjusting room, and dial room, fourteen in 
 all. Owing to the frequent changes made in the heads of 
 
48 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 the various departments it is almost impossible to give a 
 list of the department sujDerintendents w^ith any degree of 
 accuracy. The following gentlemen, however, may be 
 named as having held various positions of trust during the 
 career of this factory at Grand Crossing: Albert Troller, 
 now superintendent of the Rockford Company; J. W. 
 Hurd, late superintendent of the Aurora Companv; John 
 Penny, now with the Elgin Company; John Logan, now 
 foreman of springing in Waltham factory ; John Lucus, 
 Chas. Boland, Frank Styles, E. Sandoz, C. L. Kidder, G. 
 W. Hines, Thos. H. 
 Wheeler, Geo. D. Clark, 
 G. A. Kendrick, W. E. 
 Piper, J. O. Newton, 
 Isaac Holmes, Chas. Peg- 
 ler, Alph, Jackson and C. 
 R. Bacon. The latter 
 gentleman acting as super- 
 intendent. 
 
 The old movement 
 made by the Newark 
 Company was improved 
 on, and new machinery 
 and a great many new 
 tools made. The company manufactured ten grades of 
 movements, as follows: "Paul Cornell," "J. C. Adams," 
 ^' Geo. F. Root," "John Evans," " H. N. Hibbard," " E. S. 
 Williams," " C. T. Bowen," " C. M. Cady," " Geo. W. 
 Waite," and " Ladies' Stem Wind." They were all iS-size, 
 with the exception of the ladies' movement, and the greater 
 majority were full plate and double sunk dial. Expansion 
 balances were used. The " Paul Cornell " and " C. M. 
 Cady " were stem-winders and the balance key-winders. 
 The ladies' movement proved a failure, in spite of the fact 
 that a trade paper in existence at the time said: 
 
 MOVEMENT. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 49 
 
 " One great feature of the Cornell Watch Company is, that 
 they are the first in this county who have manufactured and intro- 
 duced a 'Ladies' Stem Winding Watch,' which is, perhaps, in finish 
 and originality of design, one of the greatest improvements of the 
 age." 
 
 Mr. Cornell came to the conckision that the Cornell Coni- 
 jDany was going to be a great success, and accordingly he 
 began to purchase the stock as fast as possible, vmtil, in 
 abotit 1872, he found himself almost sole " monarch of all 
 I survey." Two years after, however, he found the concern 
 \vas not the sticcessful one he had anticipated, and \vas 
 ready to unload his stock. After corresponding with sev- 
 eral parties he at length entered into negotiations with W. 
 C. Ralston, a wealthy banker of San Francisco. In the 
 fall of 1 8 74 the entire jDl'^nt was conveyed to the latter 
 place, and such einployes as could be induced to, were also 
 taken to California. 
 
 Mr. Cornell's object in moving the factory was to take 
 advantage of Chinese labor, which was then very cheap 
 and plentiful in San Francisco. The new concern was 
 called the Cornell Watch Company' of San Francisco, with 
 a capital of $250,000. The new company paid $100,000. 
 for the Grand Crossing plant, which was theii estimated as 
 being worth $175,000. The officers were: President, W. 
 C. Ralston; Vice-President, Oliver Eldridge; Secretary 
 and Treasurer, James Cox. 
 
 An old building on Fourth street \vas remodeled as a fac- 
 tor)\ An effort was made to introduce Chinese labor, but 
 the employes struck and raised so many obstacles in the 
 way that the attempt %vas abandoned. In 1875 it was dis- 
 covered that the company was in a critical position, and in 
 the fall of that year Mr. Ralston, the President, committed 
 suicide. January i, 1876, the factory was closed. The 
 California Watch Company succeeded the old company 
 
50 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 with a capital stock of $250,000. Berkely, a suburb of 
 Oakland, was decided on as a site for the factory. A build- 
 ing was erected at the cost of $20,000. The old machinery- 
 was placed in the new factory, but operations were not 
 resumed, as the company were luidecided whether to start 
 up with the old machinery or build ne^v. They finally 
 decided to wind up the business, as they saw no pi'ofit in 
 starting up with the old tools, and were not in a condition 
 to get new ones. They kept the machine shop running,, 
 however, until the summer of 1S76, when the entire works 
 were closed up. 
 
 Mr. Albert Troller, the present Superintendent of the 
 Rockford factory, made arrangements with Messrs. Glic- 
 kauf & Newhouse, then of San Francisco, to take the bal- 
 ance of the movements in the factory. In January, 1877, 
 Mr. Troller bought all the unfinished material, leased the 
 building, and proceeded to finish up all the movements. 
 The movements were all finished early in the summer of 
 1S77. The building and machinery were taken possession 
 of by the Berkely Land Association, the machinery being 
 eventually sold to the Independent Watch Company, of 
 Fredonia, New York. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE United States Watch Company was organized in 
 July, 1S64, ^vIth a capital stock of $5oo,cX)o. The 
 firm of Giles, Wales & Co., then wholesale dealers in 
 watches and jewelry in New York City, were the organ- 
 izers, and owned the controlling stock in the compan}'. 
 The officers of the company were F. A. Giles, President; 
 William A. Wales, Secretary, Treasurer and General Busi- 
 ness Manager. Directors: William A. Wales, G. C. F. 
 W^ right, F. A. Giles, S. M. Beard and A. H. Wallis. 
 
 Mr. James H. Gerry and several machinists from the 
 Waltham factory were hired to build the machinery for the 
 new factory. The company piuxhased a tract of land at 
 ^Marion, N. J., and erected a building wliich was finished in 
 1865 at a cost of $135,000. It was constructed wholly of glass 
 and iron in the proportion of five feet of glass to one foot 
 of iron, and had a frontage of two hundred and fifty-three feet. 
 The engine was an 80 horse power, and was built by the 
 Putnam Machine Co., Fitchburg, Mass. An independent 
 real-estate company was also formed, which was called the 
 ]SIarion Building Company. This company expended 
 large amounts of mone\- in laying out grounds and erect- 
 ing buildings, hoping to reap a rich harvest when the fac- 
 tory got thoroughly imder way. Thev were doomed to 
 disappointment, however, as the site selected was not a 
 very desirable one, and the land was easier to buy than to 
 selL 
 
 (51) 
 
53 WATCir FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 James H. Gerry was made superintendent; John Gardi- 
 ner, foreman pinion finishing; Walter Farnsworth and 
 Chas. Berlin, nickel finishing; William Sheppard, flat steel; 
 Geo. Hart, plate room; E. S. Gerry, escapement room; 
 Fred. Lowell, motion room; D. B. Gerry, stem-wind room; 
 H.J. Cain, balance room; E. A. Hull, dial room, and Wil- 
 liam Smith, jewel room. Two hundred hands ^vere 
 employed. 
 
 THE UNITED STATES "WATCH COMPANY'S WATCH FACTORY, AT :MARION, N. J. 
 
 The escapement was iS-size, straight-line, full j^late, 
 expansion balance, exposed pallet jewels, having a hole in 
 the top plate so that the escapement might be examined 
 without taking the plates apart. The finer grades had 
 three pairs of conical pivots, cap jeweled, in gold settings 
 and were adjusted to heat, cold and position. The first 
 movements put on the market wei'e called the " Frederick 
 Atherton," and were completed in 1S67, the output then 
 being but 30 movements per day. 
 
PAST AXD PRESENT. 
 
 53 
 
 In iS6S the capital stock of the company was increased 
 to $1,000,000, JNIessrs. Giles, Wales & Co. taking $300,000 
 more stock, making $475,000 worth of stock owned and 
 controlled by this firm alone. In 186S James H., D. B. 
 and E. S. Gerry left the emploj^ of the United States Watch 
 Company to enter that of the New York Watch Company, 
 of Springfield, Mass. James H. Gerry was succeeded as 
 
 superintendent by Wm. H. 
 Learned, under whose super- 
 vision the " Fayette Strat- 
 ton," "Geo. Channing" and 
 "Edwin Rollo" were turned 
 out. These movements were 
 all iS-size, the "Stratton" 
 being full nickel, the " Chan- 
 ning " nickel top plate, and 
 the "Rollo" was made in 
 brass. 
 
 In the summer of 1S69, 
 William H. Learned was suc- 
 ceeded by H. J. Lowe. Under Mr. Lowe's supervision the 
 " United States," " S. M. Beard," " A. H. Wallace," "John 
 Lewis," " Alexander," " Henry Randel," " G. A. Reed," 
 "J. W. Deacon," "Chas. G. Knapp," and "Asa Fuller" 
 were brought out. Nearly every movement made by this 
 company was named after employes or stockholders. The 
 " Stratton " was named after Mr. F. S. Giles, the " Ran- 
 del " after Henry Randel, a stockholder and member of the 
 diamond firm of Randel, Baremore & Billings, the "Rollo " 
 after Edward R. Pratt, an employe of Giles, Wales & 
 Co.; the "Wallace" after Mr, A. H. Wallace, a stock- 
 holder; the "Channing," after G. C. F. Wright, of Giles, 
 Wales & Co.; the "Beard" after Mr. S. M. Beard, a 
 stockholder; the " Alexander " after Mr. James A. Alex- 
 
 THE UNITED STATES WATCH. 
 
54 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 ander, of the ^^tna Insurance Co., a stockholder; the 
 " Reed " after Mr. G. A. Reed, of Deep River, Conn., a 
 stockholder. The " United States " was the finest move- 
 ment made by this company, if not the finest then made in 
 this country. It was i6-size, :^ -plate, compensation bal- 
 ance, and Breguet hair spring, gold train, 19 ruby jewels, 
 and was adjusted for position, heat and cold, and isochron- 
 ism. It was an elegant movement, and the company 
 always pointed to it with pride. Messrs. Giles, Bro. & 
 Co., then situated at 83 and 85 State St., Chicago, were 
 western agents, and Messrs. Giles, Wales & Co., 13 Maiden 
 Lane, general agents of the company. 
 
 Like all new concerns of the kind, the United States 
 Watch Company sunk considerable money in its buildings, 
 tools, patents and stock, to say nothing of the large sums 
 absorbed in experimental processes. They gradually be- 
 gan to run short of money, and finally were compelled to 
 make an assignment in 1872 to Wm. Muirhead, of Jersey 
 City. The firm of Giles, Wales & Co., had great faith in 
 the concern, and had invested over $700,000 in its stock. 
 After the assignment the factory was run under the name 
 of the " Marion Watch Company," for about two years, 
 when the mortgages were foreclosed, and the plant dis. 
 posed of to the various companies then formed and form- 
 ing. Some of the machinery was purchased by the Fre- 
 donia Watch Company and the Auburndale Watch Com- 
 pany, other portions by the Fitchburg Watch Company. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 IN the spring of 1S64, Messrs. Ira G. Blake and P. S. 
 Bartlett, both of whom were at that time connected 
 with the Waltham Watch Company, paid a visit to Chi- 
 cago. They became acquainted with J. C. Adams, then a 
 watchmaker, and talked over the prospects for starting a 
 watch factory in Chicago. Mr. Adams coincided with 
 their views on the subject and interested several capitalists 
 in the scheme. Messrs. Blake and Bartlett gave a glowing 
 description of the Waltham Watch Company's business; 
 they -waxed eloquent, and at length convinced the capi- 
 talists that if Waltham could manufacture watches by ma- 
 chinery and supply the Western states, surely Chicago 
 could make watches by machinery and supply the demand 
 in the Eastern states. 
 
 On August 27, 1864, a company was incorporated under 
 the name of " The National Watch Company of Chicago, 
 Illinois," with a capital of $100,000. The incorporators 
 were Philo Carpenter, Howard Z. Culver, Benjamin W- 
 Raymond, Geo. M. Wheeler, Thomas S. Dickerson, 
 Edward H. Williams and W. Robbins. 
 
 Messrs. Adams and Wheeler made a visit to the East 
 and the following gentlemen contracted with the company 
 for five years: Messrs. Otis Hoyt, P. S. Bartlett, Charles 
 S. Moseley, Geo. Hunter, D. R, Hartwell, Chas. E. 
 Mason, D. G. Currier and J. K. Bigelow. It was decided 
 that the factory should be located at Elgin, and a tract of 
 
 (55) 
 
56 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 thirty-five acres of land was donated to the company for a 
 factor}' site by the business men of that place. A three- 
 story frame building, 35x60 feet was erected on the water 
 power and work begun on the watch tools and machineis. 
 D. G. Currier, a Waltham expert, was hired, and together 
 ^vith Messrs, Moseley and Hunter, the work was started. 
 Api-il 25, 1865, the company was reorganized under a special 
 charter with a capital of $500,000. The first ofliicers of 
 the company were: Benjamin W. Raymond, Chicago, 
 President; Philo Carpenter, Chicago, Vice-President; 
 Thomas S. Dickerson, Chicago, Treasurer, and Geo. M. 
 Wheeler, Chicago, Secretary. The first board of directors 
 consisted of Messrs. B. W. Raymond, Philo Carpenter, H. 
 Z. Culver, T. S. Dickerson, J. T. Ryerson, G.M. Wheeler 
 and B. F. Lawrence. In the spring of this year work was 
 commenced on the permanent factory, which consisted of 
 a three-story and basement, brick and stone building, 40X 
 40 feet, with two wings 371^x100 and 275^x86 feet, re- 
 spectively. 
 
 Jan. I, 1866, the machinery department was transferred 
 to the new building. June ist of the same year the ^^'ork 
 of manufactvu'ing M^atch materials was begun, but it was 
 not until April i, 1867, that the first movement was de- 
 livered from the factory. This movement was named B. 
 W. Raymond, in honor of the president of the compan}'. 
 This movement was not, however, like the original model, 
 but was an i8-size, ke}^ wind, full-plate, w^ith quick train 
 and straight line escapement arranged to set on the face- 
 and was adjusted to temperature. It was a four hole, 
 extra je"weled movement, and was a success from the very 
 start. 
 
 During the summer of 1866 the factory began to assume 
 a somewhat busy aspect. One department after another 
 was organized in rapid succession. The first foremen of 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 57 
 
 the respective departments, were as follows: General 
 superintendent, Charles S. Moseley; machine shop, Geoi'ge 
 Hunter; plate and screw, P. S. Bartlett; jeweling, Chas. 
 H. Bagley ; train, J. K. Bigelow, with Otis Hoyt as assist- 
 ant; balance, Eben Hancock; escapement, C< E. Mason; 
 finishing, D. G. Currier; dial, John Webb; adjusting, J. 
 F. Gilson; gilding, James Fairchild; flat steel, William M. 
 Goodridge. 
 
 The officers of the company ^vere subsequently changed 
 and in 1867 they were: B. W. Raymond, President; B. 
 F. Lawrence, Vice-President; G. M. Wheeler, Secretar3% 
 Directors, B. W. Raymond, H. Z. Culver, B. F. Lawrence, 
 H. H. Taylor, G. M. Wheeler, J. T. Ryerson and T. M. 
 Avery. 
 
 On July 16, 1S67, a new watch ^vas turned out which 
 was named the H. Z. Culver. The slow train was then 
 adopted on all the new movements brought ovit and they 
 appeared on the market as follows: J. T. Ryerson, Oct. 
 14, 1867; H. H. Taylor, Nov. 20, 1867; G. M. Wheeler, 
 Nov. 26, 1867; Matthew Laflin, Jan. 4, 1868. 
 
 Otis Hoyt left his home in Amesbury to go to work for 
 the Waltham company in 1858. He severed his connec- 
 tion with the company at the time of the war, and served 
 as captain until he was honorably discharged in July, 1864. 
 In the fall of that year he joined forces with Geo. Hunter 
 and several others and went to Elgin, contracting with that 
 company for a term or five years. His health failed him, 
 however, and in 1867 he was compelled to go to Califor- 
 nia for a change of climate, and from there he returned to 
 Waltham. He soon went to Springfield, 111., to act as. 
 superintendent, and remained in that position until 1871, 
 when he went to Elgin to take charge of the train room, 
 a position which he filled creditabl}^ for fourteen years. 
 He died at his residence in Elgin, June 2, 1S85, inhis forty- 
 eighth year. 
 
^8 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Mr. Benjamin W. Raymond, who was made president 
 of the company after its organization, served until Oct. lo, 
 1867, when he was succeeded by T. M. Avery, who has 
 since held the office. Mr. G. M. Wheeler, the secretary, 
 was succeeded by Mr. Hiram Reynolds in January, 1868, 
 
 January 28, 1869, the authorized capital of the company 
 was increased to $2,000,000. 
 
 May 20, 1869, the " Lady Elgin" made its appearance 
 on the market. It was the first of the series of lo-size 
 key wind, ladies' movements, and proved very popular. 
 It was followed by the Francis Ruble, which was adjusted 
 to temperature, appearing 
 August 24, 1870; the Gail 
 Borden, September 8, 1871, 
 and the Dexter Street, De- 
 cember 20, 187 1 . 
 
 Mr. Benj. F. Lawrence, 
 the vice-president of the 
 company, died December 
 16, 1 87 1, and Mr. Geo. N. 
 Culver was elected to fill 
 the vacant chair. 
 
 '-'^1 June 20, 10735 tne the " b. w. Raymond " movement. 
 
 first stem- wind movement was placed on the market. It 
 was a Raymond movement made over, and was shortl}' fol- 
 lowed by the Culver, Taylor, Wheeler, Laflin and Ogden. 
 At a special meeting of the stockholders of the company 
 held in Chicago, May 12, 1874, it was decided to change 
 the name of the company to " The Elgin National Watch 
 Company." This was thought to be advisable because the 
 movements manufactured by the company were vniiversally 
 known as and called "Elgin Watches." In March, 1875, 
 the company began to make its own mainsprings, which 
 had prior to that time been purchased ready made. June 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 6l 
 
 i6, 1S75, ^^^^ ^^^^ watches called by the name of the com- 
 pany, were placed on the market, and were designated by 
 numbers. 
 
 Seven ne-w grades of 10 size, six grades of 12 size and 
 five grades of 14 size, three-quarter plate, key wind move- 
 ments, were made by the company between Sept. 29, 1S75, 
 and Dec. 29, 1876. Most of these new patterns were made 
 for the foreign markets, ^vhich demanded movements dif- 
 fering in some respects from those made for home con- 
 sumption. So large was the demand for Elgin movements 
 during the year 1876, that the factor}-, although running 
 over time, and turning out movements as fast as the capac- 
 ity would admit of, yet the orders were far behind, and 
 dealers were beginning to complain. The London office 
 of the company was closed, the forces increased, and 
 everything possible was done to meet the enormous 
 demand. 
 
 In January, 1877, Mr. Hiram Reynolds, the Secretary, 
 was succeeded by Mr. George R. Noyes. 
 
 The company placed its first nickel movement ujDon the 
 market, August 15, 1877. 
 
 A new line of 8 size, stem wind movements were placed 
 upon the market, June 11, 1S78. In the fall of 1878 four 
 grades of 16 size, three-quarter plate, stem-wind move- 
 ments were brought out. These movements were inter- 
 changeable, in hunting and open face cases, and were at 
 that time considered quite a novelty. 
 
 Mr. George R. Noyes died in Jul}-, 1879, leaving vacant 
 the office of secretary, and Mr. Whitehead was elected and 
 served until June, 1884, when he was succeeded by Mr. 
 William G. Prall. 
 
 Henry H. Taylor died November 9, 1875; William H. 
 Ferry, died March 26, 18S0; J. T. Ryerson died March 9, 
 1883; Benjamin W. Raymond died April 5, 1883. 
 
63 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Mr. George N. Culver filled the position of Vice-Presi- 
 dent until June, 1884, when Mr. James W. Scoville was 
 elected to that position. 
 
 Upon the death of Otis Hoyt, foreman of the train 
 room, in June, 1S85, his assistant, Mr. George E. Farring- 
 ton, ^vas promoted to the position of foreman. 
 
 For a number of years the mainsprings were made by 
 Prenot of Philadelphia, but later on the company made 
 their own springs. The " Burt patent " to prevent acci- 
 dent in case of mainspring breakage was the invention of 
 Mr. Merritt Burt of Cleveland, Ohio, and modified by 
 Mr. Chas. S. Moseley. 
 
 The factory is producing at present about 7,500 move- 
 ments per week, about one-fifth of which are key wind and 
 one-tenth nickel. About 2,300 persons are employed. 
 The various positions are at present occupied as follows : 
 President, T. M. Avery; Vice-President, J. W. Scoville; 
 Secretary, William G. Prall; Directors, T. M. Avery, J. 
 W. Scoville, George H. Laflin, Chas. Fargo, Martin Ryer- 
 son, G. N. Culver and M. C. Town; General Agents, J. 
 M. Cutter, Chicago; C. J. Scofield, New York; Super- 
 intendent, Geo. Hunter; Asst. Supt , William H. Cloud- 
 man; Cashier, Carlos H. Smith; Book-keeper, W. P. Hem- 
 mens; Shipping Clerk, J. McLaughlin; Material Clerk, 
 H.L. Given; foreman finishing department A, William 
 H. Black: finishing B, J. H. Moulton; motion, F. H. 
 Corthell; escapement, George E. Hunter; stem-wind, 
 William C. Torrey; screv^, Frank Preston; gilding, Wil- 
 liam Hewins; engraving, A. F. Kelsey; jeweling, L. N. 
 Jackson; dial, F. B. Perkins; balance, E. F. Gooding; 
 train, G. E. Farrington; plate, Hiram Thomas; flat 
 steel, A. F. Alden; mainspring, Charles Lehman; hand 
 and press, C. L. Young; machine, W. F. Dean; timing, 
 Ira Pixley; master watchmaker, C. P. Corliss ; median- 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 63 
 
 ical engineer, Frank Leman; superintendent gas, water 
 and steam, A. L. Harrington; head carpenter, D. R. 
 Hartwell. 
 
 The floor area of the present building is 169,000 square 
 feet, not inchiding the detached buildings, such as the gas 
 house, 52 X 180 feet, the purifying house, 30x64 feet, the 
 generating house, 60x118 feet, carpenter shop, 30x135 
 feet, and engine house. From the above it will be seen 
 that the company makes all its own gas, which is of a 
 superior quality. The water is furnished by an artesian 
 well, and all known precautions against fire have been taken. 
 The factory has its own steam fire engine, a trained fire 
 brigade, one hundred dozen fire grenades, and a Holly sys- 
 tem of water works, with a capacity of eight one inch 
 streams. Two eighty horse power engines provide the 
 power for this mammoth institution. 
 
J. C. ADAMS. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AS a watch factory organizer Mr. J. C. Adams has prob- 
 ably had more experience than any hving man, and his 
 name is familiar to every watchmaker and jeweler in this 
 country. Mr. Adams was born in Preble, N. Y., October 
 7, 1834. His father was a prosperous farmer. When he 
 was but two years of age his father sold his farm and 
 removed to Syracuse, N. Y. In 1S42 he gathered together 
 his chatties and removed to \vhat v\^as then termed the far 
 west, locating in Elgin, 111. Mr. Adams served a five 
 years' apprenticeship to John H. Atkins, an old Liverpool 
 %vatchmaker. After finishing his apprenticeship he was 
 engaged as watchmaker by S. C. Spalding, of Janesville, 
 Wis. After two years employment by Mr. Spalding, he 
 again returned to Elgin and entered into partnership with 
 G. B.Adams, the firm being known as G. B. & J. C.Adams. 
 At the end of two years the partnership was dissolved and 
 Mr. Adams went to Chicago and was employed in the 
 watch department of Messrs. Hoard & Hoes. In 1861 he 
 managed the watch department of W. H. & C. Miller, 
 Chicago, and had an interest in that department. In 1863 
 he was appointed time keeper for the various railroads 
 centering in Chicago. 
 
 In the spring of 1S64, Mr. Adams severed his connec- 
 tion with W. H. & C. Miller and together with Messrs. 
 Chas. S. Moseley and P. S. Bartlett, organized the Elgin 
 Watch Company. In 1869, together with Mr. Paul 
 Cornell, he organized the Cornell Watch Company of 
 
 (67) 
 
68 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Grand Crossing, 111., and served for some time as general 
 agent of that company. One of the movements made by 
 this company was named in his honor. 
 
 In 1869, Mr. Adams, together with Springfield capital- 
 ists, organized the Illinois Watch Company at Spring- 
 field. 
 
 In 1874 he organized the Adams & Peny Watch Manu- 
 facturing Company, and became Secretary and General 
 Manager of the company. He resigned his position in the 
 fall of 1875. 
 
 In 1883 he entered the employ of the Independent 
 Watch Compan}^ of Fredonia, N. Y. In 1885 he organ- 
 ized the Peoria Watch Company and continued with that 
 company until April 14, 18S8. He is the inventor and 
 patentee of " The Adams System of Time Records " which 
 is employed on nearly every w^estern railroad. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 AARON L. Dennison, as previously described, was 
 not discouraged by his somewhat checkered exper- 
 ience as an organizer and stockholder of watch companies, 
 but made a final effort to right himself. In 1S64 he visited 
 A. O. Bigelow, of Boston, and explained his ideas to him in 
 regard to the establishment of a factory on a somewhat 
 novel basis. At that time there was a good demand for a 
 medium-priced movement, and the field was far from being 
 occupied. After some deliberation the Tremont Watch 
 Company, was organized in April, 1864, with a capital 
 stock of $100,000. Mr. Dennison's idea was to have cer- 
 tain parts of the movements made in Switzerland, whei'e 
 labor was cheap, shipped to the United States, and with the 
 other parts, wrhich were to be made in America, set up and 
 adjusted. By doing this, he argued, the company could put 
 their product on the market in a much shorter space of 
 time, and could save the expense of building complicated 
 and expensive machinery, and a large building. 
 
 Mr. Dennison was elected superintendent of the company, 
 and was to go to Switzerland to see to the manufacture of 
 the parts that were thought best to have manufactured 
 there. The plates, barrels and some minor parts wei'e to be 
 made in Boston, and after getting together the necessary 
 machinery, the work was started. D. B. Bingham was 
 made superintendent of the Boston shop, with Charles P. 
 Crafts as foreman. D. F. Leary had charge of the jewel- 
 ing ; John Polsey, plate room ; Andrew Brush, gilding ; 
 
 (69) 
 
-ii^ 70 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 O. Jenkins, master watchmaker, and C. Byam was foreman 
 of the flat steel work. 
 
 Mr. Dennison went to Zurich, where he hired a shop, 
 and commenced work on the trains, balances and escape- 
 ments. Most of the work was done outside the shop, and 
 Mr. Denison contracted with various parties to f virnish certain 
 ^Dortions of the work. Several competent men were 
 employed to work in the shop where the balances were 
 tried, the escapements matched, and the pivoting done. 
 The first movements, which -were i8-size, full jeweled, were 
 placed on the market in the summer of 1S65. 
 
 In 1866 the company decided to move the factory to Mel- 
 rose, Mass., and manufacture the entire movement in this 
 country. Mr. Dennison was strongly opposed to this change 
 as the company were doing a very good business, and the 
 outlook yvas very encouraging. He prophesied that if the 
 change was made the company would surely come to grief. 
 The officers of the company, however, had decided on the 
 change, and accordingly a frame building 50X 100 feet was 
 purchased, and the old tools and machinery moved in, and 
 arrangements made for the manvifacture of new ones. Mr. 
 Dennison then withdrew from the company as a stock- 
 holder, but continued to furnish the company with material 
 until the new tools were well under way. The old move- 
 ment was remodeled and engraved " Melrose Watch Com- 
 pany." About this time the company began to run short 
 of funds, and called upon the stockholders for the addi- 
 tional fifty per cent, of the capital stock. The stockholders, 
 however, failed to come to time, and in 186S Mr. Dennison's 
 prophesy came true. Mr. Dennison was asked to sell the 
 plant in Switzerland, but could find no purchasers. In 1870 
 Mr. Dennison retvu-ned to Boston, and tried to organize a 
 new company, and buy the old plant. Failing in this, he 
 went to England, vs^here he effected a sale of the machinery 
 to what is now known as the "English Watch Company." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE Mozart Watch Company was organized in the 
 spring of 1864, the incorporators being mostly whole- 
 sale and manufacturing jewelers of New York City and 
 Providence. The office and factory of the compan}^ was 
 located in Providence, R.I. The capital stock was $100,000. 
 The watch which the company proposed to manufacture 
 was i8-size; and was known as the "three-wheeled Mozart," 
 the invention of D. J. Mozart, of Xenia, Ohio. Geo. S. Rice 
 was President ; J. A. Briggs, Secretary, and Mr. Mozart 
 was made Superintendent. Work was immediately com- 
 menced on the machinery and tools, and in the fall of 1S64 
 work was commenced upon the movement, and then the 
 trouble began to brew. The stockholders finally decided 
 that the Mozart watch would never be a success, and that 
 the sooner they abandoned it the better off they would be. 
 This was in the spring of 1866, and in the summer of the 
 same year L. W. Cushing, of Waltham, was placed in Mr. 
 Mozart's position, with instructions to build the necessary 
 machinery for the manufacture of a regular i8-size three- 
 quarter plate lever movement. The name of the company 
 was then changed to " The New York Watch Company." In 
 1867 the company purchased two buildings, and a piece of 
 ground in Springfield, Mass., and moved the machinery 
 there. The buildings consisted of a large boarding house, 
 and a large building which had previously been occupied as 
 a machine shop. After moving to Springfield the company 
 was reorganized and the capital increased to $300,000. The 
 
 (70 
 
7^ 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 former president and secretary retained their offices, and 
 George Walker was elected as Treasurer, and O. P. Rice 
 became business manager. In i86S James H. Gerry, who 
 was in the employ of the United States Watch Company, 
 was secured and placed in the position of superintendent. 
 The factory was destroyed by fire April 25, 1870, but many 
 of the machines and part of the material was saved. The 
 company then cleared away the debris, and moved the 
 boarding house into the position previously occupied by the 
 
 THE NEW YORK WATCH COMPANY'S FACTORY', AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS., DESTROYED BY' FIRE APRIL, ZJ, 1S7O. 
 
 factory. It was remodeled, and in about three months the 
 factory was in operation again. The first movements 
 placed on the market were i8-size, three-quarter 
 plate, lever movements, with straight line escapement. 
 These movements were known as " Springfield," "John L. 
 King," "Homer Foot," "No. 5," "J. A. Briggs," "H. G. 
 Norton," and "Albert Clark." In 187 1 the company 
 placed an i8-size full plate movement on the market. 
 
 The factory did well until the year of the great panic, 
 1873, when they began to fall behind. They finally pulled 
 through 1873 and 1874 by reducing the number of employ- 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 73 
 
 ees, but in 1875 they decided to close the factory. The 
 stockholders reorganized under the name of the New York 
 Watch Manufacturing Company. - This did not last long, 
 however, for in about eight months the factory was again 
 closed. In 1877 the stock and bond holders reorganized 
 under a new title with fresh capital, having purchased the 
 machinery of the old company. Of the new company, 
 which was known as the Hampden Watch Company, we 
 will speak in another chapter. 
 
 Mr. James H. Gerr}-, who was made superintendent in 
 
 1 868, retired early in 1870, 
 and was succeeded by 
 Mr. Osm ore Jenkins, who 
 was in turn succeeded hy 
 Mr. H. J. Cain. D. B. 
 Gerrj^, E. S. Gerry, Geo. 
 Hunt, Geo. Griffin, Chas. 
 P. Crafts, Charles Ayer, 
 Leo Murray and George 
 Pollard held various posi- 
 tions in the factory in its 
 younger days. The vari- 
 ous movements were the 
 "Frederick Billings," a full jeweled, iS-size, adjusted 
 movement; the "George Walker," an i8-size, three- 
 quarter plate ; the " New York Watch Company," a 16-size 
 three-cjuarter plate; the "John Hancock," a cheap iS-size, 
 seven jewel, key wind; the " Geo. Sance Rice," an i8-size, 
 seven jewel, imitation expansion balance, and the "Chas. 
 E. Hay ward," an 18-size, eleven jewel, imitation expansion 
 balance. 
 
 THE NEW YORK WATCH. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SOON after his discharge by the Providence com- 
 pany, in iS66, as described in a previous chapter, 
 D. J. Mozart moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where 
 he proceeded to organize a company known as the "Mozart 
 Watch Company." The capital stock was two hundred 
 thousand dollars, and the incorporators w^ere W. A. Benedict, 
 Don J. Mozart, C. T. Wilmot, W. W. Wheedon, A. J. 
 
 Southerland and Charles 
 Tripp. The officers of 
 the company were, Prest. 
 Chas. Tripp; Treasurer, 
 W. W. Wheedon, and 
 Secretary, A. J. South- 
 erland, Mr. Mozart was 
 made Superintendent. A 
 factory was rented, and 
 machinists hired to build 
 the necessary machinery^ 
 The movement w^as the 
 THE "three- wheeled" MOZART. sauic as that wliich he 
 
 tried to have the Mozart Company, of Providence, intro- 
 duce, and was seventeen size. Obstacles of various kinds 
 began to present themselves, and the progress of the work 
 did not please the stockholders. Nearly three years had 
 elapsed since the organization of the company and there 
 was no fruits to show for the labor and money expended. 
 The money began to run short, and in the winter of 1870 
 
 (75) 
 
76 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 the stockholders decided to sell out if a buyer could be 
 found. Some thirty odd movements were finished at this 
 time, all of them given to stockholders and friends, and 
 none being placed on the market. 
 
 A company was organized in Rock Island, Illinois, and 
 after an inspection of the machinery, decided to purchase it. 
 The price paid for the plant was $40,000 : $35,000 in stock 
 of the new company, and a note for the balance. No avail- 
 able site could be found for the factory at Rock Island, and 
 accordingly the town of Milan, some seven miles below the 
 city, was selected as a fitting place for the factory. The 
 officers of the company 
 Avere, J. A. Wilson, Pres- 
 ident; CM. Aiken, Sec- 
 retary and Business Man- 
 ager. Frank Leman, no 
 designer for the Elg 
 Company, was engage I 
 as Superintendent. G.J 
 McElwain, of Chicago, 
 made the model watch for 
 the Company, which was 
 somewhat like the Mo- 
 
 FREEPORT MOVEMENT. 
 
 zart movement. After 
 the machinery was moved to Milan, and placed on the floor 
 of the new building, the stockholders came to the conclu- 
 sion that it was not just what they wanted, and refused 
 to pay the notes for $15,000. The Mozart Company- 
 sent a representative to Milan to arbitrate their claim, which 
 resulted in the return of the machinery to the Mozart 
 Company and the payment of $5,000. 
 
 In 1874 a stock company was formed at Freeport, Illinois, 
 with a capital of $250,000. The incorporators and officers 
 of this company were residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 77 
 
 and Freeport, Illinois. Part of the old Mozart plant was 
 purchased for $51,000; $1,000 cash and $50,000 in stock in 
 the new company. A brick building was erected in Free- 
 port, 40x100 feet and the machinery moved into it. This 
 company never manufactured many movements, however, 
 as the factor}- was burned down on the night of October 21, 
 1875, and the building and contents were a total loss. The 
 company were insured for $30,000. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE Illinois Springfield Watch Company was organ- 
 ized in January, 1869, with a capital stock of $100,- 
 000, with T. J. Stuart as President, W. B. Miller, Secretary, 
 and a Board of Directors, consisting of John W. Bunn, 
 Geo. Passfield, John Williams, Geo. Black and the Secre- 
 tary and President. The company was organized mainly 
 through the efforts of J. C. Adains. Mr. Adams em- 
 ployed a number of experienced men in Elgin to build the 
 machinery for the new company, and work was commenced 
 on the building. This was in the spring of 1870, and the 
 building was ready for occupancy in the fall of the same 
 year. The first watch was turned out early in 1S72, In 
 1873 a New York office was opened, with J. M. Morrow as 
 agent, and in 1879 a Chicago office was opened, with L. W. 
 Arnold as manager, a position which he occupied until 
 eaidy in 1887. The hard times of 1873 and 1874 placed 
 the company in an embarassing position. They had a large 
 surplus of finished movements on hand and little or no 
 demand existed. They pulled through however, after a 
 desperate effort, but were short of ready funds. In 1875 a 
 new^ company was organized, that assumed all the liabilities 
 of the old one. The capital stock of this company \vas 
 placed at $250,000 and E.N. Bates elected President. The 
 new company however, met with no better success than the 
 old one, and although the working force was enlarged and 
 the product considerably increased, yet the company steadily 
 lost money. In 1879 the company was again reorganized 
 
 (79) 
 
So 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 and Jacob Bunn, one of the original stockholders, elected 
 President. The name of the company was changed to 
 the Springfield Illinois Watch Company. The early pro- 
 duct of the factory was known as the "Hoyt," "Stuart," 
 "Mason," "Bunn" and "Miller." The first stem-wind 
 movement was made in 1875 ^^^ ^^^^ ^^'^^ ladies' movement 
 in 1S76. In the early part of 18S6 the company put upon, 
 the market their foui'-size ladies' watch, which at that time 
 was the smallest watch made in the United States. 
 
 The following gentlemen have served in the capacity of 
 foremen of different de- 
 partments at various times; 
 Otis Hoyt, C. E. Mason, 
 D. G. Currier, W. F. 
 Dean, J. K. Biglow, John 
 Wilkenson, John Leman, 
 Eben Hancock, John Peg- 
 ler, and Ferd. F. Ide. The 
 first superintendent was J. 
 K. Biglow, who served in 
 that capacit}^ from April, 
 1870 until July, 1873, when 
 he was suceeded by D. G. Currier, who served imtil 1875, 
 w^hen he was in turn succeeded by Otis Hovt. Mr. Hoyt 
 was suceeded in March, 1S78 by C. E. Mason. The 
 plant of the Company is located upon fourteen acres of 
 ground just outside the city limits of Springfield, on 
 North Grand Avenue between Ninth and Eleventh Streets. 
 The buildings are of brick, with stone trimmings, and 
 the visitor is at once impressed with their compact and 
 at the same time convenient arrangement. The main 
 factory building has a frontage of 350 feet, and consists 
 of a central building, 40x50 feet, and four stories in height 
 and two wings, each 30x100 feet, three stories in height. 
 
 THE ILLINOIS MOVEMENT. 
 
S2 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 There are two wings, three stories high, which branch 
 from the large main wings, besides a gas house, annex and 
 several small buildings. 
 
 At present the company employ 900 hands and turn out 
 about 400 finished movements daily. The present officers of 
 the company are Jacob Bunn, President; John W. Bunn, 
 Vice President; Geo, A. Bates, Acting Secretary; A. E. 
 Bently, Manager. The present Board of Directors consists 
 of Jacob Bunn, J. W. Bunn, B. H. Ferguson, Geo. A. 
 Bates, Thos. C. Henkle, and Henry Bunn. 
 
 Mr. F. W. Cory is the manager of the New York ofiice 
 and G. G. Gubblns, manager of Chicago otfice. 
 
 The seventeen departments of the factory are presided 
 over as follows: Machine, Engine E. Bradford; plate, C. 
 A. Bradeen; gilding, Wm. Palmer; hand punch, D. Nash 
 Mitchell; mainspring, John Lehmann; flat steel and screv^, 
 J. D. Lowe; pinion roughing, D. W. Chalmers; pinion 
 cutting, J. H. Burns; pinion finishing, C. G. Village; bal- 
 ance, A. H. Smith; jeweling, A. H. Ranzenberger; motion, 
 S. J. Caughey; stem wind, N. M. Benson ; escapement, 
 J. F. Crowe; dial. C.B.Nichols; timing, T. Presternd; 
 finishing A, W. J. Evans; finishing C, J. Pedersen. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE Rockford Watch Company was organized in March 
 1S74, with a capital stock of $150,000. The incor- 
 poi'ators were H. P. Holland, Israel Sovereign and George 
 Troxell. The company immediately proceeded to construct 
 the necessary tools and machinery and build a suitable fac- 
 tory. The factory was completed early in 1S76, and the 
 necessary tools and machinery moved into it. The first 
 officers of the company were: President, Levi Rhodes, 
 Vice Prest., Henry W. Price; Treasurer, George Troxell. 
 The first Board of Directors consisted of George D. Clarke, 
 Orlando Clarke, A. D. Forbes, Thos. Butterworth, Israel 
 Sovereign, S. P. Crawford and the President, Vice Prest. 
 and Treasurer. The company placed its first goods upon 
 the market in the fall of 1876. Most of the emplo3'es came 
 from the Cornell Watch Company's factory at Grand 
 Crossing. Geo. D. Clarke was made Superintendent and 
 P. H. Wheeler assistant Superintendent. Mr. Clarke 
 was succeeded in 1S76 by J. W. Hurd. The foremen were 
 as follows: U. C. Osborne, polishing; J. E. Tobin, spring- 
 ing; J. D. Camp, pinions; C. W. Parker,''plate room, and 
 G. A. Hines, jeweling. 
 
 After due consideration, the company decided that 
 they would sell their products direct to the retail trade, and 
 were the pioneers of this system. They also decided that 
 it was better to make a small number of watches of a good 
 quality, rather than a large number of indifferent quality. 
 The company soon found that there was a steadilv increas- 
 
 (S3) 
 
84 THE. WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 ing demand for a watch suitable for railroad men, and they 
 decided to make all their movements quick train. 
 
 The Rockford Company, unlike many others of its kind, 
 met with success from the start, and has never been com- 
 pelled to close its doors. Much of this success is due to ex- 
 cellent judgment and rare business ability and foresight of 
 its managers, but not a little is also due to the excellency of 
 its products. 
 
 The factory, which is situated in a commanding position 
 upon a bluff, is a three story brick and stone structure, 
 occupying a frontage of 96 feet, and consists of a central 
 building 32 x 125 feet with two wings, each 32 x 70 feet. 
 The present product of the company is i 50 movements per 
 day, and 350 persons are employed. 
 
 The fourteen different departments of the factory are 
 presided over as follows: 
 
 Superintendent, Albert Troller. Foreman machine and 
 die, John A. Johnson ; plate, John Glynn ; gilding, 
 Thomas Conway; escape and flat steel, J. S. Clark; 
 screw, Bert Waters; springing, timing and adjusting, 
 James E. Tobin; pinion roughing, Fred Lake; pinion 
 finishing, Louis C* Grassell; balance, Fred Goi^k; jewel- 
 ing, Guy H. Cutting; motion, W. H. Colburn; dial, E.J. 
 Guilford; polishing, U. C. Osborne; matching, William 
 Wildt; finishing, James C. Gaskins. 
 
 The officers of the company are: President, Henry W.' 
 Price; Secretary, Hosmer P. Holland; Treasurer, J. P. 
 Drake. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 IN May, 1S74, several prominent citizens of Lancaster, Pa., 
 together with J. C. Adams, organized a watch company 
 with a capital stock of $78,000. In June of the same year 
 a Board of Directors was elected together with the follow- 
 ing officers: President, E. J. Zahm; Vice-President, John 
 Best; Sec'y and Gen'l Manager, J. C. Adams, and Treasurer, 
 J. B, Roath. The company was incorporated Sept. 26, 
 1874, under the name of the Adams & Perry Watch Mfg. 
 Co. E. H. Perry was appointed superintendent and sev- 
 eral of his patents were adopted by the company, a royalty 
 of three dollars per movement being paid to him. A 
 machine shop was started and work on the tools and machin- 
 ery commenced. 
 
 Mr, C. A. Bitner, of Lancaster, donated a three-acre tract 
 of land as a site for a factory and work on the building- 
 was commenced in the fall of 1S74. The factory was com- 
 pleted in the summer of 1875, and the tools and machinery- 
 were moved in. About this time the first misunderstanding 
 arose, Mr. Adams' plan was to import the escapements, etc., 
 but his suggestions were overruled and those of Mr. Perrv, 
 to manufacture the comj^lete movement in the factory, were 
 adopted. Mr. Adams thereupon resigned his position both 
 as Secretary and Manager. 
 
 In the fall of 1875 the company found themselves pressed 
 for ready funds and accordingly bonds to the amount of 
 $35,000 were issued. The first movement was finished 
 April, 7, 1876, twenty-two months after starting the build- 
 
 (S5) 
 
86 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 ing of the machinery. The great delay in getting out the 
 movements involved considerable expense and the company 
 again found themselves in an embarrassing position. An 
 effort was made to increase the capital stock, but it proved 
 a failure, and the factory was closed May i6, 1876. 
 
 Efforts were immediateh' set on foot and a new company 
 was organized. The old directors then resigned and were 
 succeeded by eleven new ones. The following resolutions 
 were then adopted : " That all contracts with operatives be 
 annulled. That all the patents owned by E. H. Perry 
 shall be assigned to the 
 company, with the proviso 
 that if Mr. PeiTy shall leave 
 the company he shall have 
 the I'ight to allow one other 
 company to use them. That 
 the royalty hereafter be paid 
 to Mr. Perry be $1 for each 
 movement. That the direc- 
 tors raise $50,000 by issuing 
 covertible mortgage bonds, 
 or by any other means, and 
 that said bonds be sold to 
 the stockholders at 80 per cent of their face, and any 
 part of said bonds remaining unsold to be placed upon the 
 market at par. That the capital stock be increased to $250,- 
 000 and Mr. A. Bitner appointed manager." 
 
 The following officers were then elected: President, 
 Dr. H. Carpenter; Vice-President, B. F.Eshelman; Treas- 
 urer, C. A. Bitner; Sec'y, J. P. McCask}^;. Manager, Abra- 
 ham Bitner. For some unknown reason the bonds above 
 mentioned were never issued, and on June 10, 1876, the 
 company being pushed by their creditors were obliged to 
 make an assignment to C. A. Bitner, who sold the property 
 
 THE KEYSTONE MOVEMENT. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. Sy 
 
 at public sale. It was purchased by Dr. Carpenter for a 
 syndicate for $47,000, subject to two mortgages aggregat- 
 ing $30,000. 
 
 In August, 1877, the Lancaster Watch Company was 
 formed, and the}- advanced a cash capital of $31,000, con- 
 sisting of seven shares of $3,000 each. These shares were 
 
 THK FACTORY OF THE KEYSTONE WATCH COMPANY, LANCASTER, PA. 
 
 owned by A. Bitner, S. F. Rathfou, John Best, Bitner & 
 Hostetter, Eshelman & Rathfou, J. P. McCasky, and H. S. 
 Gurra. Work -was commenced Sept. i, 1877, and a new 
 movement was designed and modeled. It was a three- 
 quarter plate, full jeweled. In the fall of 1878 the capital 
 stock was increased $35,000, mainlv through the efforts of 
 Mr. A. Bitner. 
 
88 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 The company was reorganized Oct. 31, 1S78, under the 
 name of the Lancaster, Pa., Watch Company, Limited, 
 with a capital of $160,000. The old model adopted hy the 
 company not proving satisfactory, a new one was ordered, 
 but before any of this pattern could be placed upon the mar- 
 ket the company again found itself short of ready funds. 
 An attempt was made to borrow money, but owing to a 
 misunderstanding among the stockholders, this proved a 
 failure. A new company was formed May 9, 1879, under 
 the title of the Lancaster Watch Company. The new com- 
 pany leased the property, paying 6 per cent, interest, taxes 
 and insurance; this lease was for a term not to exceed five 
 years, the interest being based on a valuation of $130,000. 
 The following officers were then elected: Prest., J. I. 
 Hartmann; Sec'y.,J. P. McCasky; Treas.,J. D. Skyles. 
 Mr. A. Bitner was appointed Manager. Things went on 
 swimmingly for some time, the product being greatly 
 increased, and in April, 18S3, the Lancaster Watch Com- 
 pany surrendered its lease to the owners, the Lancaster, 
 Pa., Watch Company. The two companies then consoli- 
 dated with a capital stock of $248,000, with the same offi- 
 cers and a few slight changes in the board of directors. In 
 July, 1S83, the factory was again closed, but later on the 
 board succeeded in borrowing $35,000 and work was 
 resumed, although a heavy indebtedness had accumulated 
 and many of the stockholders began to grow uneasy. Mr. 
 Bitner then made the dissatisfied stockholders a proposition 
 to take their stock off their hands without compensation and 
 assume all indebtedness. Several large stockholders trans- 
 ferred their stock and together with other blocks which he 
 purchased at ridiculously low figures, Mr, Bitner soon 
 became the owner of 5,625 of the 8,000 shares. 
 
 In 1886 the Keystone Standard Watch Co., with a full 
 paid capital of $500,000 purchased the factory. Its officers 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 89 
 
 are: President, Dr. C. M. Shellenberger; Vice-President, 
 Geo. M. Franklin; Sec'y and Treas., W. Z. Sener. Direc- 
 tors, Geo. M. Franklin and W. Z. Sener, of Lancaster, and 
 Dr. C. M. Shellenberger, Stanton Wilgus and W. J. Atkin- 
 son, of Philadelphia. 
 
 The officers of the new company are all men of means, 
 ability and energy, with the reputation of having succeeded 
 in every enterprise they have ever undertaken. Under their 
 control the factory has been steadily increasing its output 
 and the quality of its goods. They expect within a short 
 time to reach a production of at least 300 a day. 
 
 The superintendents and foremen are as follows: Super- 
 intendent, Abraham Bitner; ass't supt.,J. H.Koch; master 
 mechanic, W. H. Denny; foreman, train, Joseph Buettner; 
 plate, Wesley Rooney; screw, A. Burkhai't; jeweling, A. 
 Buch; motion, Joel Baker; balance, C. E. Wilson; flat steel, 
 W. Coho; escape, H. Coho; springing, Marcus Keeport; 
 finishing, E. Snyder; gilding, Joseph Gorde; dial making, 
 Frank Rooney; dial painting, George Hetrick; inspector 
 John W. Bitner. 
 
 Their entire product is placed through Atkinson Bros., of 
 Philadelphia, who sell mainly to the jobbing trade. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 IN the year 1875, Mr. vS. Sawyer of Fitchburg, Mass., con- 
 cluded to start a watch factory in the town in which he 
 resided. His idea was to build the necessary machinery, 
 make a model movement and when everything was ready, 
 to interest capital and organize a watch company. Accor- 
 dingly he entered into negotiations with Mr. H. J. Lowe, 
 who had previously been a superintendent in the United 
 States watch factory, and after renting a suitable building 
 the manufacture of the necessary machinery was com- 
 menced. Several gentlemen, who were formerly connected 
 with the United States Watch Company, were engaged to 
 see to the building of the machinery, among them being 
 Messrs. Thos. Parker, A. R. Bardeen, Chas. Whitehouse 
 and Gilbert Crowell. Mr. Crowell was made superinten- 
 dent and the work went on at a very lively rate. 
 
 At the end of three years the machinery was well under 
 way and Mr. Sawyer went in search of capitalists who 
 were willing to invest their money in a watch factory. 
 Previous to this time Mr. Lowe severed his connection with 
 the concern owing to his ill-health. Mr. Sawyer's search 
 was not rewarded with success and his own money having 
 given out he decided to cease operations until moneyed par- 
 ties could be fotmd. Work was accordiiigly stopped, the 
 employes discharged and the factory was closed up. Sub- 
 sequently Mr. Crowell retui'ned to Fitchburg and was 
 associated with Mr. Sawyer in the Sawyer Watch Tool 
 Co. Part of the old machinery was used in their business 
 
 (91) 
 
92 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 and the balance was sold to Cornell and other watch com- 
 panies. At the time of closing the factory, the necessary 
 machinery for an output of twenty-five movements 
 per day was finished. The machinery cost Mr. Sawyer 
 $45,000 exclusive of rent and taxes and he realized very 
 little of this amount from the sales. 
 
CHAPTER XVL 
 
 IN 1876, J. R. Hopkins, together with W. A. Wales, 
 visited Auburndale, Mass., with a view to interesting W. 
 B. Fowle, a capitalist of that place, in a watch factory 
 project. The movement which they proposed to manufac- 
 ture was known as the " rotary," and was invented by Mr. 
 Hopkins. It was somewhat similar in construction to the 
 Waterbury and like it, it made a complete revolution once 
 every hour. It w^as an i8-size, anchor escapement, and was 
 stem wind and set. Mr. Fowle, after an investigation, con- 
 cluded there was money in the project and soon after made 
 arrangements for the erection of a factory. Negotiations 
 were entered into with Geo. E. Hart, of Newark, N. J., 
 for the manufactui'e of the machinery. This machinery 
 required considerable overhauling and remodeling, never- 
 theless, the first movements were finished in the fall of 1877 
 and were immediately placed upon the market. They 
 were cased in open faced nickel cases and sold at ten dol- 
 lars each to the trade. Very soon complaints began to 
 come to the manufacturers that these movements were 
 defective and the greater majority of them were taken back 
 b}'' the firm. In all, about one thousand movenients were 
 made and the greater majority of them found their way 
 into the waste heap. The Auburndale Rotary was not a 
 success, but the management were not discouraged and im- 
 mediately began work on a new movement invented by 
 Mr. Hopkins, and known as the Auburndale Timer. They 
 were i8-size, i^, 5^ and i-io seconds. The " Timer" was 
 
 (93) 
 
94 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 improved by A. Craig, J. H.Gerry and W. A. Wales. Mr. 
 Craig, ^vho was master mechanic, invented the stop and 
 starting arrangement and Mr. Gerry invented tlie escape- 
 ment. At this time the management of the factory was as 
 follows: 
 
 W. E.Rae, the first superintendent, died very suddenly of 
 heart disease and his position was filled by Wm. Geust, 
 who was in turn succeeded by J. H. Gerry, who was suc- 
 ceeded in 1S78 by G. H. Bourne, who was succeeded by E. 
 H. Perry, who was succeeded by J. Hinds, who was suc- 
 ceeded by O. L. Strout. 
 B. F. Gerry was fore- 
 man escapement mak- 
 ing; Thomas Steele, 
 foreman train room ; 
 Fredk. H. Eaves, fore- 
 man motion and jewel- 
 ing rooms; John Rowe, 
 foreman flat steel ; A. 
 Craig, master mechanic; 
 W. Simmons, plate, and 
 O. L. Strout, spi'inging 
 and finishing room. The the auburndale rotary. 
 
 general management of the business was in the hands of 
 Messrs. Wales and Fowle. 
 
 In 1878 Chauncey Hartwell, under the direction of the 
 management, made a model of an 18 -size, three-quarter 
 plate movement, and work was immediately commenced on 
 these watches. Mr. Hartwell was a practical watchmaker 
 having had many years experience in the Waltham factory. 
 The first of these movements made their appearance in the 
 summer of 1879, the " Bently " was a stem-wind and the 
 " Lincoln " a key-wind, and both were gilt movements. 
 About three hundred of these movements were manufac- 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 95 
 
 tured when the idea was abandoned, as the movements 
 could not be sold at a price that would realize any profit 
 for the manufacturers. The manufacture of these move- 
 ments was started at a very dull time, when all watches 
 were a drug on the market, and the company tried to make 
 a three-quarter plate to compete in price with the cheap 
 full plate, that the others companies were then making. 
 At the time they were the only cheap three-quarter plate 
 movements on the market and were very well made, con- 
 sidering the very poor facilities they then had for making 
 them. Pi'obably in the history of modern watch-making, 
 no company had so iiiay difficulties to overcome and 
 showed such good results from their labors. 
 
 In 1S79 a, stock company was formed of which Mr. 
 Fowle was made President and G. H. Bourne, Secretary 
 and Treasurer. After abandoning the " Bentley" and 
 " Lincoln " movements the company turned their attention 
 to the manufacture of dial thermometers and horse-timers. 
 They continued in this business until i8Si, when they 
 abandoned the timers and devoted their entire attention 
 to thermometers. 
 
 The " Timer " was, as far as the manufacture was con- 
 cerned, a success, but a want of business push and enter- 
 prize on the part of the management was lacking and con- 
 sequently, although the goods were acknowledged to be of 
 a fair quality, yet sales were very slow. 
 
 The company failed in the fall of 18S3, and early in the 
 following year the machinery was sold. Those who are in 
 a position to judge are confident that the original Auburn- 
 dale Rotary would have been a success had the proper 
 machinery been made for its manufacture and a few 
 changes made in its construction. It was a simple move- 
 ment and was therefore inexpensive to manufacture. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE Hampden Watch Company was organized in Jan- 
 uary, 1877, virtually succeeding the New York Watch 
 Manufacturing Compan}- as described in Chapter X. 
 Homer Foote was the first President, and Chas. D. Rood, 
 Treasurer and Business Manager. The first Board of Direc- 
 tors was composed of Homer Foote, Jas. D. Baur, A. Bree- 
 ver and Aaron Bragg. H. 
 J. Cain was made superin- 
 tendent and still occupies 
 that position. The old 
 movement of the New 
 York Company was re- 
 modeled, and the factorv 
 opened in the summer of 
 1S77. In 1881 a new brick 
 building was erected, 40 x 
 100 feet, and three stories 
 and basement. Five build- 
 ings were then used by the company, the main one being 
 30x120 feet, brick, three stories and basement, and has 
 a central tovv^er. The other buildings are respectively 
 33 X 50, 40 X 100, 45 X 90 and 40 x 80. The company turn 
 out fourteen grades of movements, which are all full-plate, 
 with the exception of the " State Street," which is i6-size, 
 three- quaiter plate and gilded steel. The power is furn- 
 ished by a ninety-horse power engine, situated in a building 
 back of the main structure. The capacity of the factory is 
 400 movements per dav, and 400 hands are emplo}'ed, 
 
 (97) 
 
 THE PERRY MOVEMENT. 
 
98 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 In 1886 Mr. John C. Dueber, of watch case fame, pur- 
 chased a controlling interest in the Hampden Company. 
 As the company had been behind in their orders and the 
 movement had a good reputation, Mr. Dueber thought it 
 would be wise to enlarge the works and make the output at 
 least five hundred movements per day. With this object 
 in view he visited several tracts of land in Springfield, but 
 found that the only suitable land in that place, then on the 
 
 THE HAMPDEN WATCH FACTORY, AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 
 
 market, was held at such exorbitant figures that it was use- 
 less to spend further time there. Wishing to extend his 
 case works at Newport, Ky., he thought it would be advis- 
 able to secure a desirable location and build new factories 
 for both concerns in the same neighborhood, thus making 
 the largest and most magnificent watch establishment in 
 the world. Accordingly Mr. Dueber advertised for a loca- 
 tion, and finally settled on Canton, Ohio, as the most appro- 
 priate place. The people of Canton donated $100,000 and 
 
lOO THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 twenty acres of land for the factories. The site is at the 
 western edge of the city, on a bkiff with a commanding 
 view. The ilhistration, made from the architect's phms, 
 gives a fair idea of how the Hampden factory looks. 
 The building for the Dueber factory is very similar in con- 
 struction. The buildings are all three stories high, with 
 pressed brick and cut stone fronts, and from right to left, 
 occupy a frontage of 1,140 feet. In the rear of each build- 
 ing is a smaller line of buildings, not shown in the illustra- 
 tion. The engine and boiler rooms are also situated back 
 of each building. The buildings were ready for occu- 
 pancy in the spring of 188S, when the machinery was 
 moved from Springfield. 
 
 Chas. D. Rood is President, Treasurer and Business Man- 
 ager, and Henry J. Cain, Superintendent. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE Waterbury Watch was invented to fill a demand 
 for a cheap watch. The Waltham, Elgin and other 
 companies manufactured watches that were within the reach 
 of people of moderate means, but there still existed a wide 
 field which was unoccupied until the Waterbviry Watch 
 made its appearance. There were still millions of people 
 who could not afford to purchase a watch even at the low 
 price at which the Waltham, Elgin, et. al. were selling. 
 Some of the manufacturers of the Naugatuck Valley, 
 appreciating this fact, undertook to fill this want, and their 
 endeavors were crowned with success. The first thing 
 required was a man who could make a model watch, that 
 would possess fair qualifications as a time-keeper, and yet 
 have a less number of j^arts than any watch then on the 
 market. It was absolutely essential that it should possess a 
 less number of parts than those then on the market, in order 
 to cheapen its manufacture, so that the complete watch, case 
 and all might be retailed at $3.50. The making of the 
 model was intrusted to Mr. D. A. Buck, at that time a 
 watchmaker of Worcester, Mass. Mr. Buck was of a 
 mechanical turn of mind. At the Centennial Exhibition,, 
 in 1S76, there was shown the largest steam engine in the 
 world, and close to it was working its brother, the smallest. 
 The small engine was designed and built by Mr. Buck, and 
 in its construction he vised only such tools as are usually 
 found on a watch repairer's bench. This machine consisted 
 of a boiler, an engine, with cylinder, governor, valves and 
 
 (lOl) 
 
I02 
 
 THK WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 all the details of its monster brother, worked to a charm, 
 and was yet so small that it could be completely covered 
 with an ordinary thivnble. Mr. Buck's first experiment on 
 the model proved a failure, but after a 
 few months' work he produced a working 
 model which was pronounced satisfactory. 
 This model was shown to Mr. Charles 
 Benedict, of the Benedict & Burnham 
 Manufacturing Co., of Waterbury, Conn., 
 who after testing it in various ways pro- 
 nounced it satisfactory, and made arrange- 
 ments for starting the work of manu- 
 facture in his establishment. It was 
 supposed that 
 with the tools 
 owned by the 
 Benedict & 
 Burnham Co., 
 together ^vith 
 special tools to 
 b e manufac- 
 tured, that the 
 work could be 
 comnienced in about six 
 months. This was in January, 
 1878, but it was not until 
 December, 1879, that every- 
 thing was ready for the start. 
 The rooms set apart in the 
 factory soon proved too small, 
 and a special building was erected for the purpose. A stock 
 company was incorporated under the style of "The Water- 
 bury Watch Company," and Mr. Benedict was elected as 
 the first President. The movement was patented, and the 
 
 END VIEW. 
 
 SPRING UNWOUND. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 lO: 
 
 patents became the property of the company. The ne^v 
 factory was designed by Mr. H. W. Hartwell, of Boston, 
 the architect of the Waltham and Elgin companies' fac- 
 tories. When the building was finished and furnished it 
 was found that nearly half a million of dollars had been 
 expended. 
 
 The first few thousand movements were placed in colored 
 
 celluloid cases, but 
 these were soon aban- 
 doned for a nickel- 
 silver case. The first 
 watches had open dials 
 through which the 
 working parts could be 
 seen, but this was soon 
 changed for a full dial 
 and solid plates. The 
 Waterbury Watch is 
 novel in construction, 
 and it is this novelty 
 that admits of its being 
 made and sold at a 
 very low price. It is 
 a stem winder, and 
 takes a long time to 
 wind owing to the 
 extreme length of the 
 spring, which in fact nearly fills the entire back of the 
 case. The spring is wound upon a brass plate having a 
 geared edge, and upon the stem is a smaller gear fitting 
 into the larger, so that in winding the entire plate bearing 
 the spring is made to revolve. This, however, is an old 
 feature, but the novelty consists in the works themselves 
 which are free to revolve upon the central axis, making an 
 entire revolution every hour. 
 
 7 
 
 SPRING WOUND-UP. 
 
Io6 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 It must be admitted, even by the most prejudiced, that 
 the Waterbury is simplicity itself. The minute hand turns 
 with the movement, and the hour hand is made to revolve 
 by a train of three wheels, a hair spring and balance, and 
 the movement is complete. Taking every part — screws, 
 case, pinions, wheels, springs, in fact everything — and you 
 have only fifty-eight parts in all. There are no jewels, the 
 iTianufacturers claiming that the beai'ings being constantly 
 changed by its peculiar motion, jewels are unnecessary. 
 
 THE WATERBURY FACTORY. 
 
 The factory, which is located at Waterbury, Conn., is a 
 brick building and consists of three parts; a square central 
 building four stories high, a long wing in the rear three 
 stories high, and a smaller wing one story high. The spring 
 department and pattern shop are located in the basement of 
 the central building; the officers of the company occupy 
 the first floor; the material room, designing room and rooms 
 of the mechanical superintendent and draughtsman occupy 
 the second floor; the finishing room occupies the fourth 
 floor. The machine shop is located on the first floor of the 
 wing, the case department on the second and train room on 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. IO7 
 
 the third floor. This company gives employment to three 
 hundred people and turns out fifteen hundred watches per 
 day. 
 
 The present officers are: Charles Dickinson, President 
 and Treasurer; Edward A. Locke, Secretary; George 
 Merritt, Gen. Agent. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE Independent Watch company of Fredonia, N. Y. 
 was organized in April 1880, by E. D. and C. M. 
 Howard. The Howard Bros., for some years previous to 
 this date, sold large numbers of watches on the install- 
 ment plan. These watches, which were engraved "Inde- 
 pendent Watch Co.," were manufactured for them by 
 several American companies. The Howards decided, that 
 as they used large numbers of watches, it would be policy 
 to start a factory of their own. 
 
 The capital stock of the company was $150,000. E. 
 D. Howard was elected President, E. S. Gates, Vice Pres- 
 ident and O. R. Burchard, Secretary and Treasurer. C. 
 M. Howard was made business manager. The Board of 
 Directors consisted of E. D. and C. M. Howard, W. H. 
 Smith, O. R. Burchard, D. R. Barker and E. S. Gates. A 
 building owned by the Howard Bros., was remodeled to serve 
 as a factory. The machinery used inthe factx)Ty, wasfor the 
 most part a miscellaneous collection which had been pur- 
 chased by the Howard Bros., from the assignees of several 
 defunct companies. Portions of this machinery came from 
 the old Cornell factory at Grand Crossing, 111., while other 
 portions came from the old United States factory at Mar- 
 ion, N. J. Considerable unfinished material had also been 
 purchased by the Howard Bros., from the assignee of the 
 United States Watch Company. This material, together 
 with the machinery was sold to the new company, the 
 Howard Bros., taking stock for it, in the new company. 
 
 (109) 
 
no THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Chas, S. Moseley was engaged as Superintendent, Jas. 
 Dangerfield as foreman of the screw, plate and flat steel de- 
 jDartments, John Baxter, foreman of escapement making. 
 G. D. Parsons, foreman of jeweling and motion, and Thos. 
 Perkins, foreman of finishing. The company first devoted 
 their attention to the finishing up of the old United States 
 movements. These movements however did not sell 
 readily to the trade, and in 1SS3 a new^ iS-size model was 
 made. 
 
 The company had sometime previous to this abandoned 
 the idea of selling the movements at retail, and were confin- 
 ing their sales exclusivel}" to the trade. Mr. Moseley was 
 succeeded in Oct., iSSi, by Jas. Dangerfield, under whose 
 superintendency the new movements were gotten out, 
 making their appearance in the summer of 1883. 
 
 A prejudice in the trade, existed against the watch, owing 
 to the former methods adopted by the Howard Bros., in 
 disposing of their watches, and this prejudice was so strong 
 that it was found almost next to an impossibility to sell 
 them. 
 
 In the fall of 18S3, C. M. Howard went to Chicago to 
 meet J. C. Adams and induce him, if possible, to associate 
 himself vsath the company. After considering several pro- 
 positions made by Mr. Howard, Mr. Adams finally went to 
 Fredonia and examined the machinery, stock of move- 
 ments, etc. He found that the company had on hand about 
 eight thousand finished movements, and about two thousand 
 more in a partially finished condition. The movements 
 were anything but satisfactory, as the escapements were faulty 
 and the general finish poor. Mr. Adams advised the com- 
 pany to finish up what movements they had in process of 
 construction, sell them at any price they could get for them 
 and close the factor}^ temporarily in order to overhaul the 
 machinery which was in a miserable condition. He also 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. Ill 
 
 advised them to re-organize the company vuider a new 
 name and expend several thousand dollars in nev^ ma- 
 chiney, w^hich was badly needed. This the company 
 decided to do and accordingly they re-organized under the 
 title of the Fredonia Watch Company, with a capital of 
 $ 1 50,000. 
 
 Mr. Adams then made arrangements with the company 
 to go on the road and in a few months he disposed of all of 
 the old movements at a general average of six dollars each, 
 which was considered a very good price for them. 
 
 During the year 1S84, the machinery was thoroughly 
 overhauled and some new and improved machinery and 
 tools added. The factory was then started up again. Still 
 the movements did not sell as well as they might and dur- 
 ing the summer of 1S85 the advisability of moving the fac- 
 tory to some other city, w^here capital could be interested, 
 was thoroughly discussed. 
 
 Accordingly Mr. Adams was authorized to look up a 
 new location and interest capital and organize a new com- 
 pany. He visited Peoria, 111., and finally succeeded in open- 
 ing negotiations which resulted in the sale of the machinery 
 to a new company know^n as the Peoria Watch Com- 
 pany. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 IN the fall of 1S79, E. F. Bowman, then a retail jeweler, 
 but now of the jobbing firm of Bowman & Musser, Lan- 
 caster, Pa., ordered a small outfit of watchmaking machin- 
 ery from Geo. E. Hart, of Newark, N.J. This machinery 
 he set up on the floor over his jewelry store, where he pro- 
 posed to manufacture watches in a small way. In January, 
 1880, he engaged the services of W. H Todd, who had 
 formerly been superintend- 
 ent of the Lancaster Watch 
 Company, and had been 
 succeeded by C. S. Moseley. 
 Mr. Todd immediately pro- 
 ceeded to make a model 
 watch. This being com- 
 pleted he busied himself in 
 making some necessary small 
 tools and then proceeded 
 with the making of the 
 watches. There were but the bowman watch. 
 
 five workmen in all, but they accomplished a great deal 
 in a small space of time, for in 18S2 some thirty complete 
 watches were ready, while others were nearly finished. 
 
 The entire movement, with the exception of the balance 
 and dial was made in the factory. These movements were 
 all i6-size, nickel, stem wind, full jeweled, three-quarter 
 plate, and were very handsome and well finished. The 
 movements being manufactured on so small a scale were 
 
 (113) 
 
114 TUE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 necessarily very expensive to produce and but little margin 
 was left after selling, for the manufacturer. In the mean- 
 time Mr. Bow^man had embarked in the wholesale jewelry 
 trade and this business becoming pressing and occupying 
 the greater part of his time, he decided that it would be 
 policy to sell the watch plant if he could find a purchaser. 
 
 This ^vas in the spring of 18S2, and in the follo^ving 
 summer a sale was effected to J. P. Stevens, of Atlanta, Ga. 
 Mr. Stevens had for some time prior to this date been 
 purchasing partially finished movements from the Hamp- 
 den Watch Company and having his own workmen finish 
 them, fitting a regulator of his own device and several other 
 improvements. 
 
 After the purchase of this machinery Mr. Stevens organ- 
 ized a company known as the J. P. Stevens Watch Com- 
 pany, with a capital of $100,000. J. P. Stevens was elected 
 President, and L. O. Stevens, Secretary. A new building 
 was erected and additional machinery added to the plant. 
 W. H. Todd was engaged as Superintendent and he made 
 the model for the new w^atch, which closely resembled the 
 Bowman movement. In the spring of 1SS4, C. Li. Hoyt 
 was made Superintenbent and Mr. Todd took charge of the 
 train and plate department, C. H. Bagley, foreman escape- 
 ment and jeweling, and T. W. Thompson, foreman of fin- 
 ishing. 
 
 Everything appeared to be going along smoothly, the 
 factory turning out about ten movements per day, when in 
 the fall of 1S85, J. C. Freeman, the largest stockholder iia 
 the company died. After his death his heirs became invol- 
 ved in law suits and things assumed such a disagree- 
 able phase that the Stevens brothers sold out their interest 
 in the factory to the Freeman heirs. The new company 
 was known as D. N. Freeman & Co. This company failed 
 early in 1887 and the watch machinery was disposed of. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE Columbus Watch Company was organized Nov. 
 i8, 18S2, with a capital of $150,000, which was subse- 
 quently increased to $200,000. This company succeeded 
 the firm of Gruen & Savage, who made a business of 
 importing partially made Swiss movements and finishing 
 them in Columbus. Messrs. Gruen & Savage occupied a 
 two story brick factory built 
 by them in 1879, which was 
 purchased by the new com 
 pany and a new buildmg 
 35X 95 feet was built on and 
 connected by a passage-wa} 
 with engine house in the real 
 as shown in the engraving 
 About the first step that the 
 new company took was the 
 making of tools and ma 
 chinery for the manufacture 
 of the watch complete. The 
 tools and models for the first movements were completed 
 in about nine months from the time of the organization 
 of the company, being the quickest time on record. The 
 company manufacture four sizes of movements, sixteen, 
 eighteen, four and six sizes. They make both key and 
 stem wind movements. The officers of the company are: 
 D. Gruen, President and General Manager, and W. J. 
 Savage, Secretary and Treasurer ; Walter W. Owens, 
 
 (115) 
 
 THE COLUMBUS WATCH. 
 
Il6 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Supt. Three hundred hands are employed, and the output 
 is about one hundred and fifty finished movements per day. 
 
 The various departments of the factory are presided over 
 as follovs^s: The escapement, screw and flat steel, John 
 Walsh; pinion roughing and pinion cutting, W. C. Her- 
 man; pinion finishing, Wm. Keene; balance, W. Clarke; 
 jeweling and motion, F. Bergmann; stem wind, Wm. Sauer; 
 dial, W. Sherwood; adjusting, H. Ziplinski; finishing, H. 
 Devitt. 
 
 The main offices of the Company are located at Colum- 
 bus, Ohio, and 43 Maiden Lane, New York. The goods 
 manufactured by this company bear an excellent reputation 
 as time-keepers and sell readily. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 IN June, 1883, the Aurora Watch Company, of Aurora, 
 111., was incorporated, with a capital stock of $250,000 in 
 shares of $100 each. The projectors of the company had 
 in view an idea which had been advanced on several occa- 
 sions, but had never come to a successful issue, /. e., a strictly 
 trade watch company, or in other words, a company whose 
 products should be controlled by the retail trade, doing away 
 with the middle-man or 
 jobber. The capital stock 
 of this company is largely 
 owned and controlled by 
 retail dealers, who handle 
 the product. One dealer 
 only in each town is allowed 
 the privilege of selling 
 their goods, preference 
 being given to the dealers 
 who are stockholders. 
 
 The incorporators were 
 E. W. Trask, A. Somarin- 
 dyck, F. L. Pond, H. H. Evans, D. F. Van Liew,H. Miller, 
 and A.J. Hopkins. The first officers were E. W. Trask, 
 President; Albert H. Pike, Vice-President; Maurice Wen- 
 dell, Treasurer and Business Manager; Geo. F. Johnson, 
 Superintendent. The first directors were M. Huffman, E. 
 W. Trask, A. H. Pike, Maurice Wendell, and Geo. F. John- 
 son. In March, 1SS5, Maurice Wendell was succeeded as 
 
 (119) 
 
 THE AURORA WATCH. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. I2I 
 
 Treasurer and Manager by A. Somarindyck, and shortly 
 after Mr. Trask resigned as President, and was succeeded 
 by Mr. A. Somarindyck. In December, 1885, G. F.John- 
 son was succeeded as superintendent by J. W. Hurd, who 
 was succeeded by Robert Mcintosh, who held the position 
 till March i, 1887, when Geo. F.Johnson, who planned and 
 built the factory and its machinery, was reinstated as Super- 
 intendent and now holds that important position. 
 
 The illustration of the factory here given is from the 
 architect's plans, the building at present not being complete. 
 The one wing now occupied covers 135x35 feet, and is 
 three stories and basement. The machinery building is 35 
 X 95 feet, with wing for boiler and engine room 25 x 40 feet. 
 Some 200 hands are employed, and the capacity is 100 
 movements per day. The Aurora watches, which have 
 good reputations as time-keepers, are made in vai"ious grades, 
 and fit Elgin-style cases. They are full-plate, iS-size, nickel 
 and gilt, with quick train. 
 
 The present officers of the company are A. Somarindyck, 
 President; M. Huffman, Vice-President; J. H. Weber, 
 Manager; N. Somarindyck, Treasurer; T. H. Day, Secre- 
 tary, and Geo. F. Johnson, Supeiuntendent. 
 
 The foremen of the various departments are as follows: 
 Pinion finishing, Clarence Coonradt; pinion roughing, 
 Henry Ulreci; jeweling, J. W.Morse; escapement, George 
 Allspach; balance and screw, Robt. Shepard; damaskeen- 
 ing, E. D. Hanchett; gilding, Jno. Fairchild; finishing, C. 
 H. Connor; plate, Eugene Spalding; machine shop, A. H. 
 Clavois. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE New Haven Watch Company was incorporated 
 October,' 13, 18S3, with a capital of $100,000. W. E. 
 Doolittle, who is the patentee of a movement was the organ- 
 izer of the company. New Haven, Conn., was decided on 
 as a site and work was at once commenced on the machin- 
 ery. A two story brick building, formerly occupied as a 
 machine shop,v\^as rented January i, 1884, and the machinery 
 was moved into it. It was at first intended to manufacture 
 the Doolittle watch, but the plan was abandoned and a reg- 
 ular lever watch substituted in its stead. 
 
 The first board of Directors consisted of Aaron Carter, 
 Lewis J. Mulford, Gerritt S. Glenn, W. E. Doolittle, and 
 J. H. Brewer. The first officers were: Aaron Carter, Pres- 
 ident; Lewis J. Mulford, Vice-President and Treasurer, and 
 Gerritt S. Glenn, Secretary. In the fall of 1885, (the cap- 
 ital of the company being nearly exhausted), it became 
 necessary to increase the working capital, and accordingly 
 Mr. Brewer paid a visit to Trenton with the intention of 
 interesting capitalists. His efforts were successful, as the 
 Trenton people agreed to furnish the necessary capital 
 should the factory be moved to their city. About three 
 acres of land were purchased in Chambersburg, a suburb, 
 and the erection of a factory immediately commenced. 
 The capital was then increased to $250,000, the name 
 changed to The Trenton Watch Company, and a new 
 Board of Directors consisting of J. H. Brewer, W. F. Van 
 Camp, T. W. Burger, Saml. K. Wilson, J. L. Murphy, 
 
 (123) 
 
Illltl 
 
 
 il 
 
 nli*Si 
 
 i'ill 
 
 "A 
 
 
 IIIIIIP'- i 
 
 1.,,:; 
 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 125 
 
 Lawrence Farrell and W. S. Stryker was elected. J. H. 
 Brewer was elected President; W. F. Van Camp, Treasurer, 
 and J. C. Thomas, Secretary. The people of Trenton 
 subscribed $50,000 to the enterprise. 
 
 S. T. J. Byam, for many years with the American Wal- 
 tham Watch Company and later with the Waterbury 
 Watch Company was made Superintendent, a position 
 which he still holds. F. W. Keegan, formerly with the 
 Marion, Cheshire, and Waterbury companies, has charge 
 of the finishing department. P. W. Brady, who was for 
 twenty-five years connected with the American Waltham 
 
 Watch Company, has charge 
 of the train room. Charles 
 Taylor, formerly with the 
 American Waltham an d 
 Waterbviry companies, has 
 chai'ge of the escapement 
 room. A. E. Wait, formerly 
 of Waltham, has charge of 
 the machine shop, and E. A. 
 Hitchcock has charge of the 
 case making. 
 
 THE TRENTON MOVEMENT. rr-ll £ i. 1'1'UMj- 
 
 1 he factory, waiich is built 
 of pressed brick, is one of the most complete in all its details. 
 The finishing is all done in hard pine and the light is 
 splendid, each workman having a window to himself. It 
 is a three story and basement building, 50 x 55 feet, with a 
 wing 34 X 120 feet. 
 
 The Trenton Watch is straight-line lever escapement, 
 with second hand, i8-size, jeweled, stem wind and set, and 
 quick train. The company make all their own cases which 
 are known as " silverine." About 200 employees are now 
 at work and the output is at present about 180 per day. 
 
136 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 The full capacity of the factory is 500 finished watches 
 per clay with 350 hands. The present capital of the com- 
 pany is $300,000. For the first three years the company 
 sold their movements direct to the retail trade but later on 
 their product was handled by jobbers. The main office is 
 situated at Trenton, N. J., and Francis E. Morse & Co., 
 Chicago, are the sole western agents. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 CHARLES S. MosELEY, whose name has been in- 
 timately connected witli the history of nearly every 
 watch factory in this comitry, was born in Westfield, Mass., 
 Feb. 28, 1828. In 1836 he accompanied his father to 
 Princeton, 111,, but soon returned to Massachusetts. At the 
 age of eighteen he entered a machine shop in Westfield, 
 and some time afterwards went to Boston where he worked 
 for George H. Fox, as a machinist, and remained there for 
 some years. His first connection with the watch factories 
 was in 1852, when he entered the employ of Dennison, 
 Howard & Davis, who were then beginning the manu- 
 factvu'e of watches in Roxbury, Mass. Mr. Moseley went 
 with them when the factory was removed to Waltham, and 
 remained with the company, serving in the capacity of fore- 
 man of the machine shop and later as master mechanic. 
 
 About the year 1S59 the Nashua Watch Company was 
 started, and Mr. Moseley cast his lot with it, acting as 
 master mechanic. He designed and built the machinery 
 with which that movement was manufactured; and it is 
 worthy of remark, that no better watch has ever been 
 made since in this countr}-. 
 
 In the fall of 1S64 Mr. Moseley identified himself with 
 the Elgin National Watch Company, then just starting, 
 and was made general superintendent, in which capacity 
 he remained with the company till 1877. 
 
 Mr. Moseley has assisted, when they were in need of en- 
 gineering help, a mmiber of other factories. As a 
 
 (127) 
 
128 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 mechanical engineer and a designer of watch machinery 
 especially, he has had no superiors and but few equals. 
 Many well known inventions are due to his genius. 
 Among those that have acquired a world wide reputation, 
 we may mention the interchangeable stem wind mechanism 
 of the Elgin National Watch Company, patented in 1876. 
 The dust band, or dust excluder, used by the same 
 company, the best and cheapest ever made. The 
 triangular hair spring stud. A patent regulator, 
 and many others. One of his earliest inventions in 
 connection with the manufacture of watches is the 
 spring or split chuck, an accessory now become unI^'ersal 
 and indispensible to every watch maker in the land. 
 
 At this writing, although somewhat advanced in years, 
 Mr. Moseley is still actively engaged in mechanical en- 
 gineering of an advanced natm-e, the full history and value 
 of which must be reserved for future historians to 
 chronicle. 
 
 P. S. Bartlett, whose name is familiar to every watch- 
 maker and jeweler in America, and we might say the 
 world, was born in Amesbury, Mass., September 3, 1834. 
 His first connection with watch making, was in 1854 when 
 he went to work for the Boston Watch Company, just 
 after its removal to Waltham, Mass., where he occupied 
 the position of foreman of the plate and screw department. 
 In 1859 the American Watch Companv put upon the mar- 
 ket a new 18-size movement which they engraved "P. S. 
 Bai'tlett" in honor of the subject of this sketch. In 1S61 
 the same company manufactured their first ladies' watch 
 which they also designated as the "P. S. Bartlett," having 
 abandoned the 18-size made in 1859. 
 
 In 1864 he visited Chicago, and together with Messrs. 
 Chas. S. Moseley, J. C. Adams, and Ira G. Blake, organ- 
 
CHARLES S. MOSELEY. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. I3I 
 
 ized the National Watch Company, of Chicago, afterwards 
 known as the Elgin National Watch Company. He sub- 
 sequently signed a contract with that company for five 
 years as foreman of the plate and screw departments. He 
 was for seven years assistant superintendent and general 
 traveling agent for the company, during which time he in- 
 troduced the Elgin Watches in Europe, selling them in 
 Moscow^, St. Petersburg and other cities. He is now in 
 the wholesale and retail watch and jewelry business in 
 Elgin. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE Cheshire Watch Company was incorporated in 
 October, 1883, with a capital of $100,000. The com- 
 pany was organized by Messrs. A. E. Hotchkiss and Geo. 
 J. Capewell, of Cheshire, Conn., who interested capitalists 
 in the scheme. The first officers were Geo. J. Capewell, 
 President, and E. R. Brown, Secretary and Treasurer. The 
 
 THE FACTORY OF THE CHESHIRE WATCH COMPANY, CHESHIRE, CONN. 
 
 factory is located at Cheshire and is a very handsome build- 
 ing 300 feet in length and 30 feet wide. The model for 
 the Cheshire was made by Mr. D. A. Buck, the gentleman 
 who made the original Watei'bury model. This move- 
 ment is so familiar to the trade that a description is unneces- 
 sary. In February, 1885, Mr. Brown was succeeded as 
 
 (133) 
 
134 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 Secretary and Treasurer by Mr. N. Brigham Hall, who 
 still occupies that position. Mr. Capewell resigned his 
 position as President in July, iSS6, and was succeeded by 
 Mr. John Pearce. Mr. Buck retained the position of Sup- 
 erintendent until October, 1885. 
 
 The capital stock of the company is at present $250,000, 
 and the product 150 watches per day. The factory has a 
 
 capacity of 225 movements 
 per day. The main office of 
 the company is situated at 
 Cheshire, Conn., with a 
 branch office at 178 Broad- 
 way, New York. The 
 present Superintendent is 
 Henry Aehl, and the fore- 
 men of the various depart- 
 ments are as follows: Fore- 
 man machine department 
 Paul Simon; plate, F. L. 
 Wilkinson; gilding, H. Martin; pinion, G. S. Kendrick; 
 pinion cutting and finishing, W. S. Welton; jeweling, C. 
 Narthrop; motion, F. S. Brockett; stem wind, Joseph 
 Jenkins; escapement, C. S. Guernsey; timing, Wm. Davis; 
 finishing, Thos. Baker; case-room, W. E. Garde; buff-room, 
 Orrin Hitchcock. 
 
 THE CHESHIRE WATCH. 
 
 The Manhattan Watch Company was organized in 
 1SS3 with a capital of $100,000. The company was 
 organized mainly through the efforts of A. O. Jennings, 
 who was formerly manager of the Jerome Clock Com- 
 pany. The factory of the company is located at 15S 
 Monroe Street, New York City, and the offices of the com- 
 pany are at 235 Broadway. 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. I35 
 
 In 1 886 the capital of the company was increased to 
 $150,000. The movements which the company manufac- 
 ture are all i8-size, both open-face and hunting. They 
 munvifacture all their own cases. The company 
 are now manufacturing one thousand watches per 
 week and employ eighty-five hands. The officers of 
 the company are A. O. Jennings, President; T. B. Jen- 
 nings, Vice President; P. R.Jennings, Secretary and F. L. 
 Park, Treasurer; R. G. Jennings is Superintendent. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 HERMAN Von Der Heydt, a native of Weisbaden, 
 Germany, came to this country in 1881. He was a 
 thorough machanic, having mastei-ed the trade of watch- 
 maker in one of the technical schools for which his country 
 is justly famous. He located in Chicago and soon after star- 
 ted the manufacture of a self-winding watch. He succeeded 
 in his object in 1S83. This movement he patented Feb. 19, 
 
 1S84. In all he has manu- 
 factured but thirty-four 
 movements, five of which 
 were full nickel and the 
 balance gilt. This watch, 
 which is peculiar in mechan- 
 ism, might be termed a 
 full-plate. It is i8-size, 
 lever escapement and full 
 jeweled. The winding 
 mechanism is of the gravity 
 variety, consisting of a some- 
 what heavy steel crescent, 
 which by the motion of the body moves up and down and 
 is connected to a ratchet on the winding arbor. 
 
 The small number of watches made is accounted for 
 by the fact that they were all hand made, the inventor 
 having only at his disposal an American lathe, a heavy 
 lathe with universal head and the usual outfit of watch re- 
 pairer's tools. Even then he manufactured the watches 
 
 (137) 
 
 THE SELF-WINDING WATCH. 
 
138 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 piece-meal taking only such time as he could spare from his 
 regular business as jeweler and watch repairer. The 
 watches were all sold as fast as manufactured, the gilt move- 
 ments bringing $75 and the nickel ones $90 each. Mr. 
 Von der Heydt has had several flattering offers made him 
 by watch companies and wealthy jewelers but has always 
 declined, prefeiring to manufacture the movements himself 
 without aid at such times as he could get to work on them. 
 They are finely finished and keep excellent time. 
 
 The United States Watch Company, of Waltham, 
 Mass., was incorporated in July, 1S84, with a capital of 
 $50,000. The stockholders of the company were Chas. 
 V. Woerd, who had been connected with the American 
 Walthan Watch Company for twenty-five years, E. C. 
 Hammer, T. B. Eaton and Nutting Bros., of Waltham. 
 
 The Nutting Bros, and Mr. 
 Woerd were associated in 
 business under the name of 
 the Waltham Watch Tool 
 Company. The officers of 
 the company are T. B. 
 Eaton, President, and E. C. 
 Hammer, Treasurer. The 
 company purchased a tract 
 of land and built a small 
 factory, into which the 
 tools, manufactured previously by the Waltham Watch 
 Tool Company, were moved. 
 
 Mr. Woerd made a model for a i6-size, three-quarter 
 plate watch, having a dome in the centre, in order 
 to accommodate the center wheel, as the barrel was so wide 
 that no room was left for it. This watch was a stem-wind. 
 
 THE UNITED STATES WATCH. 
 
PAST AND PRESENTi I39 
 
 the mechanism of which was patented by Mr. Woerd. 
 Some tliree thousand of these movements had been made, 
 up to the fall of 1887, but they had met with a poor 
 sale, as the movement required a special case. 
 
 In November, 1SS7, •^^'' Woerd severed his connection 
 with the company. The capital stock of the company was 
 increased to $150,000 and work commenced on a new 
 inodel "which was a 16-size, three-quarter plate, quick train, 
 with lever escapement, and expansion balance. Like the 
 first it was stem wind, using the same machinism, but the 
 wide barrel was done away with, thus rendering the dome 
 for center wheel unnecessary. As these watches are not 
 yet on the market it is impossible to say how they will be 
 received by the trade. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 IN the summer of 18S5, J. C. Adams visited Peoria, 111., 
 to interest the capitalists of that city in a watch factor}- 
 enterprize, as described in Chapter XIX. As a result of 
 his arguments Messrs. E. F. Baldwin, Albert Truesdale, J. 
 C. Woelfle, J. L. Flinn, Eustis H. Smith and Fredk. 
 Eynatten, all citizens of Peoria, went to Fredonia in the 
 fall of 1885 and inspected the factory. Negotiations were 
 entered into, which resulted in the sale of the factory to the 
 Peoria Watch Company, which was incorporated Dec, 19, 
 18S5, with a capital of $250,000. $150,000 in money, notes 
 and stock was paid for the Fredonia plant. A building 
 was started in Peoria in March 18S6, and completed in the 
 following June, when the Fredonia machinery was moved 
 into it. 
 
 The old Fredonia model was altered over to meet the re- 
 quirements of a quick-train, railroad watch, i8-size and 
 fifteen jeweled. Mr. Adams then went on the road and 
 made several very heavy contracts for the company with 
 western railroads. In the summer of 1887, Mr. Adams had 
 sold so many movements that the company was some six 
 weeks to two months behind with its orders. Complaints 
 began to come in that the movements were being neg- 
 lected, that the escapement was faultly and the finish poor. 
 The superintendent then in charge, G. P. Benezet sent in 
 his resignation and Ferd. F. Ide of Springfield, 111., was 
 appointed superintendent. Mr. Adams severed his connec- 
 tion with the companv April 14, iSSS. 
 
142 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 The company employs about ninety hands and the pro- 
 duct is about thirty movements per day. These movements 
 are all nameless and are known as Grade A, No. i special, 
 Grade C, Grade D, Grade A. & K., and numbers one to six 
 inclusive. They are all i8-size, fifteen jeweled, quick 
 train. 
 
 THK FACTORY OF THE PEORIA WATCH COMPANY, AT PEORIA, ILL. 
 
 At present the officers of the company are: Eustis H. 
 Smith, President; W. H. Smith, Treasurer; W. W. 
 Hammond, Secretary; J. B. Greenhut, Vice Presi- 
 dent; and Clarence M. Howard, Manager. The direc- 
 tors are W. W. Hammond, E. S. Smith, J. B. 
 Greenhut, W. H. Smith, J. C. Woelfle, C. R. 
 Wheeler and C. M. Howard. Ferd. F. Ide is superinten- 
 dent and the foremen of the various departments are as fol- 
 lows: T. M. Younglove, jeweling; W. Earler, damas- 
 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
 
 143 
 
 keening; D. R. Buchanan, dial; E. F. French, plate room; 
 F. A. A. Hordon, gilding; J. Frazier, engraving; J. H. 
 Burns, train room; F. S. Wenk, balances; W. H. H. Mur- 
 ray, escapement, flat steel and screw; M. Clapp, adjusting 
 and J. B. Wormwood, machine shop. 
 
 The Seth Thomas Clock Company started the manufac- 
 ture of watches in 18S3. During that year an addition was 
 made to their clock factory, and the tools and machinery 
 previously made and purchased were moved into it. The 
 first watches were placed on the market in 18S5, and were 
 18-size, three-quarter plate, 
 open face and stem-wind. 
 The model for this move- 
 ment was made by Herman 
 Reinicke, who acted as 
 master w^atchmaker for 
 the company until the 
 spring of 1886 when he 
 was succeeded by Chas. 
 L. Higginbottom. Under 
 Mr. Higginbottom's admin- 
 istration a new movement 
 was turned out, it being a hunting case movement with 
 a different stem-wind mechanism from the original and 
 quick train. The company are now turning out one 
 hundred movements per day, and employ two hundred 
 hands. Four grades of hvmting and open face movements 
 are made, and additions will be made to this line as rapidly 
 as possible. 
 
 THE SETH THOMAS WATCH. 
 
 The New York Standard Watch Company put its first 
 product on the market in the fall of 1887. This move- 
 
144 
 
 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 
 
 ment, which is an i8-size, full plate, straight line, lever- 
 GF^ "T^%s=-. worm, escapement, stem- 
 
 wind and open face, is 
 novel in construction. 
 The office of the company 
 is situated at 83 Nassau 
 Street and the factory is 
 at Jersey City, N.J. H. 
 B. Claflin & Co., New 
 THE NEW YORK STANDARD WATCH. York, liavc I'ccently been 
 
 appointed as wholesale selling agents for the company. 
 
 The Wichita Watch Company was organized and in- 
 corporated in July 1SS7, with a capital stock of $250,000. 
 The officers are J. R. Sniveley, President, H. W. Lewis, 
 Treasurer and Irvin Stratton, Secretary. The company 
 immediately made preparations for building a factory. The 
 building which was finished June ist, 18S8, is a substantial 
 structure built of light colored limestone, taken from an 
 adjacent quarry. It consists of a central building 44 x 54 
 feet with a wing each side 148 x 30 feet. The central 
 structure is four stories in height while the wings are three 
 stories. The engine house is situated immediately back of 
 the central structure. This building has a capacity for 
 working six hundred hands and turning out from one hun- 
 dred and fifty to two hundred watches per day. On both 
 ends of the building are situated tower-like structures which 
 are fire escapes. These towers contain winding stair cases, 
 built of iron and are accessible from each floor through iron 
 doors. The watch which the company proposes to manu- 
 facture is an iS-size, half plate, adjusted and full jeweled 
 and made to fit any American case. No machinery has yet 
 been placed in the factory although the engine is already 
 in place and boilers in. It is not definitely known when 
 operations will be commenced. 
 
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