Volume XIX.

NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1888.

No. I.

AND

Horological Review.

Official Representative of THE JEWELERS’ LEAGUE, THE NEW YORK JEWELERS’ BOARD OF TRADE, and the JEWELERS’ SECURITY ALLIANCE.

It is also the Recognized Exponent of Trade Interests.

A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF WATCHMAKERS JEWELERS, SILVERSMITHS, ELECTRO-PLATE MANUFACTURERS, AND THOSE ENGAGED IN THE KINDRED BRANCHES OF ART INDUSTRY.

SUBSCRIPTION. — To all parts of the United States and Canada, $2.00 per Annum, Postage Paid. To all Foreign Countries,

$3.00 per Annum, Prepaid.

All tommunieations should be addressed to

SETH W. HALE, Pres’t,

THE JEWELERS' CIRCULAR PUBLLSHLNG CO., 189 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. ^^“Advertising rates made known on application.

full Index to Advertisements and Table of Contents will be found on Page 5 of this issue.

The binder we have had made to bold the monogram sheets which we are printing with each issue, gives entire satisfaction to those who have ordered it. They say that it enables them to file away each sheet in a convenient manner, so that it is to all intents and purposes a bound book, to which they can add the pages from month to month as they appear. In fact, when all the mono- grams are printed, they will make a large and handsome volume that will be simply invaluable to all who have initial engraving to do. The binder will be sent to any address on receipt of its cost, $1.25.

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A COMPANY has been formed, of which the Hon. Carl Schurz is President, for the purpose of publishing the U. S. Export Almanack, containing a series of articles descriptive of the industries of this country. The Secretary of State has consented to have 20,000 copies of the Almanack distributed in foreign countries by the United States consuls, thus giving the widest publicity to the facts contained in it. The articles will be printed in four languages, and will be prepared by well known writers and statisticians. The undertaking seems to be well calculated to foster and develop our export trade and to open up new markets for our producers.

A LITTLE idea of the number of persons to be met in New York may be formed by the announcement that 28,000,000 persons crossed the Brooklyn Bridge last year in the cars, and nearly 3,000,000 walked over. The average number of those who cross by the cars every day is 90,000. The several ferries crossing to New Jersey carry even more persons every day, while the elevated and surface railroads carry more than either the bridge or the fer- ries. An estimate of 300,000 persons moving into and out of the city daily is none too high. If the city had credit for all those who live or do business regularly within the city limits, she would have a population of about 3,000,000. Perhaps some day we will annex Long Island and New Jersey and set up an independent republic of our own.

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The infinite variety and elegance found in plated ware at the present time is something astonishing. Artistic designs are combined with superior workmanship and elaboration of detail that result in the production of goods that leave nothing to be desired so far as form, style and general appearance are concerned. There is scarcely anything made in fine metals that it is not reproduced or have their counterparts in plated ware. Articles of table service especially are made in exquisite patterns, while recent improvements in the plating processes render them lasting and almost indestructible. The plated ware made to-day by manufacturers of established repu- tations will last a lifetime without betraying the fact that the silver surface has a foundation of white metal. Articles of bric-a-brac in endless variety are now made in this metal, while utility and orna- mentation find expression in thousands of articles, from match boxes to elaborate vases, lamp stands, etc.

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A POSITIVE necessity of the times are non-magnetic watches.

When electricity is being introduced into most business houses, and also into dwellings, and made to subserve a great variety of pur- poses, every one runs the risk of having his watch disarranged by it. A slight current of electricity, which may reach the delicate mechan- ism of a watch all unknown to its wearer, is sufficient to destroy its reliability temporarily. Various means have been devised for demagnetizing a watch, but what watchmakers are striving for is a watch that will not permit itself to be magnetized. Nearly every manufacturer is now announcing that he has achieved this desider- atum, and the probability is that all who make this statement have been more or less successful. We print in this issue an article by Mr. Giles, who has a non-magnetic device for watches, in which he explains how watches become magnetized and how to prevent this evil. We print the article for the reason that it has been highly commended by electrical experts, and because the subject is one full of interest to all who make or wear watches. Should any of our

^he Jeweler’S' Gii^eular? ar^d Rei^elegieal Review.

readers take issue with the propositions laid down by Mr. Giles, we shall be glad to print their criticism. On a subject of so much

importance we cannot have too much light.

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According to the annual trade review published by R. G.

Dun & Co., there were 200 less failures in the country in the last year than during the previous year, but the volume of liabilities increased from $i 14,644,1 19 in 1886 to $167,560,944 in 1887. The whole number of failures last year was 9,634 as against 9,834 in 1886. These numerous wrecks of mercantile enterprises are be attribu- ted to the lax manner in which the credit system in vogue is administered. When men with little or no capital, and without financial backing of any kind, can, with a few hundred dollars of ready money, obtain credit for thousands, it is not surprising that schemers and dishonest speculators take advantage of the opportuni- ties offered them, obtain stocks of goods for which they never intend to pay, and after disposing of them as far as possible, go into insol- vency, leaving their creditors to make the best of the shell of the nut from which they have extracted the kernel.

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There has been recently a very material advance in the price of copper and tin, and as these metals form the basis of plated ware, there is a possibility that there will necessarily be a slight advance made before long in the price of such goods. One of the causes for the advance in copper is the fire that has been raging for months in the Heckla and Calumet mines in Michigan. Every effort to subdue the fire has failed, and the mines were closely sealed up s.everal weeks ago, thus shutting off the possibility of work being resumed for a long time to come. When the fire has burned itself out, it is expected that all the timbering of the mine will have been destroyed, aud that the work will have to be done over at an immense cost and loss of time. As a consequence, these mines are not likely to contribute much, if anything, to the supply of copper during the present year, and the withdrawal of their large product will tend to keep up the price. Professor Agassiz attempted to extinguish the fire by injecting chemicals into the mines, and it was thought at one time that the fire was extinguished, but it soon broke out again, making it necessary to seal them up entirely and thus try to smother the fire. Manufacturers of plated ware have had the matter under consideration, and while they will maintain present prices as long as possible, it is probable that they will be forced to make an advance on the price of all plated goods.

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The legislature is to be asked to repeal the law making every Saturday afternoon a half-holiday, and there will be much opposition to the repeal. The same influences that secured the enactment of the law will be exerted to retain it upon the statute books. So far as general business is concerned, the law is practically a dead letter. No attempt has been made to enforce it outside of the banks and public institutions, but industrial pursuits have been carried on Saturday afternoons precisely as though no law on the subject existed. It was argued that the workingmen want this half- holiday, but it has been demonstrated where the question has been left to them that they did not desire to Ire deprived of the jrrivilege of working half a day each week. They preferred to jnit in their full time. During the hot months of summer it is different, as there then seems to be a necessity for the half-holiday to enable working- men to recover from the lassitude that overcomes them during the heated term. But when the air is cool and bracing, they need all they can earn by full six days' work. The banks are sujrposed to observe this law, but they do so only in part. They close the paying teller’s window and pay out nothing after twelve o'clock, but all the other departments are open as usual, and one can deposit all the

money he desires. A law that is practically inoperative should not be allowed to cumber the statute books, or if this is to be preserved, it should be amended so as to apply only to the months of June, July and August, with September added, if necessary, by way of compromise.

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The present issue of The Circular begins the Nineteenth Vol- ume of this publication. It enters upon the new year with a larger list of subscribers than it ever had before, and with an amount of advertising patronage that indicates the degree of confidence in which the journal is held by the trade. It is customary for publish- ers to announce at the beginning of a volume, something in the way of a programme explanatory of their purposes in the future. We have no such announcement to make. All that The Circular has been in the past it will be in the future, with such improvements as time and circumstances may require or suggest. Year after year The Circular has been enlarged and improved, never more possibly than during the past year. Whatever money and enterprise can do to make it such a magazine as the trade requires will be supplied. All our old corps of contributors, each a recognized expert in his particular line, will continue their contributions to our columns, and others will be added as we can arrange to secure them. Our special correspondents in different trade centers will continue to furnish bright, newsy letters each month, giving the trade news and gossip in their several localities. The editorial and news departments, will treat of current events and of such matters of general interest as every business man should be familiar with. No effort will be spared to maintain The Circular at the head of trade journals, a position that has been conceded to it for many years.

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AS AN organization the Knights of Labor are suffering from a rapid decline. According to reports furnished by the General Secretary, the membership has fallen away in fourteen months from 723,000 to 200,000. This rapid decadence of an order that was so great a power two years ago that trade and commerce stood in awe of it, is due to the fact that demagogues and agitators obtained con- trol of it, and, becoming intoxicated with their power, transformed it from a medium for redressing the wrongs of workingmen to a machine for oppressing the manufacturing and producing industries of the country. When this was undertaken, public sentiment, that had been favorable to the workingmen, turned against the oppressor, and the organization was doomed. It has lost its prestige entirely, and while a few professional agitators have managed to keep together a semblance of the order in some few localities, it has ceased to be a power that is either feared by capital or respected by labor. No estimate of the harm inflicted upon workmen and their impoverished families by these reckless and incompetent leaders, or the injury they have done to the cause of labor, can be made. So long as irrespon- sible power is the keystone of labor organizations, so long will just such irresponsible and reckless persons be developed to a body of workmen, a strike is of as much importance as is a declaration of war to a nation, and that the power to order strikes should be entrusted to men of the calibre of the average walking delegate, is an insult to the intelligence of the workingmen of the country. The labor organ- ization that is to become a permanent and improving influence must recognize the essential rights of freemen.

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WHO originates styles in jewelry, is a question frequently asked but not easily answered. If a particular article introduced by a manufacturer bids fair to become popular, forthwith it can be found in the stock of every dealer, but what different manufacturers are engaged in producing it few could tell. Every manufacturer

JFhe Jewelers’ Circular and Borelogical Review.

employs one or more designers, whose exclusive business it is to make new designs for jewelry, devising attractive forms and combin- ing fine workmanship with precious stones, fine gold and desirable shapes. These designers find their ideas in nature mainly, but po|i- ular sports afford them also abundant opportunity to exercise their talents. Of late there has been a great run on insects and flies, but- terflies and bugs of all kinds, with brilliant stones decorating their bodies or wings, have appealed to the public and not in vain. Thousands of these have been sold, and many more thousands will be sold, for they are very beautiful, and serve the purpose of making useful lace pins, scarf pins, etc. Even some of the manufacturers of cheap goods have recently taken to employing special designers of their own, although the practice of stealing patterns from the manu- facturers of fine goods has by no means been abandoned. Of course, these designers produce many sketches that are never used, the manufacturers disapproving of them either because they are too expensive to make or they do not happen to suit their fancy. Then there are other designers who work for the trade in general, making designs at hazard and submitting them to whoever they think will be likely to buy them. They are handed about from one to another till a customer is found or the designer concludes that he has made a failure. Many patterns of goods made by these designers are pat- ented, having some mechanical construction about them that entitles them to be thus protected. But many manufacturers have their own ideas regarding designs, and will make a rough draft of what they want and turn it over to the practical draughtsman to elaborate. The ruling fashions in jewelry do not call for many different forms, although the modifications of those forms are innumerable. The styles now demand lace pins, bonnet pins, brooches, earrings, cuff and collar buttons, fob chains, and a few other ornaments. Variety in these is the present aim of the manufacturers. Precious stones are employed with profusion, and it is a rare thing now to see an article of jewelry made exclusively of the precious metals. But fashion is a fickle dame, and in a few years it may be expected that plain jewelry will have its turn again.

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WE BEG to direct aitention to the letters of our numerous cor- respondents in this issue from different trade centers. These are genuine letters, written especially for The Circular, by gentle- men whom we pay for their services. None of them are made up in the office from stale telegrams clipped from exchanges and labeled “special correspondence,” but each one is prepared by a trustworthy correspondent who is on the alert for news and knows whereof he writes. We also beg to call attention to the great variety of tech- nical articles contained in this number, and to ask our readers “ where else can you find such an amount of valuable information directly relating to your business as is printed from month to month in The Circular?” Some one has said that a paper is known and judged by the quality of the reading matter it prints, and men may be judged by the charac-ter of the papers they read. We are willing The Circular should be judged by this rule, and trust members of the trade will also be willing to accept it. We may say in this con- nection that the proprietors of The Circular have every reason to congratulate themselves on the manner in which the new year has opened for them in a business way. With the close of our volume in January, quite a number of subscriptions naturally ran out, but the subscribers, with scarcely an exception, promptly forwarded their renewels for the present volume, and many who were not subscribers before have commenced with this issue. Our subscription receipts for January were considerably in excess of those for January last year, and our list of subscribers has never been so large as at present. The present proprietors of The Circular, being actively engaged in the business, attach greater importance to an extensive circulation than do publishers who print papers solely for what they can make out of them, and hence they have concentrated their efforts largely

to pushing The Circular among the retail dealers of the country with most satisfactory results. The proprietors, who are themselves advertisers, demand that the cards of their patrons shall have the widest circulation possible, and hence special efforts have been made to push the subscription list. Our friends are invited to aid us in this matter, and if any reader knows of a jierson identified with the trrde who he thinks ought to see The Circular will send us his name, we will send a sample cojiy and give him an opjjortunity to become a regular reader of our magazine. We want every dealer in the country to have The Circular, and to such as do not*^take it we will cheerfully send sample copies. So we say to our patrons, send in the names of any dealers whom you would like to have see The Circular.

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PROMINENT citizens are quietly striving to work up a popular sentiment in favor of holding a grand international exposition in this city in 1892, in commemoration of the discovery of America by Columbus. During the past few years there have been a large number of semi-international expositions, but they have been such only in name or on the glowing circulars issued by their managers. The last one in which the government took really a national part, and which the people fully recognized as a national affair and took pride in as such, was that at Philadelphia in 1876. It is believed that another, on an even more magnificent scale, can be made suc - cessful in 1892, provided New York is selected as the place of hold- ing it. No other city of this country is so well known abroad — in fact, to many foreigners New York is the United States, precisely as Paris is France to most foreigners, and a national exposition in New York would at once command the attention and confidence of all foreigners and thus insure its success. The Philadelphia Exposition was a great educator of our people, especially in all artistic matters, and the growth and development of art since then has been wonder- ful. As an illustration — while the Gorham Manufacturing Company exhibited a magnificent solid silver vase of original design and work- manship unequalled, that cost $22,000 to manufacture, which received the highest commendation from experts in that class of work, nevertheless the managers of that company state that the Exposition was a revelation to them in certain lines of artistic work, and that they there received ideas that they have been working out since, to an extent that has almost revolutionized certain departments of their business. This company, like hundreds of others, at their own expense, sent their workmen there to study art and workmanship and they have been more than repaid by the improvement their employees have shown. To the men themselves, this was an oppor- tunity of a lifetime, for they there saw the finest examples of work in their line that have ever been produced, and were enabled to compare the productions of one nation with those of another, and to study their styles and processes with every opportunity to compare one with another. From the Philadelphia Exposition dates what maybe termed a “ boom ” in art matters in this country, which has been worth millions of dollars to our artists and manufacturers. It is thought that the time is lipe for another such display, and that other nations will be only too glad to co-operate for the purpose of show- ing the progress they have made and of seeing what we have done. Unless something now unforeseen should intervene to upset the pros- perity of the country, it is more than probable that such an international exposition will be held in this'city.

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SOME of the failures in the jewelry trade last month were of a most disgraceful character, showing very clearly that the insolvent debtors had deliberately laid their plans to rob their credi- tors to the fullest extent possible. Knowing that they were insolvent, and that a few days must bring the disclosure of that fact, these

^he Jewelopg’ dipculap and B©p©l0(^iGaI Roview.

swindlers went around buying goods wherever they had credit, and when the crash came there were neither cash nor goods to be found among the assets. We should like to name names in this connection and to denounce the swindlers individually and collectively in such terms as they deserve, but when the creditors are more anxious to recover a small percentage of their losses than to punish the perpe- tratois of the swindle, and so take no criminal proceedings against them, the law of libel prevents us from characterizing these individ- ual transactions as they deserve. For us to say or intimate that a man is a thief, would put us under the necessity of proving it, and in these cases the creditors, by compromising the felony, have deprived us of the privilege of denouncing the culprits. The prophet of old probably had the libel laws in mind when he denounced in general terms all men as liars; had he individualized and called Jones a liar, Jones would have had him in Ludlow street jail before night on a charge of libel. Therefore, while we may say that recent failures have been characterized by features that involved criminality, we may not say that Jones is a criminal. When creditors think more of punishing crime than of compromising with criminals for a return of a fraction of their plunder, the press will have more freedom in com- menting on affairs of the kind alluded to. This brings up the old question of how much does an individual owe to society in such cases, and how much ought he to sacrifice of his individual interests to secure the punishment of a criminal whose business it is to prey on the community. The fact that men are usually only too anxious to forego prosecution of a criminal on his restoring a portion of his plunder is so well understood, that thieves, burglars and other crim- inals take it into account when considering the chances of punish- ment for their offenses. A few years ago several thieves managed to steal over a million dollars’ worth of securities belonging to a wealthy man; the detectives soon found out the culprits and could have sent every one of them to the State Prison, but had they done so their victim would have lost every dollar of his securities. In the end a compromise was made, by which all the thieves escaped punishment, and were permitted to retain enough of the plunder to repay them for all their time, trouble and enterprise in robbing the man. From a strictly moral standpoint, it was the duty of the victim in that case to sacrifice his million dollars to the good of the community, but we doubt if the most strict moralist among us would have made such a sacrifice. Compromise is the order of the day, and none realize more from it than do the criminal classes.

Art in Advertising.

\V TO 'advertise attractively and judiciously is a problem that almost every business man has to struggle with. The neces.sity for advertising is admitted, but in these days when so many mediums for advertising are offered, each claiming to have superior advantages, the question as to what to use is one not easily decided. A business man has first to consider what portion of the public he desires to reach, and then to determine what medium is most likely to serve him best. 'I'his decided, he has next to deter- mine upon the style and character of his advertisements, and this is the point upon which we desire to say a few words. Artistic adver- tising is now the rage, and all the magazines, trade papers and even the dailies furnish examples of this style of business announcements. -Some of them are tastefully illustrated, while others depend iq)on their decorative form for their attractiveness. But whatever form or style tht; judicious or scientific advertiser may adopt, his aim is to jjresent his advertisements in such (juaint and original manner as to immediately attract the attention of even the casual reader, and, by its pleasing appeal to the eye, demand a perusal. Since the discovery

of the photo-engraving process there has been a marked revolution in the advertising field, and in place of the heavy, black and often repulsive looking type formerly employed, plates are used that are the exact photographic reproductions of the ideas of artists who make a specialt)' of this work. No business firm in this country is better known than that of Rogers, Peet &; Co., dealers in clothing, and this familiarity with their house has been brought about by their system of advertising. 1 hey occupy a small space in several of the daily papers, and almost every day some new cut is displayed, rejjresenting some seasonable thought regarding their business. The public has grown familiar with their little outline cuts, many of which are humorous and all of them appropriate. So well did this style of advertising take with the trade, that the originators of it are forced to cojjyright every new design they bring out.

But the type founders have kept abreast of the demand for artistic type, and now manufacture styles that are beautiful and attractive, without offending good taste by their broad and black disfigurements. Light faced type, of modern styles, are more attractive than the old coarse, heavy type, and more likely to induce perusal because of its delicate symmetry than is the other kind that is so bold as to offend good taste. Another point in preparing an advertisement is not to crowd it. A few lines of attractive type are far better, when promi- nently set forth, than a full page of small crowded type, that attempts to tell a long story in a limited space. There are a few artistic advertisers in The Circular who know what will best attract and hold the attention of the reader. We wish there were more of them, for the demands of some of them for bold type destroy the artistic features of the paper, and tend to defeat one of the objects we have in view, viz., the production of a trade paper that shall leave nothing to be desired in its typographic appearance. If our advertisers would leave the matter of display type to the good taste of the printers, whose business and ambition it is to produce the best examples of his art, we venture to say that they would be better pleased in the end, while our paper would be much improved in appearance. Each one then would get a good display, and his announcement would appear quite as prominent as it now does, by the same rules of con- trast that now prevail. But some advertiseis will not be content unless they can see their own names staring at them from their adver- tisements, in big, bold type, large enough to satisfy the cravings for notoriety of even the most exacting of modern sensational actors. It is not so much their business that they are advertising as their own individuality; they desire to have it particularly understood that they are running a business, the character of which they are less anxious to make known than that the world should become familiar with their names. Judicious advertisers demand that their announce- ments of seasonable goods shall be given prominence, while the name is of secondary importance to the address at the bottom. e would like very much to improve the appearance of our advertising pages, and have expended large sums in the purchase of new and modern type for this purpose, but our efforts are negatived to a considerable extent by patrons who demand large, coarse type, or fill their spaces with heavy black cuts. We like illustrated advertisements, but it is (juite as easy to make a light faced cut as one that appears as a blotch upon the page. -\s an illustration of this, the Waterbury Watch Company has adopted the style of outline cuts to represent their watches, and they convey as definite an idea of what they are as would a more elaborate cut that would appear black and offensive to good taste. We have had prepared by a special artist a number of ornamental borders for pages and half-pages, with a view to inducing our patrons to improve upon the general character of their advertise- ments, by substituting artistically displayed announcements for the heavy t\q)e they now insist upon having. \\ e will take pleasure in showing these to any one who may feel an interest in the matter. The designs are in the modern decorative style of art, and will make exceedingly attractive advertisements if not overloaded with reading matter.

jphe Jewelepg’ CiPGulap ar^d RopologiGal Rqviqvi.

* Magnetism in Watches and its Control.

[A Paper read before the Chicago Electric Club by C. K. Giles.

■N CONSIDERING the effects of magnetism on the time-keeping qualities of the watch, we must first ascertain the parts affected and locate the points of attack, and then investigate, by experiments and otherwise, the modus operandt of the cause of this trouble, and its sources. The escapement, or vibrating, or moving parts, such as the balance wheel, balance spring, lever, scape wheel, roller table, etc., are the vital points attacked by magnetism. These are made of steel, and as they vibrate in a magnetic atmosphere, they are crossing lines of force and their free movements are inter- fered with, necessarily, according to the strength of these lines of force. The adjustment of the escapement of the watch which is made for a reliable timekeeper must be very fine and delicate to meet the requirements, consequently very susceptible to any and all influences; for instance, the balance wheel of an ordinary watch must vibrate five times per second, and 432,000 — or nearly one-half million — times per day, and these vibrations are primarily depend- ing on the balance wheel itself; secondly, the balance spring; thirdly, the roller and table in connection with the lever fork; fourthly, the lever and pallets in connection with the scape wheeh and so on through the train down to the motor force — the main-

closely. Operating on this principle, we must go to the very founda- tion or seat of magnetic force within the watch — as the effects of man- netism have a cause in the watch, as well as outside the watch — and magnify the molecular action and the lines of force or influence to such an extent that we can see and estimate the aggregate effect. This condition called magnetism exists everywhere — it is the primary law, the ultimate fact — it is “ inter-etheric and cosmic,” and exists throughout matter and space — it is the dual force of nature at rest, the normal condition of the molecules of all matter is one of dual polarity, generally called positive and negative. Magnetism, as it exists in matter, is only a condition, and the directive force of this condition in the molecules of matter, or atmosphere, or ether, is polarity, and this polarity creates, or is itself, the line of force; the intensity of this polarity is the strength of these lines of force, and

Fig. I.

Fig. 2.

spring. Any influence brought to bear upon the balance wheel, or escapement, to change its vibrations i-ioo part, makes a difference of about 15 minutes per day; 1-90,000 part makes a difference of about I second per day; as the average linear space traveled over by the circumference of the balance wheel of the average watch in its vibrations is ^ of an inch, then the measurement of the differ- ence in vibration which will cause the change of time of i second per day, would amount to 1-120,000 part of an inch; as 1-40,000 of an inch is about the highest power of the microscope, it will be seen that a very small change in each vibration makes a large differ- ence in time. The influences operating to produce this variation in time may be exceedingly small, therefore in searching for them we must magnify them, just as the microscope is used to discover the microbes or baccilli, or germs of human disease. As an instance which may be readily understood of how the defect in a watch can be magnified and made apparent, I will state that it has been found that the light, delicate hairspring of a watch affects the rate by its weight, therefore its weight must be taken into account in the adjustment. To discover the ratio of weight and error, they have made a hairspring ten times the usual weight required, and by test- ing this, have been enabled to arrive at the ratio of error very

the inter-ethenc nature of this force extends it through more solid matter as well as atmosphere. The molecule is the resting place of this dual electro-magnetic force;' every molecule of the atmosphere is divided into its own individual polarity, and arranges itself according to its neighbor; the mass of molecular atoms will arrange its polarity according to the existing conditions. The earth is the great primary magnet, and gives us the normal conditions of polarity existing in matter; any disturbance of this normal condition of polarity is where we get the phenomena of magnetic and electric effect. Scientists at present generally agree upon the molecular, or “ atomic theory,” and the latest estimate we have seen is that a cubic inch of atmosphere contains from 60,000,000 to 100,000,000 molecules; the same size mass of silver or brass is estimated to con- tain about one-half this number, and so on. This electric or mag- netic force exists in dual form, positive and negative, and must be exactly balanced ; any disturbance of this dual condition results in some form of phenomena. The permanent displacement or annihilation of this dual condition of electricity or magnetism would be equal to creating a vacuum in the atmosphere — neither one nor the other can be fully accomplished. All the moving elec- tric currents and magnetic conditions are looking for “ satisfaction ” — seeking their equilibrium, as water seeks its level; if the equilib-

♦Read before the Chicago Electric Club, December 5th, 1887.

^he JewelePS’ Gii?6ulai? and §©P0l©gi(ial Review.

rium is not found in the atmosphere, or matter above the earth, it is sure to be found in the earth; the earth is the great “clearing-house” of the disturbed equilibrium of this dual force. Our globe repre- sents the aggregate polarities of all the molecules composing it, and, as a mass, it must be in a condition of equilibrium, or state of satisfied polarity; the movement of electric currents and magnetic conditions about the earth are but the means of the disturbed dual polar force to keep up the equilibrium of the whole. Electricity is the primary cause of the condition called magnetism. A bar of steel whose molecules have been put in a condition of intense polarity by an electric current becomes a magnet, in a piece of tempered steel these molecules are so compact that they are not free to move, and cannot arrange themselves satisfactorily with the normal atmospheric polarity, therefore it may become what is called a permanent mag- net, and will create a magnetic condition, equal in intensity to its own, in the molecules of atmosphere or other matter which impinge on its surface. It would appear then that the strength of magnetism^ or of magnetic attraction, is the inertia of the molecule; when this is overcome, the polarities change, but not until then.

Electricity and heat are the most potent demagnetizers, or changers of polarities. Electricity acts as a demagnetizer simply by undoing the work it has done before, by reversing the polar condi- tion it has caused; heat acts by expanding, and thus reducing the compactness of the molecules, allows them to resume their normal condition of polarity. Our globe represents the aggregation of nature’s great dual forces in a state of equilibrium; it is the original magnet, and all the atmosphere, and metals, and matter on its sur- face, are polarized in harmony with it — in fact, to consider it more comprehensively and scientifically, our earth is but a cosmic mole- cule, moving in a cosmic medium through cosmic space, and all mat- ter we know of are but atoms going to make up this cosmic molecule> therefore are of the same polar conditions as the earth.

We show here [referring to drawing] a sketch of this molecule —

Fm. 3.

the earth; we know something of its physical laws and polar condi- tions, as taught by scientists, philosophers, astronomers and naviga- tors. Here we have our dual polarity, north and south, and theo- retical equator, where the two forces meet and ecpialize. As a mass, it is a complete molecule — its dual force is in ecpiilibrium — at rest. In a very distorted way we attempt to show the condition of the atmosphere which surrounds the earth — if we can imagine a mole-

Fig. 4.

cule of air magnified to the size of one of these little circles; all the molecules of air are polarized in accordance with the earth, that is, the dual polarities arrange themselves in equilibrium with mother earth, and the mass of atmospheric molecules surrounding the earth —as shown in the dotted circle representing the molecules of air or lines ot force. Fake any line of these molecules, extending (hori- zontally as regards the earth) from the pole to the equator, and they will have the same degree or condition of polarity, and any matter — a piece of iron, if you please — lying in the same horizontal plane will receive the same po- larity; but if it is held perpen- dicularly, so as to cross a meas- urable space or number of these atmospheric molecules, then the mass of the molecules in the iron will arrange themselves just the same as a single mole- cule of air; the lower half will be of the same polarity as this half of our globe molecule on which we stand, and the upper half will be of the opposite polarity; with a little exercise of the imagination this will make visible to you the cause of the phenomena of the changing polarity of a piece of iron as we change its position as regards the earth — the jarring of the iron simply assists in over- coming the inertia of its molecules, so that they more completely fall into the directive force. This also shows the lines of force in which all moving matter on the face of the earth is subjected — our watches included. This atmospheric line of force is utilized by Edison in train telegraphy, and again these invisible lines cause practical elec- tricians the serious trouble which they call induction. Every piece of metal moving in this atmosphere must induce an electric current * by crossing these lines of polarity, or lines of

"force. Every piece of iron or steel creates around itself a magnetic field or circle of force, induced by the magnetic conditions of its mole- cules. Every molecule of iron is but a small electro-magnet, and the aggregation of these is the bar magnet; this can be made more or less intense by manipulating it with more or less of electricity. This halo of force (as in fig. 10, which shows the full-length spike and section of same) will be made visible by floating a piece of steel — a watch balance wheel, for instance — on a glass of water; take a piece of iron, a railroad spike, if you please, and lay it across the glass just over the balance wheel, and you will see the balance wheel move out from under the spike until it reaches a segment of the circle of this polar influence around the spike. This force seems to be in proportion to the bulk of the metal measured perpendicularly as regards the earth; if the spike is held perpendicularly, and the end presented to the balance wheel, it will be seen that this halo of force reaches much farther, and the balance wheel will be vibrated when at a much greater distance; by holding it a little nearer the balance wneel can be vibrated quite rapidly, showing that the lines of force are quite tangible. It will not make any difference which end of the spike is presented, a;; the polar conditions in the molecules of the spike are caused by the earth’s force, and changed with every change of position as regards the earth. The same phenomena can be obtained with any piece of iron — an ordinary iron key, such as is usually carried in the pocket, will move the balance wheel floating on the water or cause it to vibrate when the end of the key is

5Fhe JewelePS’ GiPGulap arjd Bapalagical Review.

brought in close y)roxiniity to it. This experiment shows plainly that a watch may be affected by coming in the neighborhood of magnetic metals, such as will be found in any machine shop, or on a railroad, or by the metals carried in the pocket.

It is evident from the fore-

which the watch is comyiosed are subject to the universal magnetic and electric influ- ences, therefore, the magnetic condition within the watch must cared for quite as care- fully as the magnetic force outside of the watch, in fact, the conditions within the watch are the most important. The normal condition of all steel in the watch is one of polar- ity or magnetism. Sometimes this is quite intense, and some- times merely normal; but every vibration or movement of the watch is across lines of force, and the rate of the watch will depend upon the conditions of this force; ihtr&ioxe, magnetis?n is the governor of the rate of the watch — everything else be- ing equal. If the mechanism is perfect, then the rate of the watch will be just what this subtle magnetic force allows it to be. When a watch has more than the normal amount of mag- netism, it should be demagnetized.

In demagnetizing a watch, we resort to the same force which mag- netized it — that is, electricity. The pieces of steel, or parts to be demagnetized, are subjected to a rapid reversal of the electric cur- rent which changes the polarity, and at the same time we slowly remove the article from the influence caused by the electric current. In this process the magnetic condition is discharged and recharged at every reversal of the current, and by the slow removal of the article, we make each succeeding charge a little less than the pre- ceding, and so on until the last charge is a minimum one, and the steel is reduced to its normal condition; it cannot be entirely free; its molecules will still be in the state of polar intensity left by the last reversing charge. In this demagnetizing process, we arrive at what appears to be an interesting fact: The demagnetization is accomplished by displacing one part of this dual force, and replacing it with another, and this displaced force moves out and seeks its equil- ibrium in its surrounding polarities; the molecules of the atmosphere which go to form the lines of force must be formed of the same dual forces as the molecules of steel, and subject to the same law — the line of force is but an elongated atmospheric magnet, — therefore, as we change the polarity of the atmospheric molecule, the same as we do that of the steel, we displace one part of the dual force which makes this polarity and replace it with the stronger force which is causing the change. The displaced force must move on, and seeks its equilibrium by the nearest available conductor, a force is set in motion, an electric current created, and its source is in the molecule.

But this universal force which exists in the metals of the watch, this magnetic influence, is not an unmitigated evil, but on the con- trary is a decided advantage, when under proper control; like most of nature’s forces — utilized, they are of immense benefit, while their attempted annihilation is equally detrimental. This control and Utilization of the magnetic forces is accomplished by the use of the Anti-Magnetic Shield, which is found to protect the watch fully from all undue magnetic influence, and at the same time allowing

Fig. 10.

the use, in the construction of the movement, of brass and steel, with which alone, the highest horological accuracy has been attained when subjected to severe tests, and this protection is attained by utilizing the same natural law which causes the trouble, or use the same dual electro-magnetic force to jirotect the watch, and we secure it by surrounding the watch movements with a circle or shield (fig. 7) or highly magnetic metal, which will secure the lines of force existing in any charged atmosphere, and hold them in a com])lete circle, or closed magnetic circuit where all of the enclosed space will be neutral, or in a state of satisfied polarity.

Exactly how this process is accomplished is made visible, step by step, by drawings made from photographs of the experiments. This sketch (fig. 5) represents the bar magnet with a cardboard over it, and some soft iron filings scattered over the cardboard; by jarring the cardboard sufficiently to overcome the inertia of the weight of the iron filings, they w'ill fall into lines of force which exist in the surrounding atmosphere. 'I'hese are seen to be quite intense on the ends, but they find their equilibrium at the meeting point in the cen-

ter of the bar where there is a theoretical equator or neutral line. Now if this bar magnet is bent into horseshoe shape (fig. 6), and using the same cardboard and filings, w'e have what is seen in the next draw- ing; the equator or neutral line is extended from the center of the curve up betw'een the poles and through the lines of force at their meeting point, from A to B; a neutral condition is shown in the filings at A, w'here the dual forces of the two poles meet and neutral- ize one another. Then again, if w'e form this horseshoe magnet into a complete circle, this same force, which is shown to be intense at its poles, will be extended around the outer edge of the circle because they lack any satisfying condition of polarity, except what is found in the atmosphere, while the neutral condition, which is seen in the horseshoe magnet at A, and in the bar magnet at its equator, A to B, will be extended within the space enclosed in this circle, because the force from any point in the circle will be met by an equal force from another point — ^just as the dual forces in the horseshoe magnet meet and are neutralized at A.

The dual force wdthin this closed magnetic circuit is resting in a state of satisfied polarity. This is showm in fig. i, which represents a shield cup,^or box of highly magnetic metal, placed on one pole

jPhe Jewelepg’ Gipeulai? ai^d B©P©I©giGal Review.

of the horseshoe magnet, with its back in direct contact with the magnet; the iron filings adhere to the edges and on the outside sur- face with quite intense polarity, while the filings thrown in the box are perfectly free, as seen at A, and will fall out when the cup is reversed.

Fig. 2 represents the same cup with its edge, or one side, placed on one pole of the magnet, and held perpendicularly, and the iron filings applied as above. They cling with an equal degree of polarity all around the edge, but are free inside, as in fig. i, showing that the lines of force within this magic circle are not upset or dis- torted by applying the magnetic force to one side only.

This magic circle is again shown in another form, fig. 3, which represents the cup, or box of shield metal, placed between two horse- shoe magnets, with cardboard and iron filings over it; the direction of the iron dust showing the lines of force, or the condition of tlie

Fig. 6.

atmosphere surrounding the magnets (the dotted circles represent greatly magnified molecules of air or lines of force), and the neutral space within the shield cup. A little to one side, but within the lines of force, are placed a compass needle, a watch balance wheel, floating on a glass of water, and a watch movement. The compass needle and balance wheel fall directly into the lines of force and and remain stationary, but it will be seen that the balance wheel of the watch movement must be cutting these lines of force at every vibration, which must be a retarding power, equal in strength to these lines of force. If a magnet is passed through the field or lines of force on the opposite side, you will see the balance wheel and the compass needle move and vibrate in response, showing that the lines of force are changed, and it is evident that the watch movement vibrating in this force must be correspondingly affected; but our closed magnetic circuit or shield circle remains the same and is uninfluenced. A watch movement placed within this circle will vibrate in permanently constant conditions, regardless of what dis- turbing influences are brought to bear by the law of the magnetic circuit, the more force applied, the greater their resistance, and this holds good up to the point of the total annihilation of the magnetic circuit. This circle of equalized polarity is kept in an even magnetic condition either by the induction from the earth’s forces or it can be made stronger and more intense by reinforcing it with small pieces of steel, or magnets, on the outside. The watch case springs furnish

this reinforcement. This will give the watch escapement a medium to vibrate in where all the lines of force are exactly balanced and which will not be unbalanced by any ordinary outside magnetic con- dition. And further, the vibrations of the balance wheel are

controlled to a certain extent by the lines of inter-etheric polarity, which exist in this medium within the circle, and is the steadying power or governor to rate the watch against. The conditions thus created make the residual force which is in the watch a tangible, controllable influence, and make it even and constant.

This tangible force, residing in the molecules of steel composing the balance wheel, is made visible in fig. 4, representing a balance wheel within a shield cup, and the lines of force taken as developed with the cardboard and iron filings, as in the other experiments. This sketch shows an outline of a watch movement within the shield circle, and the lines of force, or magnetic field, which sur- rounds the steel parts of the watch, the mainspring, pinions, etc., and shows you the lines of force which the balance wheel cuts in its vibrations. This balance (fig. 8) shows an unequal magnetization of its arms and circumference. The effect of this condition of the bal- ance would be the same as running a watch with the balance out of

poise, and is of frequent occurrence. This defect was discovered accidentally in searching for the cause of variation in a watch, which otherwise should run perfectly. To overcome the unequal magnetic condition in the balance and at the same time diffuse the controlling force through as nearly a perfect circle as possible, we have made and used a multipole balance where we have eight poles instead of two, as in the old balance (fig. 9). This is accomplished by using steel screws, instead of gold, in pairs. These ]>airs, taken in

JFhe Jew0/ep^' Gipculan* ar^d BoPoIoffiGal Reuiei^.

connection with the compensating circle of steel in the balance, give us virtually eight small horseshoe magnets, which |)ractically distrib- ute the polar force in the complete circle of the balance, and when placed in the shield box gives us an almost perfect control of its movement as far as the magnetic force is concerned. In order to distribute the polar condition evenly, through the balance, we first magnetize and then demagnetize it ; this leaves the molecules of steel in an even “tonic ” state. Utilizing the affinity of steel in the balance for these lines of inter-etheric force, we have the effect which horologists have sought so long in vain to accomplish; thus we use the great “ arch enemy ” of timekeepers to help us. We seize the subtle force which has been the “mischief-maker,” and make it the means of perfection; in other words, we use magnetism to perfect the rate of the watch. The'saine force which has been the bane of horologists is the force which gives us the tangible, controlling jiower. The only stipulation made is, that the condition of magnetism in the watch shall not be more intense than that of the surrounding circle or shield (it is better that it be much less, or at its normal). If it be more intense, it would interfere with the control of the lines of force which we have established. The application of this controlling principle to practical horology must be of immense advantage. It gives us the key which will explain the mystery of the variations in the rate of timepieces which horologists have searched in vain to dis- cover. It will enable us to use in a “ magnetic atmosphere ” the very fine, delicate steel compensations and adjustments in watches, which have so nearly reached perfection, and which have been found to be the only compensation that will stand the test of time, and hold its shape in a wide range of temperature. Substitutes for this steel com- pensation balance which have been tested by both governments and individual expert horologists within the past ten years have met with but indifferent success, and have been abandoned and rejected. Any immunity from magnetism obtained by non-magnetic material is at the sacrifice of the permanent accuracy of the watch when subjected to the wide range of temperature of our climate. With the discovery of the means of control of this force, magnetism is made a servant, a friend, “ a very present help in trouble ; ” with it we can rate the watch with the regular compensation balance wheel much closer under magnetic conditions than we could one made of non-magnetic metal, even in the same temperature (leaving out the question of “ heat and cold compensation ”) ; because, first, in the steel of the balance, we have this tangible affinity for the lines of inter-etheric force existing in the medium inclosed in this circle of magnetic metal; secondly, having created conditions of force which we can control definitely and intelligently, it gives us a steady force, or resistance, to run the watch against, and which acts as the governor of the vibrating balance, or keeps the vibrations of the escapement in a medium of equal, constant conditions.

A watch deprived of this magnetic life — made of non-magnetic material— is an emasculated timekeeper.

Regal Difficulties.

KARLES I., in the very first year of his reign, went over the contents of the Jewel house to see what would be available to pledge for money, consigning them to the charge of his favorite, Buckingham, about to proceed as ambassador to the Hague, for that])ur- pose. In vain did Sir Henry Mildmay, the waiter of the Jewel house, suggest the advisability of the ring taking the advice of his council on the matter, and with their concurrence, using a warrant under the Great Seal, authorizing the pledging of the royal treasure, on the ground that there were too many, both in the court and in the king- dom, who looked upon the duke’s proceedings “with more than a curious eye;” in vain did Lord Brooke, who had some of the crown jewels in his possession, throw difficulties in the way, and complain

of having to deliver up such valuables without a proper warrant. 'The king was determined on having his own way, and, before long, Mildmay wrote he had sent all the jewels and gold plate in his care, and if the king wanted anything more he must be contented with silver jilate, as there was nothing else left in the Jewel house.

On the arrival of Buc kingham at the Hague, he commissioned a Mr. Sackville Crow and one Philipp Calandare to raise three hun- dred thousand pounds upon two parcels of jewels and one parcel of gold plate set with stones. The Hollanders, however, recjuired a guarantee from some merchants of standing that the jewels would be redeemed within three years. After four months of negotiation difficulties were renewed, and rumors of quarrels between Charles and the Commons caused the Dutch usurers to express great doubt on the King’s power to pawn his jewels without the consent of his parliament, and Crow finally returned to England with the greater ])art of his precious charge. Crow’s fellow agent seems to have been more successful, having managed to raise fifty-eight thousand pounds u])un certain jewels. In 1628, a warrant was issued for the payment of three thousand pounds for interest on the above named sum, but twelve months later, Calandare writes to Secretary Dorchester that his brother had written him from Holland “that those who have the ])earls in hand, and also the Widow Thibaut, who has his majesty’s jewels of the ‘Three Brethren,’ will not wait any longer, but proceed to execution before March, and begs the secretary to prevent the damage and dishonor which will be caused by delay in redeeming the pledges.” Upon this Charles took the affair in hand himself, and sent out instructions to sell four thousand tons of iron ordinance to the States General for one hundred and twenty thousand pounds. With this sum the plate and jewels jdedged in Holland, and “the collar and rich holasses” pawned to the King of Denmark were to be redeemed. But the jewels did not find their way to the Jewel house, and through the rogueries of parties concerned, much spoliation occurred.

In 1629 Charles took away from the secret Jewel house a fine, large agate, engraved with the portraits of Henry VIII. and Edward VI., and at the same time ordered the sale of sundry articles of more or less value. Among these discarded ornaments were twelve pieces of goldsmith’s work, like friars krots, wrth ninety-one pendant pearls, being part of a collar of gold, two great half round pearls taken from the “Mirror of Britain;” four gold collars, including that of the Order of St. Michael, composed of twenty-four knots of gold, and twenty-four scallop shells, with the saint hanging to it by a couple of little chains, also a gold loraine or double cross, set w'ith diamonds and rubies, an old jewel in the shape of the letter M; a circlet of gold “now made for our dear mother. Queen Anne, having in the midst eight fair diamonds, eight fair rubies, eight emeralds, and eight sapphires, and garnished with thirty-two small diamonds, thirty-six small rubies, and sixty-four pearls, and on each border thirty two diamonds and rubies; and a girdle of rubies in the form of red and white crosses.” A year after this sale Charles accepted ^1,108 from James Maywide, and in consideration of that sum, authorizing him to retain as his own property two large diamonds upon which he had previously advanced 1,346.

While all this pawning and selling were going on Charles patron- ized the jewelers as liberally as though the royal exchequer was over- flowing with riches. In the very year that his agents were bringing England into contempt abroad, by carrying her crown jewels from money-lender to money-lender, the King added to the royal collec- tion a diamond costing eight thousand pounds, a gold ring of four hundred pounds, a fair jewel set with diamonds, worth nine thousand five hundred pounds, and a mirror set with diamonds, priced at two thousand five hundred pounds. He purchased three thousand pounds’ worth of jewelry for the Queen, from Mercadet, and when the jeweler presented the order for the money, he was told that the exchequer had not the wherewithal to satisfy the demand, and was compelled to give it some months’ credit. John Vaulier, who sup- plied the King about the same time with about two thousand pounds’

The Jewelers’ Gipcular? and f^onelegiGal Reuiei=/.

worth, is found, after eighteen years of constant dunning, still with- out his money, while Sir Thomas Roe, after waiting patiently for three years and a half, complained bitterly, that he saw no prospect of obtaining two thousand five hundred pounds for some jewels he had procured at the express desire of the Queen, and for which he had actually paid three thousand pounds.

The Record of Last Year.

ITH THE opening of the new year, reports are made public regarding the business enterprises of last year and the conditions that prevailed during the year. Taken in the aggregate, these reports show that the country was prosperous to a degree seldom equalled. There was a notable absence of wild speculation, but legitimate busi- ness has unusually prospered. Throughout the entire country general business was kept up to the maximum limit, while in certain sections and in certain lines the activity was phenomenal. Competi- tion was generally active, and rendered excellent service to both producers and consumers. The conservatism that was maintained in all lines tended to give the best results, and the same spirit of caution will doubtless characterize the conduct of business during the present year. The dangers of overproduction are being care- fully/guarded against by individual caution and by combinations between manufacturers of many products, and there seems to be a general determination not to permit the supply to outrun the demand and thus produce a glut in the market. Banking and money-loaning institutions have exercised a most salutory influence upon trade by their conservatism, holding plenty of money to loan to legitimate business enterprises, but refusing to be parties to wild speculations that have proven so disastrous in the past. It is largely to the caution and prudence manifested by the managers of these institu- tions that the country is indebted for the continuance of the prosperous season that set in three years ago. Usually after one or two years of good business the financial institutions have given encouragement to the speculators, and the result has been a financial panic, disastrous to all kinds of business. During the past year there has been an abundance of money obtainable on easy terms for indus- trial enterprise.s, but the speculators failed to control finances in a manner to cause any serious disturbances. Among the numerous signs of prosperity that marked the year just passed, it is officially stated that upwards of 12,000 miles of new railroad track were laid^ some of the western roads reaching out into entirely new country and thus opening it up to civilization and cultivation. The amount of building that was entered upon in 1887 has seldom, if ever, been equalled in one year. This included the erection of many elegant and costly business structures in the cities, handsome residences in the suburban places, and the upbuilding of several new villages almost entire. In the West, especially, there was an amount of new construction that would astonish any one who was not an eyewitness to its progress. Those old fogies of the Atlantic seaboard, who sit down in their offices and only know of what is going on from what they read in the newspapers, have little idea of the magnificent devel- opment of the resources of the country and its growth that have been going on during the past few years. Unless one has traveled through the West and South, he can have little knowledge of the new busi- ness centers that have sprung up and the great amount of wealth controlled in them. Every business man ought to take a journey across the continent at least once in five years, in order to keep informed as to the conditions of the country, that he may be able to direct his own business with judgment and intelligence. There is some apprehension that Congress at its present session will indulge in some tariff tinkering, but sagacious politicians predict that little will be accompli.shed in this direction, as it would not be “good politics ’’for either party to take pronounced action in the matter

until after the people have had an opportunity to express their views at the polls. Therefore these sages predict that Congress will indulge in some tariff pyrotechnics, but end by precipitating into the presi- dential campaign the issue of protection versus free trade. The business element can better stand a campaign of stump oratory than one week of congressional tariff tinkering.

As closed the old year, so begins the new, with the conditions all favorable, and promising a good and profitable year’s business. The holiday trade with the jewelry industry was remarkably active, the sales .phenomenal and the profits satisfactory. With the exercise of prudence and care, avoiding a rush to extremes, the trade will undoubtedly be as satisfactory this year as it was last. The outlook is promising, but it is the part of wisdom for ever one to be on the lookout for the “ unforeseen,” which not unfrequently interposes to upset the predictions and calculations of the wisest.

Workingmen and the Knights of Labor.

URING the last week of the old year, the Knights of Labor attempted to obtain control of the Reading system of railroads and coal min- ing industries. This has been one of the strongholds of this organization, and the leaders, find- ing the process of disintegration steadily weakening the order in other sections of the country, seem to have resolved to make a last desperate effort to show their strength and thus revive interest in the organization. The fact that the Reading road was delivering coal to certain contractors who employed non-union men to handle it, was made the pretext for the Knights to order a strike of all employees of the road and of the coal miners in its employ. Had all obeyed the order to strike, upwards of 60,000 men would have been thrown out of employment in the dead of winter, without any adequate provision to prevent them from freezing or starving. Fortunately, a large number of them absolutely refused to obey the order, and this so affected the others that they resumed their places after two or three days’ idleness. But a convention of Knights was called, and it was resolved to again order a strike, but only a small portion of the men responded to it, and the railroad was but little embarrassed. The difficulty lasted several days, the leaders of the Knights vainly striving to force a strike of all the employees of the railroad company, while the officers of the company absolutely refused to make any concessions whatever to the demands of the leaders.

In the end, the strike, which was abortive from the first, was aban- doned, and the men resumed work on the old terms. A§ a result, a number of those who had taken an active part against the company lost their situations, new men having taken their places, and the rail- road officials refusing to discharge them. President Corbin, of the Reading road, is entitled to the thanks of the entire community for the manly stand he took and maintained against the Knights, refusing to recognize them as such, and notifying his employees that those of them who had been dragooned into joining the order would be protected if they saw fit to withdraw from it and resume their manhood. Following the strike of the railroad men, came a strike of the coal miners in the Reading coal mines. Several thousand men quit work in violation of a positive agreement entered into by them several months ago. At the time of this writing, this last strike had not been adjusted.

During the past yeai the organization of the Knights of Labor has

The JewelepS’ dipculap ar^d Ropologieal Review.

dwindled down to less than one-half the membership it formerly had, many assemblies uniting to surrender their charters, while the indi- vidual withdrawals were going on constantly. It may be said that the order has lost all its terrors and is now practically powerless. Its leaders, who are deriving good salaries from their positions, have made desperate efforts to keep it alive, but the course of events points to its early disappearance even as a name for schemers to con- jure with. -In every strike of magnitude directed by the Knights, they have been defeated most disastrously. Their bold attempts to destroy the rights of individuals has been the chief cause of hostility to the order, for neither employers nor workmen could consent to sur- - render their liberties as demanded by the leaders. The senseless and destructive policy pursued by the Knights of Labor is the logical out- come of the mistaken idea that wages can be permanently increased or the condition of workingmen improved by strikes. A more perverted notion never prevailed on any subject. To presume that the laborer can obtain more wealth by producing less is the very essence of absurdity. Yet this erroneous idea has pervaded the trades union movement from its earliest inception. With this heresy has grown another which is incorporated in the socialistic doctrine taught by Henry George, viz., that the laborer is the only producer and hence is the rightful owner of all wealth, and that, consequently, all profit, rent, interest, etc., is robbery, w'hilethe laborer, who is entitled to all, only receives w’hat is left after all these alleged “stealings ” have been taken out. Upon this basis it is confidently declared and very exten- sively believed that our present industrial institutions are simply a system of plunder, in wdiich the laborer is the victim of all who are socially above him. According to this idea, the only hope for the improvement of the wo kingmenisthe overthrow^ of the wages system, by converting the land and all the means of production into public property. The adherents of this doctrine are less anxious toincrea.se w'ages than they are to disgust the workingmen with existing institu- tions, and thus promote what they call the “coming revolution ” In the same wa\' that the mad, w’asteful, destructive policy of strikes is the logical result of the fallacy that w^ages are merely a matter of division, andean be increased by stopping production, is the growing disregard • for the rights of property, vested interests and social institutions, which found expression in the riots at Haymarket Square in Chicago.

So long as the great mass of laborers believe that their wages are governed by their numbers rather than by their qualifications as workmen, will they continue to rely upon strikes as a means of increasing their incomes, and ascribe their defeat to a lack of efficient leadership rather than false doctrines. .And so long as the w^orking- men believe that they are systematically robbed by their employers, that profits, interests and rents are obtained only at the expense of wages, will they continue to regard the capitalists as their economic enemy instead of their natural ally. When w'orkingmen comprehend the natural relations that exist between capital and labor, and fully realize how necessary the one is to the other, strikes will be unknown, and the walking delegates will no longer wax fat at the expense of honest labor. What the workmen most need is, not scolding, but teaching; the persistent dissemination among them of sound economic ideas is the surest way to destroy socialistic influences and the occu- pation of the professional labor agitators, and to restore to every man, however humble, his right to individual action in the fullest sense. If the masses can be taught, as the press of the country can teach, by constant proof and illustration, which the events of our daily life afford, that profits are not taken from labor; that capital does not rob but always helps labor; that the two are of necessity interdependent; that the laborer always receives the smallest reward when he works without capital, and that his opportunities for increas- ing his income increase in proportion as the employment of capital is enlarged, the plausible but fallacious basis of the socialistic idea would be exploded, and harmonious industrial relations between employers and employed become possible.

*A Complete History of Watch and Clock Making in America.

[By CuAS. S. Crossman.]

Continued f rom page J4.

N umber Twenty.

THK KITCHIJURG W.ATCH CO. THK COI.UMBUS WATCH CO.

FITCHBURG Watch Co. never really existed, although all the neces- sary preparations had been made in the expectation of forming a watch company at Fitchburg, Mass. Mr. Sylvanus Sawyer, one of the stock- holders of the defunct United States Watch Co., of Alarion, New Jersey, and a manufacturer of engines and machinery at Fitchburg, Mass., con- ceived the idea of starting a watch factory in his own town, first by commencing the manufacture of tools and machinery on his own responsi- bility, and when ready to commence the manufacture of watches, to form a stock company. With this end in view, he engaged Mr. FI. J. Lowe as superintendent in 1875, who had for several years been superintendent at the U. S. factory at Alarion. He leased a building in which to com- mence operations, and bought such machinery as was necessary to manufacture watch machinery. He also secured the services of the following named foremen and workmen, formerly with the LF S. Compan)', to take charge of the various branches of the work; Mr. Gilbert Crowell, Mr. Chas. Whitehouse, Mr. Wm. Guests, Mr. A. R. Bardeen, Mr. C. Vanderhoff, Mr. Chas. Dodge, Air. Thos. Parker. They, of course, went to Fitchburg to assist in building the machinery, expecting to take charge of the various departments as soon as they should begin the manufacture of watches.

At the expiration of one and a half years Air. Lowe’s health failed him and Air. Crowell took the position of superintendent, letaining it during the remaining one and a half years that work was carried on. It may be said with reference to Air. Crowell that he was virtually the mechanical superintendent from the start, as Air. Lowe devoted much of his time to the business management, and was obliged to be absent part of the time on account of poor health.

At the expiration of three years enough machinery had been com- pleted to manufacture 20 watches per day. No watch company had as yet been formed, as there did not seem to be any parties with available capital who wished to invest it in watch manufacturing. Air. Sawyer had expended $45,000 in the building of machinery, and felt that he could not go on any further with the enterprise on his own responsibility. Work was therefore discontinued, and the employees scattered to other factories. The machinery remained in Fitchburg.

A.t the expiration of two years Air. Crowell returned to Fitchburg, and, in conjunction with Air. Sawyer, started the Sawyer atch Tool Co. They disposed of a large portion of the machinery already made

* Copyright by Chas. S. Crossman, 1885.

^he JewelePS’ CiPGulap ai^d I^0r?©logiGal Review.

taken out and carefully examined, as also were the small hollows on the adjacent hillside. This diamond must therefore have been transported in decomposing soil from distant higher ground in the vicinity during a heavy freshet, or may have been dropped from some concentrations brought there from some gold mine, by a miner who lost it from his pan. Its value as a gem, not counting any value its American origin may attach to it, would be from about one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars. A number of small stones, exhibited as diamonds, have been found at Brackettstown, near by. They are identical with the supposed fine diamonds found by Capt. J. C. Mills at his mine at Brindletown ; that is, transparent zircon or smoky-colored quartz, the former of which has a luster that is readily mistaken for the diamond’s by an inexperienced per- son. A number of pieces of bort (rough diamond) exhibited as from the same section, I am informed on good authority, are of South African, and not North Carolina, origin. It is to be hoped that the few legitimate finds which have actually occurred at this locality will not lead to any deceptions, which would greatly retard any natural development.

I he 3^-ounce stone, said to be a diamond, which was found by ]. S. Keyser in digging for coal near Ponca, Nebraska, proved not to be such, although the excitement it caused was certainly genuine.

Diamond cutting, though now carried on here much more exten- sivelv than ever before, has not always proved a profitable industry. The price for rough diamonds in the London market is so close, and thev are disposed of sc soon after their arrival, that unless purchases are made with the greatest possible judgment, the competiticn of the foreign cutters, who are convenient to the market, cannot be success- fully met. For this reason the trade has in many cases been given up here, yet the standard of merit has been so raised that to-day the finest cutting is done in the United States. A large part of the work done here consists in improving and recutting old stones that have been cut in Europe for weight only, or in more modern work that can be improved upon, and these branches are generally profit- able. But even with a to per cent, duty on cut gems as a protection, it is not likely that we shall soon rival the great foreign cutting cen- ters. Sards, bloodstones, and other cheap agates are often cut to a uniform size for mounting, because it is cheaper to fit the stone to the mounting than the mounting to the stone, and such stones as are from time to time found here are generally cut in this country.

At the time of the publication of the last report the writer had not heard of the occurrence of the shale in the Elliott County peridotite, hence the statement then made in regard to it ; but important investigations have since been made in that locality. In his remarks on the “ Genesis of the Diamond” (Science, Vol. VIII., p. 345), Prof. Carvill Lewis alluded to the peridotite of Elliott County, Ken- tucky, and suggested that it is well worth while to examine carefully all localities whose geological composition and history are analogous to those of the South African diamond fields. Mr. J. S. Diller, in the American Journal of Science, August, 1886, refers to Prof. A. R. Crandall’s having discovered two dikes of eruptive rock in eastern Kentucky, about seven miles southwest of Willard. Mr. Diller states that he found by microscopic examination that this rock belongs to the peridotites, and occurred in conjunction with a carbonaceous shale ; although the exact contact of the two rocks was not exposed, hardened shale was found near the peridotite under such circum- stances that the induration is certainly attributable to the influence of the eruptive mass. But this, he thinks, is not the strongest evi- dence that the peridotite is eruptive, for the peridotite itself includes many fragments of shale which were picked up on its way to the surface. The contact metamorphism has resulted generally in the development of a micaceous mineral, and the production from the shale of a rock such as has been designated spilosite. .\nd in some notes on the trap dikes of Elliott County by A. R. Crandall and J. S. Diller, published in the report on the geology of Elliott County by the Kentucky Geological Survey, Frankfort, Kentucky, 1887 — also in Science, October 29, 1886 — it is stated that although there were

few exposures and the excavations made were inconsiderable, never- theless he reached the conclusion that the shales had been distinctly metamorphosed by the peridotite, a fact which was most patent in the enveloped fragments of shale, which in one locality were quite numerous. He says that both forms of peridotite described by Prof. Lewis occur in Kentucky, but the brecciated form has not yet been found to contain diamonds. In the advanced stages of metamor- phosis little spheroidal bodies were found, pale yellowish to colorless, translucent to transparent, and remarkably uniform in size. These generally appeared in a form very suggestive of the diamond, resembling a hexoctahedron with curved faces. Notwithstanding that some of their properties favored the view that they were dia- monds more or less perfectly crystallized, their solubility in concen- trated hydrochloric acid rendered such a view untenable, and even if they were diamonds their value would be comparatively insignifi- cant because of their small size. In concluding, he says ; “ The dark shale, which is frequently enveloped by the peridotite, is some- what carbonaceous, but contains a small proportion of carbon as compared with that of the South African diamond field. H. Car- vill Lewis (Science VIII., p. 346) remarks concerning the South African mines, that “ recent excavations have shown that large quan- tities of this shale surround the mines, and that they are so highly carbonaceous as to be combustible, smouldering for long periods when accidentally fired.” In the chemical laboratory of the United States Geological Survey, Mr. J. Edward Whitfield determined 37,521 per cent, of carbon in the shale from near the Kimberley mine, while the blackest shale adjoining the peridotite, near Charles Isom’s, in Kentucky, he found to contain only 0.681 per cent, of carbon. For this reason it appears to me rather improbable that diamonds will be discovered at the locality in question.” Never,.he- less, upon the invitation of Prof. J. R. Proctor, State Geologist of Kentucky, Mr. J. S. Diller and the writer were sent by the United States Geological Survey to examine the locality, viz.: Isom’s Creek, Elliott Count”, Kentucky. The plan was to search by sifting and carefully panning the stream beds receiving the drainage directly from the surface of the peridotite.

The peridotite alters and disintegrates readily ; but, from the fact that the declivity of the surface is considerable, the transportation of material almost keeps pace with disintegration, and there is no great accumulation of residuary deposits upon the narrow divides and hill- sides The specific gravity and durability of the gems found in con- nection with peridotite are generally greater than those of serpentine and other products of its alteration. On this account the gems accumulate upon the surface and in favorable positions along adjacent lines of drainage. We enlisted the service of the people in the neighborhood to scrutinize the steep slopes, where gems weath- ered out of the peridotite might be- exposed. Particular attention was directed also to the examination of the solid rock and residuary deposits, which so closely resemble the material of the South Africr n mines.

During a careful search over a small area for nearly two days, no diamonds were found; but this by no means demonstrates that dia- monds may not yet be discovered.

The best time to search for gems in that locality is immediately after a heavy rain, when they are most likely to be well exposed uj.o:i the surface. It is proposed by those most interested to keep up the search economically, by furnishing to responsible individuals in the vicinity a number of rough diamonds mounted in rings, for com- parison, that they may know what to look for under the most favorable circumstances.

Besides pyrope garnets, a few of which are good enough for cutting, several fairly good specimens of a green pyroxene were found. They resemble the same transparent mineral from Arizona. The South African specimens of this mineral are a little more opaque, but of a richer green color.

[The author devotes considerable space to the consideration of the artificial rubies that were put on the market in Europe sometime

jphe JeivelePS* 01pguIqp arjd Ropoksgiesl Review.

since, and were fully exposed in The Circular of November, 1886. It will be remembered that after their character had been determined, the French syndicate decreed that all such stones should be sold as artificial and not as genuine. The tables which follow close this very interesting article. — Ed.]

Estimated production of precious stones in the United States jrom 1883 to 1886.

Species.

Diamond

Sapphire gems

Chrysoberyl

Topaz

Beryl

Emerald

Hiddenite .

Tourmaline

Smoky quartz

Quartz

Silicified wood

Garnet

Anthracite

Pyrite

Amazonstone

Catlinite (pipestone).,

Arrow points

Trilobites

Sagenitic rutile

Hornblende in quartz,

Peridot

Thompsonite

Diopside

Agate

Chlorastrolite

Turquoise

Moss Agate

Amethyst

Jasper

Snnstone

Fossil coral

RutUe

Total.. Gold quartz .

1883.

•a'O >1 b a azz o

2 ® 50 3

s I «

W.Q ( m u O I

a a -I

*- a 'S 2 “ <=■» i o

^ o s oj: c3 n o & X >

8200

100

1,000

200

500

100

2.500 10 000

5.000

1.000

1.500

3.500

10,000

1,000 500 500 500 50 250 200 1 000 500

1.500 1,000 2,100 2,000

250

500

47,350

40,000

3 ai a 9 ■a M

1884.

5 0= °

I r a D 2 ® =1

, g u s) .

^ is

° ® s S

sow Cs'x

$2,000

300

'sio'

$250

200

300

= S

a a

•O M

= S o c

a "e

o a a u

o aj

$800

1,500

300

400

7.500

1.500

5,000

2..500

600

250

1,500

2,000

10,000

1,000

600

100

2.50

500

100

500

1.000 f

600 I

2.000 ; 250 : 500 200 , 250

2.0<X)

2,500

10.000

1,000

500

250

500

10.000

1.500 500

3.000

2.500

1.000

250

500

100

500

4.000 500

1,500

1.000 2,000 2,000

250

500

1,000

500

2,000

250

500

200

250

26,700

75,000

54,325

40,000

28,0.50

100,000

188.5.

T3-3 >.t!

a c= =

3 3 35

3 w 53 3

c a o 33 .

*•-•.5 « i 4) X o C 0) 41 3

c c- .

£ ® C

islll

"a S C S.'S >

$1,000

250

5C0

2,000

10.000

5,000

200

1,500 2 500 10,000

250

100

1,000

1,500

500

2,000

250

38,5.50

40,000

$500

250

500

100

5.000 l,50:i 1..500 2,500 2,50.)

500

250

' 2,^’

1.000 250 .300

£0

500

' I'OOO

2,000

100

24.900

100,000

$500

1.000

5.550

3,200

4.. ' 00

6.250

7.000 11,500

1.500

3.250

2.500

2.000

2.250

10.000

2.. 500 1,000 1,760

200

400

2,000

1,000

3.000

2.000 2,100

1,000

750

78,750

IMPORTS.

Liiamonds and other precious stones imported and entered for consumption in the United States, 1867 to 1886 inclusive.

Fiscal years end- ing J une 30 —	Glazier’s.	Dust.	Rough or uncut.	Diamonds and other stones not set.
1867	$906 484			$1,317,420 1,01)0.544
1868
1869		$140 71		1,997,282 1,768,324 2,349,482 2.9.39,155 2,917,216 2,158,172 3,234,319 2,409.516 2,110,215 2,970,469 3.841.. 3;i5 6,630,912 8.. 320.315 8,377,200 7,598,176 8,712,315
1870	9,372 976
1671	17
1872	2,386	89,707 40,424 68,621 32.. 518 20,678 45,264 36,409 18,889 49.. 360
1873	$176,426 144,629 211,920 186,404 78,033 63,270 104,158 129,207
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880 .
1881		51,409 92,853 82,628 37,121	2.33,596 449,313 443,996 367,816
1882
1883
1884	22,208
1885	11,526	30,426	371,679	5,628,916
1886	8,949	.32,316	•302.822	7.915,660

Set in gold or other metal.

$291

1,465

1,604

256

2,400

326

114

45 1,734 1,025 538 765 1,307 3,205 (*) 2,081

Total.

$1,318,617

1,062,493

1,997,890

1,779,271

2.2)0,731

3,033,648

3,134,392

2,371,536

3,478,757

2,616,643

2,235,246

3,071.173

.3,964,i.20

6.870.244

8.606,627

8,922.571

8,126,881

9,139,460

6,042,547

8.259,747

* Not specified since 1883.

Gold Production.

The San Francisco Jourtial of Commerce, in reviewing the mining progress for the first six months of the year, regards the future in a hopeful way. By applying new processes to reduce stubborn ores, the last grain of gold can be extracted. By using these, there- fore, the quantity of the gold product will be increased. In Cali- fornia, the Big Bend Tunnel, on the Feather river, will lay bare twelve and a half miles of the river bed, and it is expected to dis-

close a bonanza of unparalleled richness. The Feather has for ages been carrying down the debris of the mountains, a great part of which is imbedded in what formerly was its channel, and in this the accu- mulations of the ages, it is expected, will be found. The banks of the river are also said to be rich in gold. Drift mining is flourishing, while quartz mining is assuming an importance hitherto unknown. The way in which the Cherokee mine is being worked in Butte county suggests a method by which other mines of the same class may be worked. The tailings are impounded by a system of levees some thirty miles in length. Many tunnels are being driven to develop the different leads. In Shasta placer mining is carried on to a considerable extent, and there is no end of rich paying dirt still to be had. New discoveries are being steadily made, and sales of some locations have been made at good prices. The mines of the Pacific coast, especially those of gold and silver, will long be one of the principal sources of its wealth. This is calculated by those who know, that we have enough gold and ore hills from the south end of the San Joaquin Valley to Oregon to yield twenty millions a year for two hundred years to come. The past year there has been a gold and silver yield of about eighty-five millions of dollars ; this is two millions more than in 1885, and the largest ever reported. It shows that the Pacific coast is still the home of the precious metals, a little over one-third of the minerals gold, the balance silver.

Gilding and Gold-Plating.

Continued from page j6o.

/^®^AVING in previous mimbers of The Jewelers’ Circular described the baths and processes of electro-metallurgy, by A. Ros- eleur, we close the series with special technical directions neces- sary for the successful pro.secution of the art, which could not be so conveniently described at the time. General Workshop Arrange- ments.

The size of the workshop, its internal arrangements and dispo- sition,. as a matter of course depends so much upon local cir- cumstances that no definite rules can be given, beyond stating that it is necessary to provide a deposit- ing-room, vats for solutions, scour- ing and cleaning apparatus, batteries, a magneto-electric machine, or other source of electric power ; the various chemicals necessary for making and reviving depositing liquids ; acids for cleaning and strip- ping ; materials for making moulds and preparing their surface, &:c. Order must, naturally, be the fundamental and ruling principal of every shop.

The establishment should consist of several rooms and an open yard, says G, Gore, LL. D., F. R. S., in his work on the Art of Elec- tro-Metallurgy, i.e., a, room for depositing copper, another for silver, and a smaller and more private one leading out of it, for gilding. The rooms should be upon the ground floor, on account of the weight of the vats containing the solutions, and should be provided with a cemented floor, and a drain running into a small cemented 5vell, to recover valuable liquids which may be accidentally spilled. They should be well lighted and ventilated, because of the obnoxious vapors sometimes evolved, and should contain conveniences for the placing of the vats, washing-troughs, and scratch-brush lathes, and be provided with a plentiful supply of water. An outhouse for contain-

The Jewelepg’ Gipeulap and F20P©l©gieal Review.

ing a large iron boiler ; also a covered shed in a yard (for the process of dipping) will be necessary. The yard is required for precipitating solutions, from which the poisonous vapor of prussic acid is evolved. Instead of an outhouse a separate, but adjoining, room may be used, in which to erect the iron boiler for containing caustic potash solu tion, for cleaning greasy and other articles. If voltaic batteries are much employed they are best placed outside of the plating-.room, because the vapor arising from them is unhealthy, and also tarnishes the articles. If a magneto-electric machine is used, it is also best to have it, and the engine which drives it, at a distance from the clean- ing fluids, or in an adjoining day apartment.

Accessible from each of the rooms should be erected a low fur- nace, having a long horizontal flue covered with plates of iron, upon which are placed several large trays filled with hot sawdust, in which the wet articles are to be dried. Each depositing-room should be supplied with a water-tap and several large wooden tubs or troughs filled with water, for washing the articles. The “ pickling ” and “ stripping” liquids are best kept in large stoneware jars, under the open roof in the yard. In the gilding-room will be placed iron ves- sels for containing the gilding liquids ; these vessels are usually of enameled iron, either wrought or cast, and should be supported on iron frames, Avith large Bunsen burners beneath, for the purpose of heating the licpiids ; flues should also be provided to convey the products of combustion from the burners into the open air. Acces- sible also to each of these rooms should be placed several scratch- brush lathes, for scouring and brightening the articles. Round the walls of the coppering and silvering rooms should be fixed well insulated stout copper wires to convey the electric currents from the batteries or magnetic machines to the vats. For the gilding-room these will not be required, because gilding is usually effected by means of a small voltaic battery, or thermo-electric pile, placed close at hand.

VATS FOR SOLUTION.

The vats for containing silver solutions are of various dimensions and proportions, but usually they are about six feet long, three feet wide and nearly three feet deep, and they often contain 200 or 300 gallons of the liquid. They are made of different materials ; some are composed of wood only, others of two thicknesses of wood Avith lead betAveen, but the use of Avooden vats is nearly discontinued, because they absorb a large quantity of the solution, become satur- ated Avith it, and it soaks through the outside. A lining of gutta percha cannot be employed, because cyanide of potassium acts upon the joints of that substance. They are noAv made of Avrought iron, sometimes Avith a thin layer of avooI as a lining upon the sides to pre- vent the anodes touching them, or they are lined entirely Avith cement, but the cement yields up a little impurity (probably oxide of iron) to the liquid.

Each vat has a AA'ooden rim securely fixed to its upper edge all round it ; upon this rim is fixed a rectangle of brass tubing an inch in diameter, to Avhich is soldered a large binding-screAv, for connec- tion with the positi\'e pole of the battery. Within this rectangle of tubing is also similarly fixed, but not insulated from the first one, a smaller rectangle of brass tubing, about half an inch in diameter with a screAv for connection Avith the negatiAX pole. Cross tubes of brass, about half an inch in diameter, and as long as the vat is Avide, are laid in clean metallic contact upon the larger rectangle, and there cross tubes support, and are metallically connected Avith the large and flat sheet silver anodes, by means of frames of iron, Avhich extend downAvard into the liquid. Similar, but shorter, brass tubes are laid across the vat, Avith their ends upon the inner rectangle, and these support, by means of Avires the articles to be coated. All the points of contact of the cross tubes Avith the rectangle, the supporting frames and Avires Avith the cross tubes and the other connections, are frequently examined and kept scrupulously clean by means of rub- bing Avith emery cloth.

The Avires for supporting the articles are usually formed of copper

about the thickness of bell-Avire, and are protected (excepting their ends and those parts Avhich are not immersed in the liquid) from receiving a useless deposit of silver, by inclosing them in short tubes of glass, gutta percha, or pure India rubber, and are bent at their loAA-er ends, into a sort of a loop, Avhen required to support forks or spoons, so that those articles may be readily slipped into the loops and supported.

In A'ats AA'here the articles are kept in continual motion the cross rods supporting them are fixed to an iron frame Avith four small Avheels (about three inches in diameter), which move backAA’ard and forAvard, to an extent of three or four inches, upon inclined rails fixed upon the edges of the A'at, and impart to the articles a com- bined vertical and horizontal SAvinging motion, or they are suspended from a SAvinging frame.

CLEANING ARTICLES FOR RECEIVING A DEPOSIT.

All articles Avhich are to receive a deposit require to be made scrupulously clean, especially if it is Avished to make the coating adhere firmly to the receiving surface. It is the practice before plat- ing an article to make its surface not only perfectly clean but also smooth . by means of the revolving scratch-brush and by other methods. Articles of copper are usually not scratch-brushed but dipped.

The process of cleansing are both of a mechanical and chemical nature. The mechanical means are the usual ones of filing, scrub- bing and scouring, Avith various gritty materials. Emery cloth is employed Avhen the articles are dry, and fine silver-sand and a hand brush, or piece of canvas, AA'hen they are AA'et. In addition to this an instrument called a “ scratch-brush ” is continually used, and cannot be dispensed Avith.

A “ scratch-brush ” is merely a bundle of fine and hard brass wire, about six or eight inches long, bound round very tightly Avith other Avire, except at the ends.

These Avires are of various degrees of fineness, and are also annealed to different degrees to suit the various kinds of Avork. Four of such brushes are usually fixed in grooves upon the outside of the chuck of a lathe, so that the Avires are parallel Avith the axis of the chuck. Another form of scratch-brush is in which the Avires are radial instead of parallel.

To use these brushes a lathe is required. A “scratch-brush lathe,” suitable for cleaning small articles, is too AA-ell-knoAvn by the readers of The Circular to demand a description. Above the revolving brush is placed a cistern containing stale beer, a little of Avhich is alloAved to dribble upon articles during the process of brushing, and the brushes are surrounded by a screen to prevent splashing.

The chemical methods of cleaning consist in immersing the articles for a greater or less period of time, in various acids or alkalies, according to the nature of the metals. Alkalies are usually employed hot, and are generally used for removing greasy, tarry, or resinous matters ; and acids are generally used cold, after the greasy matters have been removed. The alkalies are kept in iron vessels, and the acids in stoneivare pans, etc.

The alkali commonly employed is caustic potash, because it is the strongest. A solution of it is prepared by adding freshly-made cream of lime to a boiling solution, composed of about half a pound or a pound of pearl-ash to each gallon of Avater, contained in an iron boiler, until a small quantity of the clear licjuid gives no effervescence on adding to it a feAv drops of dilute hydrochloric acid. The pre- cipitate formed in the mixture is carbonate of lime, and may be throAvn aAvay. As this liquid rapidly absorbs carbonic acid from the air it should be kept covered as much as possible, and a small quan- tity of the cream of lime should be added to it occasionally, to reneiv its full degree of causticity. The articles to be cleaned are immersed for a short time in the boiling hot liquid ; copper only requires to be immersed a feAv seconds. Copper articles, joined by solder contain- ing tin, must not remain long in the liquid, or the tin Avill dissolve

^he JewelGPg’ GiPGuIap ar^d RoPolegiGal Review.

and be deposited upon the adjoining parts of the copper and blacken them.

Several kinds of acid liquids are employed, viz : dilute sulphuric, strong nitric and various mixtures of them. Nitric acid, for dipping, contains about lo per cent, of sulphuric acid, and has a specific gravity of about 1.52.

( To be continued. )

'rhe manufacturers who closed down some three weeks ago to take account of stock and balance up their books ^or the past year, to ascertain how much they had advanced or retrograded, were really surprised to find such a comfortable balance left on the correct side of their ledger, as the results of their labors for the past twelve months, after liquidating all outstanding claims. This pleasant bal- ance reassures the manufacturer that his many efforts to please the public with something always new has met with their entire appro- bation, as showi; by their liberal and paying orders extended to him during the past season, which, he feels, will act as a great incentive to more renewed efforts on his part to make his line of goods for the year 1888 more attractive than ever, if such a thing is possible. The number of new samples w^hich some of the manufacturers are showing to the trade is simply beyond comprehension. A manufac- turer to-day thinks nothing of putting in as many new designs at the commencement of the spring or fall trade as he used to have formerly for his whole line, besides constantly adding to it during the season.

'I'he great foraging and picket guard of the advance army of sales- men, representing manufacturers of all styles of jewelry in both Providence and the Attleboros, from the finest designs in art mounted in solid gold and diamonds, down to the cheapest, that which is sold by measure and not by the dozen or single piece, has moved west- ward and, at present, is reconnoitreing around Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and other cities of the West, taking into camp any stray orders that may be found straggling about, which will be immedi- ately forwarded eastward by the first “through mail,” and received with the same joy and air of satisfaction by the manufacturer as that which was displayed at the time of the return home of the prodigal son. Collections for the past month have been better than for any time for a year past; the jobbers seemed inclined to balance accounts in full to January 1st, 1888, which pleases the manufacturer immensely, as it gives him a good fat bank balance ; but from good responsible parties at present he would rather get the orders than the cash, in order to keep his help emp’oyed and his works running to their full capacity. The business prospects for the year 1888 at present look very encouraging, to say the least, but it is almost too early in the season to -ay much regarding the opening. Some manu- facturers, who have their salesmen on the road at present, report fair sales. The jobbers seem to be buying very conservatively again this season The same careful style of placing orders was noted during the first part of 1887, which would seem to be a good solution of the question, why there were not more failures during the year 1887 than there were.

The manufacturers of Providence have expressed themselves pretty fully on that all-important and almost inexhaustible subject denominated as the “Abuses of the Trade,” and on which The Circular has written so much during the past year to effect some solution of the knotty problem, and has come to the conclusion that the remedy lies entirely in the hands of the manufacturers themselves.

Fred I. Marcy & Co., of Pine street, manufacturers of everything

new in the line of sleeve and collar buttons, have employed .Mr. 1). C. Landers to look after their extensive interests in the West.

It is currently reported that Mr. H. I,. Chai)inan has formed a co-partnership with a Mr. Hunt, and that the firm name will be Chapman, Hunt cN Co., and do business at No. 35 Point street, having bought the tools and machinery of the late firm of Chapman & Meister, of No. 409 Pine street.

It is also currently reported that Mr. J. C. Gray, of this city, is soon to commence business again, and that he has some intentions of locating in some one of. the enterprising cities of the Canadas.

.Albert V. Blake, of the defunct firm of Bradley &: Blake, has commenced business once more at No. 170 Cove street, where we v.'ish him better success.

'I'he firm of George C. Case & Co., comprising the following gentlemen, Mr. George C. Case and Mr. William R. Dutemple, has, by mutual consent, been dissolved. The busine.ss will be con- tinued by Mr. \Vm. R. Dutemple, at the old number, 227 Kddy st.

Luther Brothers are showing a fine line of plate goods, ahead of anything that they have ever heretofore shown to the trade.

Hancock, Becker <S: Co., who have been driven with orders the past season, will show a fine line of samples for the s[)ring trade that will surprise and please their customers and the trade in general.

Mr. N. S. Davis has formed a co-partnership with Mr. S. J. Emerson, and will continue the business as formerly at the old stand No. 96 Pine street, the style of the firm name being Davis & Emerson.

The firm of Cooke Eddy was dissolved on the 2d inst. by mutual consent, the members forming it being composed of Mr. Daniel S. Cooke and Mr. .Albert Eddy, of Providence, R. L, and Mr. Oscar M. Draper, of North Attleboro. Mr. .Albert Eddy will conduct the business at the old number, 102 Orange street. Mr. Daniel S. Cooke and family, it is reported, intend to make San Francisco their future home.

R. L. Griffith &: Co. have extended their quarters, and now occupy one floor at .No. 129 Eddy street. Their shop is equipped with all of the latest improved machinery, and their line of samples for the coming season will be the finest that this firm has ever turned out.

Cameron & Cooper have succeeded the old firm of R. S. Matteson & Co., of No. 107 Friendship street, which lately dissolved partner- ship.

By the recent failure of Corn, Clark & Co., of New York, the manufacturing jewelers of this city and vicinity lost somewhere about $5,000, which will probably be a total loss.

On the 29th ultimo the stock and fixtures of Schuyler & Bonner were sold.

J. B. & S. jM. Knowle.s, the silversmiths, of No. 95 Pine street, were slightly damaged by fire and smoke recently, but the loss was small, amounting to only about $400.

The firm of Cameron & Cooper, doing business at No. 107 Friendship street, was very short-lived, having been formed on the 2d ultimo, and already dissolved, .Mr. Cooper retiring.

Foster &: Bailey are reporting a fine increase in orders of late, and are prepared to exhibit a finer line of samples for the spring trade than ever before. Mr. Charles L. Kettlety will hereafter have charge of the New A^ork office of Foster & Bailey.

Smith &: Holmes, of No. 31 Point street, have been succeeded by Mr. G. H. Holmes, who will introduce some unique novelties for the spring season’s trade, and will make the Astor House his headcpiar- ters during the season, where he will be always glad to show his samples.

Mr. E. .A. Luther, late of the firm ot Luther Brothers, is about locating himself at No. 96 Pine street, and is having his factory fitted up with machinery and fixtures for the manufacture of jewelry.

Mr. E. E. Kipling, late of the firm of E. E. & .A. W. Kipling, has associated himself with his brother, Mr. R. .A. Kipling, and will assume the entire management of the Providence branch of this house and look after all his interests in this country, while Mr. R. A

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Kipling will devote himself entirely to those abroad. With such a combination as these two gentlemen form, viz.: both manager and salesman, and with hosts of friends, older firms should look well to their laurels.

Mr. S. Kind, of S. Kind & Co., No. 441 Market street, Phila- delphia, has beendn the city for some days looking over the samples of our enterprising manufacturers, and ordering the latest of the new styles for his spring trade.

The Board of Directors of the Union Eyelet Co. held their regular meeting on Saturday last, and transacted some routine business, and adjourned sine die.

Mr. R. A. Kipling, importer of precious stones, who left New York on Saturday, December 31st, per Steamer “ La Champagne,” of the French line, arrived at Havre on Sunday, the 8th inst., well and and in good spirits after a very rough passage. Those who go down to the sea in boats during the winter must needs suffer many incon- veniences even on first-class steamers.

Mr. D. L. Salford, of the “Jewelers Mercantile Agency,” No. 5 Custom House street, this city, was completely prostrated some three weeks since at the “ Franklin Street House ” with neuralgia in a very bad form, and his case was considered precarious for several days, but I am pleased to state that he came out of it all right and now is entirely recovered.

The Board of Directors of the Manufacturing Jew'elers’ Board of Trade held their monthly meeting in the rooms of the association. No. 9 Wilcox Building, on Monday, the 29th ultimo. The most important business transacted was in regard to the failure of the firm of Payne, Steck & Co., of Nos. 177 and 179 Broadw'ay, New York. The meeting adjourned after voting in the following named firms as members : M. L. Read & Co., successors to Hudson & Farnum ; Riley & French, H. F. Barrows & Co., and Dunham, Towne & Co. The members now' belonging to the Board of Trade number one hundred and sixteen, and is constantly on the increase.

The following named manufacturing jewelers of Providence were represented at the Astor House the past week : Fowler Brothers,

by Mr. George C. Booth; Godfrey & Adams, by Mr. G. E. Adams; Geo. L. Vose & Co., by Mr. Vose ; B. L. Hall & Co., by Mr. Hall ; S. K. Merrill & Co., by Mr. J. W. Hagan ; Mr. W. R. Dutemple, by Mr. Lamb ; Mr. John C. Harrington, by Mr. Harrington ; Harvey N Otis, by Mr. Otis ; E. B. Ingraham, by Mr. Thomas H. Pope ; R. L. Moorhead & Co., by Mr. D. Mackintosh; Mr. Frank E. Comey, by Mr. Charles Battey ; R. L. Griffith & Son, by Mr. J. B. Wen‘,- w'orth.

Secretary Marcus W. Morton of the Manufacturing Jewelers’ Board of Trade, made a trip to New' York recently in the interests of its members, who were affected by the failure of Messrs. Corn, Clark & Co., to see what agreement had been arrived at in regard to a settle- ment.

'I'he Etruscan Art Co. located in the “ Arcade,” which has been engaged in the manufacture of small colored portraits, which are seen in so many jewelry stores, has been attached in the sum of $250.00 by Messrs. Schultz & Co.

.Mr. J. Alden, salesman for Mr. Robert Barton for the past few' years, has gone in the insurance business, where he will be glad to see his many friends.

Mr. O. C. Devereux, the manufacturer, of Eddy street, has been granted a patent on a button or stud by the United States Patent Office.

Mr. E. B. Eaton, salesman for Mr. W. G. Hopkins, who was taken seriously ill while at the Palmer House, Chicago, some two months since, has been removed to his home at New York city, where he is at ]>resent improving as fast as can be expected under the circum- stances.

Mr. Simon \V. Sencerbox will, on the first of February, sever his connection with Mr. R. A. Kipling, the stone importer, where he has been for about two years. Mr. Sencerbox is a very pleasant and affable gentleman, and has made hosts of friends among the jewelers

of Prov'idence and vicinity, w'ho w'ill regret very much of his making a change to call him away from these plantations.

R. L. Moorhead & Co., w'hose factory is at No. 53 Clifford street, will have the most attractiv'e line of Rhine stone goods on the road for the Spring season s trade, the designs of w'hich will be marvels of beauty, and will be decidedly popular w'ith the jobbing trade throughout the country, d his house is ever on the alert for the best interests of its customers.

The Gorhapi Manufacturing Co. are running their full compliment of men on heavily increased sales for their w'orld-wide and justly celebrated class of goods. During the present year this concern intend to place more goods on the market than ever before, and we feel that their expectations will be fully realized when the grand balancing of books occur about the ist of January, 1889.

George L. \ ose & Co., of No. 59 Clifford street, report business as being very good at present, and they hope to place more of their celebrated bracelets on the market the coming season than ever before. This is one of the leading houses of the country in the manufacture of bracelets, and owners and makers of the best patented “ Roller Link Bracelet ” ever made.

N. Barstow &: Co., of No. 29 Point street, report that the opening of the spring trade with them is very satisfactory indeed.

Fred I. Marcy & Co. have, the past w'eek, issued their annual calendar, w'hich is a gem of artistic taste, engraved in the highest style of the art by those sterling engravers, Messrs. John A. Low'ell

Co., of Boston, Mass. . Fairfax.

Providence, R. L, January i6th, 1888.

P. S. — H. A. & G. M. Church are going out of business, and w'ill be succeeded b}' Mr. Charles S. Pine in the manufacture of their celebrated roller-link chains and other specialties formerly made by the old firm.

Experiments with Goingr-Barrel Watches.

HE PART of a going-barrel watch that I propose to examine in this paper, says Richard Whittaker, is that which isknow'n in the trade as bottom-supported and unsupported barrel arbors. The latter are some- times called “ suspended ” arbors. This is a subject upon W'hich horologists entertain widely-different views; and when opinions upon a question greatly vary, nothing can be more certain than that some must grossly err. I shall endeavor to show' what are the facts of the case, regardless of the opinions concerning it; and in order to simplify and put into reading made easy, a matter that is confessedly difficult, I think it will be best to examine it from an experimental point of view.

The first attempt w'e will make is a very simple one. I'ake an ordinary sprung-under full plate fusee movement, see that the hole for the barrel arbor in the pillar plate is wide, and that the ratchet is small and loosely and badly fitted; put the watch togetlier, wind up the mainspring and carefully note the arc of vibration. Then remove the name bar and notice the exact position of the barrel arbor, and the difference in the arc of vibration. 1 have found the following result: The barrel arbor will lean slightly in the direction of the

fusee; the edge of the barrel will touch the plate and reduce the power; and the arc of vibration will be slightly diminished.

The second experiment may be made upon a movement similar to the first; but instead of the barrel arbor fitting loosely in the pillar plate, let the barrel arbor hole be opened in the mandril perfectly upright, and, though it turns easily, it is without side shake. Instead of the ratchet being thin and small, see that it is thick and large enough to come into close proximity to the teeth of the hour w'heel; and above all, be careful to have it well fitted to the square of the barrel arbor. Put the w'atch together, see that the ratchet is close

jphe Jewerep^ Girculap ar^d I^opelogical Review.

to the plate, wind up the mainspring, note the arc of vibration, then remove the name bar and the following will be the result: The loss

of the name bar will not alter the upright of the arbor, and the vibra- tion will not be in any way affected.

From this most crude way of suspending the arbor, we are led to inquire into the direction of the force of the mainspring and the amount of the lateral pressure upon the barrel ])ivols, which is clearly shown by the following experiment: Take an ordinary going barrel;

if the pivot holes are wide it will be an advantage; grasp the square tightly with the brass-nosed sliding tongues, grasping the barrel firmly between the finger and the thumb; wind up the mainspring with your right hand. It will at once be seen that the force is at a tangent with the pitch circle of the teeth of the barrel, and that the amount of lateral pressure upon the pivots is nominal. Further, it will be seen that as you increase the tension of the spring, the amount of side pressure upon the pivot is also increased, and if the pivots of the barrel arbor are large — say, three-fourths of the size of the arbor - — the friction will be increased, and perceptibly improve the adjust- ment of the mainspring.

The fourth experiment shows a barrel arbor attached or suspended to a pillar plate, that is capable of resisting at least one hundred times more side pressure than is necessary in a fourteen-size lever watch.

From these experiments I assert, first, that it is possible to attach a barrel arbor to a pillar plate that is capable of enduring all the pres- sure that is recjuifed; second, that a suspended arbor offers the great advantage of increasing the height of the mainspring without increas- ing the thickness of the watch, and it is, therefore, wise to adopt it where a moderately thin watch is required; third, that the invention of a suspended arbor (doubtless due to the combined labors of Ber- thoud and the elder Breguet) has played a most conspicuous part in the history of watchmaking. It can count its witnesses by millions, and its claims have a right to be patiently heard. *

Our elections are over at last. It has been definitely settled that both the State and municipal regimes of last year, the former Repub- lican and the latter Democratic, will be continued under the same official heads for another twelve months at least. The Legislature has organized, re-chosen its former presiding officers, and set- tled down to its annual routine. All of which facts, taken in con- nection with the significant absence of any startlingly unusual ele- ment in any branch of the local market, have united toward the solidifying and continuing of the commercial prosperity which began six weeks ago with the opening of the winter holiday season. While there is little to chronicle in the way of a boom, there has yet been during the past month a steady, healthful, conservative activity in all directions, which has made itself felt as a natural consequence and with accumulated benefit in all lines of the jewelry trade.

The Circular’s suggestion of a short time ago to the effect that those jewelry dealers who complain of outsiders encroaching upon their preserves by carrying stocks of jewelry, should carry the war into Africa by diversifying their own stocks by adding thereto various lines of goods that would be incongruous alongside an exhibit of fine jewelry, has met with considerable favor in this city. Not a few of our leading dealers have as a result been running attractive and liberal lines of stationery, of which the manufacturers are con- stantly producing fashionable novelties. But, perhaps, the cleverest

and most tasty innovation of this kind has been in the form of stylogra|)hic pens, the Cross jiattern seemingly preferred. These are always in harmony with the legitimate contents of the most elabor- ately arranged show-case, and indeed, may, in a measure, be con- sidered almost a necessary complement in the modern jeweler’s stock.

It is remarkable, all things considered, how well our local whole- salers are doing despite the comparative lateness of their season. The New Year’s spurt was but a repetition of that preceding Christ- mas, and orders are still coming in from the drummers who src threading the remotest routes on the New England circuit. Aa was to be expected, the general uncertainty that prevailed a couple of months ago regarding the safest fashions in which to invest, has since given way to an equally general conviction that almost any- thing that’s rich, harmoniously designed, and symmetrically executed, goes. Fashion in the metropolis no longer conjures itself to a nar- row round of preferences, but branches out eccentrically, and its stamp of approval has been endorsed by all the smaller dealers and the buyers in the outlying towns.

In store windows, 'especially those on Washington and branch streets, are keeping up their brilliant display. I have noticed with some surprise the almost endless variety shown in finger rings, which rival in popularity for gift purposes the finer grades of watches. Jeweled hoops and the marquise shape, or French oval, are more worn by Back Bay residents than the ordinary oblong cross settings, and numerous pleasing designs are made of a combination stone setting. Three emeralds, surrounded by diamonds, is a sample of this, and colored jewels of all sorts, are being sought after eagerly. More than one of our houses, indeed, are making a specialty of these odd stone lines. Among them the favorite seems to be a band set with the yellow topazes and a jacinth ; another, with an aquamarine in the center ; a third formed of one topaz, one jacinth, and an arpia- marine ; and last, but not least by any means, three-band designs, each of a different stone, and worn on one finger, giving a charming effect in colors, as a combination of ruby, sapphires, and diamonds.

I saw an unusually handsome vase in Bigelow &: Leonard’s. It was of deep dragon’s-blood red, partially covered with a film of sil- ver, which was put on irregularly, as on brushes, etc., and then beau- tifully etched. There were other exquisite pieces of bric-a-brac, composed of either metal and china, or china alone, close beside it, and indeed there are elaborate lines of this ware run by Shreve, Crump &: Low and others of the larger retail houses. These latter report a very general and growing demand among their West End customers, and the more eccentric and richly designed lamps for both hall and drawing-room. Some of these are made unusually tall, with plain, square bases of dead-finished brass, and twisted stem of the same. Over this is mounted ^ large porcelain vase of pale yel- low or some equally delicate tint, clouded and flecked with gold and covered with conventionalized flower work. On inquiry, I learned that this artistic part of the work is done largely by one young lady, and Boston can certainly congratulate itself on the possession of a rare genius in this line.

D. C. Percival & Co. are coming in for a full share of the general prosperity. This is an old-established house, and in every one of its three branches of enterprise, manufacturing, importing and job- bing, is the peer of any in this section of the country. There isn’t a retailer in New England to whom this firm’s name is not profes- sionally familiar, and their road men are wiring orders daily. Their central \varerooms at 392 Washington street are 'crowded with stand- ard and novel goods, which compare favorably in variety and ele- gance with the best New York can furnish.

I heard a very funny comment made the other day in regard to The Circular. One of our largest wholesalers — I won’t mention names — laughingly said to me that he had but one criticism to make, and that was the publishers gave altogether too much for the money. He really thought the magazine had grown too bulky for comfortable reading. I assured him that it could stand all the criticism of that

^he Jewelepg’ GiPGuIap ai^d ^©P©l©giGal Review.

kind there was agoing and thrive under it, too, and he admitted the same couldn’t be said of any other publication in the field.

It wouldn’t do for me to omit mention of Floyd, Pratt & founds, who always do a good business when there is any going. I am assured that the concern’s books never balanced more favorably, and indeed this verdict is the universal one. Everybody seems hopeful, and when the annual stock-taking season shall have passed, mutual congratulations will be ip order among the trade.

A. Paul Co. report a steady market. All their clerks are busy, and I know of no surer sign of prosperity.

The Bay State Watch Case Company is also busily at work filling orders. A member of the firm told me the outlook was as good for the future as in the past, and that was saying a good deal.

Ripley, Howland & Co. are well known for their reliable and ele- gant lines of stock. They tell me that the “ blue ” spell of early December is a thing of the past. They, with their trade brethren, are counting their holiday profits.

Mr. H. Downes, who has been located on Bosworth street for nearly a quarter of a century, is one of our- most enterprising of watch and clock-work makers. He is well patronized by the city trade, and supplies pinions, jewels, pivots in endless variety. Tm glad to chronicle his success, for it’s well deserved.

A Happy New Year to all. Leon.

Boston, January 17, 1888.

Precious Stones and Fine Jewelry.

OF THE fine jewelry made now days combines precious stones with fine gold and exquisite workmanship. At the same time, rich and elegant jewelry could never be pur- chased so reasonably in this country as at the present time. Small precious stones are used in such profusion now in jew- elry that the question is often ' raised of their genuineness, when the price paid for them is considered. Thinking some facts about the small stones used in the manufacture of jewelry would be interesting to our readers who are not manu- facturers, a representative of The Circular took occasion to interview Mr. M. Fox, one of the oldest importers of pre- cious stones, who does an extensive business in supplying manufac- turers with the almost endless variety of material which they use in their productions. Opening the drawers of his safe, Mr. Fox exhibited to us hundreds of packages of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, opals, sapphires, garnets, tiger-eyes, cat’s-eyes, onyx, pearls, etc., varying in size from one-half the size of a pin head to stones as large as a good size marble, and varying in price from five dollars a hun- dred to $1,000 for a single stone. But we were more particularly interested on this occasion with the small stones that sell by the hundred than with the more elegant and costly ones.

It may be said generally that the finer stones, whether large or small, are found in India and Ceylon, and are sent from there in their native state to Germany, where they are cut and made ready for the market. Rubies .and sajiphires are sold by the karat, but tur- quoise, garnets, peails, etc., of the small sizes used for decorative

purposes, are sold by the hundred, the prices depending on their size’ and quality. Many of the decorative stones, known as onyx, ame- thyst, etc., belong to the agate family of stones, and are not so valuable as rubies, pearls, etc. But the great bulk of all these varieties, wherever found, are sent to Germany for cutting. 'I'he principal places where this industry is carried on in Germany are Idar, on the Idar River, and Oberstein, on the Nahe River. On these rivers have been erected numerous little factories operated by water power, where thousands of skilled workmen find employment. Their factories and machinery are very crude, the workmen are wet more or less the greater part of the time and suffer greatly in health in consequence, their average duration of life being about thirty-five or forty years. Formerly much of this work was done in France, but the workmen were driven thence at the time of the late war and took up their residence in these German places. Notwithstanding the hard work and exposure imposed upon them, these workmen receive scarcely enough wages to enable them to live. A man is furnished his board, and if he receives fifty or sixty dollars a year in addition he is doing very well. Women and children are employed to aid their husbands and fathers in certain parts of the work, so that the cost of production is maintained at so low a rate that competition is almost impossible. In dry seasons the factories can run but an hour or two a day, operated by water accumulated in dams during the night, and then the workmen have hard times indeed, their earnings being almost entirely cut off. They are extremely skilful in their work, cutting any stone given them, no matter how small, into shape and form that gives it commercial value.

The rough stones are sent from the mines to factors, who sell them by auction to the owners of these little cutting establishments, and French, German and English merchants send their buyers there to purchase the cut stones. In this way the products of these German factories are scattered throughout the world. Visitors in California are importuned at every turn to buy specimens of onyx, agate and other ornamental stones alleged to be the product of California mines, but Mr. Fox says that thousands of these come from the German factories and are sent out to California for the delectation of credu- lous tourists, who pay almost fabulous prices for these mementoes of their trip to the auriferous State.

These German workmen turn out some very beautiful work from the agate formations in the shape of umbrella handles, cane heads, jewel caskets, seals and an endless variety of charms and fancy articles, many of them being classed among stationers’ goods. While India and Ceylon are famous for their productions of precious stones, the South American States supply many, while the finest turquoises come from Persia, Egypt furnishing many of a quality but little inferior. Garnets, amethysts, onyx and the agate stones generally are found in profusion in Brazil, whence they are sent to Germany and come back to us in the form of artistically cut cameos, or some other well known forms. In Brazil and Switzerland are found many natural crystals which are cut in Germany into many beautiful shapes. Cat’s-eyes and sapphires come principally from Ceylon, small pearls from India, although Panama furnishes a few of the latter of an inferior quality. Pearls not larger than a pin head are cut into half, but even these fragments serve to decorate jewelry, and when skilfully mounted fur- nish a brilliant background for other gems. Rose garnets are mainly found in Bohemia and are there cut and made ready for the market. Queensland sends some fine opals, as does Mexico also, while the alexandrite, a beautiful green stone that changes at night to purple, is found in Russia. Crocibolite, or tiger’s-eye, comes from South Africa near the famous Kimberley diamond mines. Topaz comes princijially from Brazil, which country also furnishes aquamarine, although much of the latter is found in the mica mines of North Carolina. The United States comes to the assistance of Brazil in providing tourmaline for the market, while in California exclusively is found the American ruby, which is of a fine, rich color. I hese are generally cut in this city. The chief stones used by jewelers in decorating their gold goods are emeralds, tunpioise, sapphire, garnets.

3Fhe Jeweler?g’ diPGulai? ar^d Hepelegigal Review.

l)earls, small diamonds and rubies, brought from all parts of the world to these little establishments in Germany, where they are cut at trifling cost, and, passing through the hands of the im])orter, are sold to the manufacturers at small profit. In their natural state these small stones have comparatively little value, and as their fin- ished state is the result of the very cheapest kind of labor, although highly skilled, it is not so much a matter of surprise that a single piece of jewelry may contain a variety of genuine jjrecious stones without being extravagantly expensive.

We have mentioned that the finest turquoises come from Persia. It is a peculiarity of the Shah who rules that country, that he will not permit any unset gems to leave his dominions. As a consequence, every stone of importance in this line that comes from there has to be set in some form. A Persian gentleman, who had charge of the Persian exhibit in the New Orleans exhibition, was in this city recently exhibiting some magnificent gems, but they were all set in cheap brass rings or other worthess mountings, by which device they secured exit from Persia.

One of the queer things about our tariff is the discrimination it makes in regard to the duties on precious stones. An unmounted diamond pays a duty of ten per cent., but if it is placed in a setting it must pay twenty-five per cent; an onyx cut for a watch charm will be charged ten per cent., but if there is a hole drilled in it to facili- tate the mounting, it is classified as a manufactured article and twenty-five per cent, exacted. A diamond ready for mounting pays ten per cent., but an umbrella or cane handle in similar condition is supposed to be completely finished and is taxed accordingly, while quite as much labor may be required to mount it in a marketable form as is required of the diamond. In other words, a stone beau- tifully cut is “ raw material,” while a stone with a hole in it is a manufactured article, and subject to two or three times as much duty proportioned to its value as the diamond. Notwithstanding the inequalities of the tariff, the demand for precious stones of all kinds is steadily increasing. They are required for use as single stones, as perfect gems to be set in combination and for decorating jewelry. While small stones are, as we have shown, comparatively cheap, when a stone weighs a karat or over, its value becomes more a matter of fancy than of any regular scale of prices. There may be two stones of equal weight with no difference in quality that the average buyer would notice, yet in the eyes of an expert one will be worth several times as much as the other. We know of no articles of merchandise whose prices are so much a matter of fancy as precious stones.

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance.

President ^T)avit> C. Dodo, Jb.

First Vice-President^ Augustus K. Sloan Of Carter, Sloan & Co.

Second Vice-President^ Henry Hayes... Of Wheeler, Parsons & Hayes.

Third Vice-President, David Untermeyer Of Keller & Unterraeyer.

Treasurer, W. C. Kimball Of Strange & Brother.

Secretary, C. C. Champenois Of Champenois & Co

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

J. B. Bowden, Chairman Of J. B. Bowden & Co.

C. G. Alford Of C. G. Alford & Co.

Geo. W. Parks With Howard & Son.

F. Kroeber Of F. Kroeber Clock Co.

N. H. White Of N. H. White.

Chas. G. Lewis Of Randel, Baremore & Billings.

EXAMINING FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Geo. H. Hodenpyl Of Hodenpyl & Sons.

Chas. F. Wood Of Chas. F. Wood.

Counsel, Hon. Algernon S. Sullivan.

For further information. Application Blanks for Membership, By-Laws, etc.. Address P . O. Box 3277. 170 Broadway, New York.

At the regular monthly meeting of the Executive Committee, held in the Alliance office on the 16th inst, there were present President

Dodd, Vice-President Sloan, J. B. Bowden, Chairman, Messrs. White, Lewis and Secretary Champenois.

The following firms were admitted to membership:

Byron L. Strasburger, 15 Maiden Lane, N. Y. City; Frank I). Enney, 12 White Memorial Building, Syracuse, N. Y.; Mandeville& Co., 23 Marshall street, Newark, N. J.; Wm. Tobin, Jr., 408 Broad street, Richmond, Va.; Wm. J. Van Keuren 195 Main street, Honesdale, Pa.; Chas. A. Nolting, 4th and Walnut streets, Cincin- nati, Ohio; Henry A. Burton, Charlestown, Jefferson Co., West Va. ; T. Kircher, 301 Brady street, Davenport, la.; A. D. Cavin & Co., 22 School street, Boston, Mass.; R. S. Patterson, 906 Military street. Port Huron, Mich.; Emil Alter, 641 Broad street, Newark, N. J.

[The Circular is not responsible for the opinionsor statements of contributors, but is willing to accord space to all who desire to write on subjects of interest to the jewelry trade. All com- munications must be accompanied by a responsible name as a guarantee of good faith. No attention will be paid to anonymous letters. Correspondence solicited.]

A CORRESPONDENT CORRECTED.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

We notice in your last issue that somebody gave an incorrect his- tory about our business, as Mr. Bontecou was with Jacques & Marcus and I was watchmaker with Mr. Thos. Goldsmith for over 10 years, to which part I am his successor, as I bought the watch and clock repairing of the late Mr. Thos. Goldsmith for $400 and paid him cash for it, at the same old stand where Mr. Goldsmith did business for a long time. Please correct in your next number.

Yours very truly, M. W. Rappaport.

Troy, January 19, 1888.

BACK NUMBERS OF THE CIRCULAR WANTED.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

Can you furnish or loan the following number of The Jewelers’ Circular: Vol. IX., 1878, of Auugst. Enclosed 25c. postage

stamps. Respectfully, A. L. Schlientz.

Defiance, O., January 16, 1888.

THAT combine AGAINST PEDDLERS.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

I, too, have observed the proposition to form a combine against peddlers, but I fail to see why a jeweler, whose stock was “ flopped over” into his wife’s name and thereby got his goods for nothing, cannot successfully compete, with the peddlers aforesaid.

Yours truly. Parsnip.

January i, 1888.

THE LATE HENRY D. MORSE.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

The death of Mr. Henry D. Morse, of Boston, known as the pioneer diamond cutter of the United States, brings to mind many interesting reminiscences. Mr. Morse has scarcely received the credit he deserves for his work. That he was the first in thiscountry to cut diamonds is well known. Educating young Americans, both men and women, to his art, was not his greatest work He showed the world that the art which had so long been a monopoly of the Hollanders, was degenerating in their hands into a mere mechanical trade. His treatment of the diamond gave a great stimulus to the industry both in the United States and abroad. Shops were

The JeivelePS’ Cipculap I^opelegieal Review.

opened here and in London in consequence of his success. He was one of the few who studied the diamond scientifically, and taught his pupils that mathematical precision in cutting greatly enhanced the value as well as the beauty of the gem. The best cutters in the United States to-day are those who received their training under him. His artistic eye, sound judgment and keen perception enabled him to carry the art to a perfection seldom, if ever, attained before. "1 hanks to his labors, we now have among us the best cutters in the world, men who can treat the diamond as the gem should be treated to show it in its greatest beauty. The fact that so many fine stones were re-cut here since he started his wheel led to a great improve- ment in cutting abroad, especially in the French Jura and Switzerland, where both sexes are now employed at the trade, and, as a result of this, diamonds sold in the trade to-day are decidedly better cut than those of 20 years ago, before Mr. Morse turned his attention to what he, above all others, has shown us is properly an art and not an industry. George F. Kunz.

THE ENTERPRISE OF AN ALLEGED TRADE PAPER.

To the Editor of the Je^velers' Circular :

Several months ago the representative of a new jewelry organ that had been established to “ meet a long felt want ” and “ cultivate neglected fields,” urgently solicited us for our advertisement and we as urgently declined, as we have long found The Circular good enough for us. Notwithstanding our declination, the enterprising journal knew better what we wanted than we did, and inserted and ran an “ad.” of our business. Soon after January i they render us the amount alleged to be due for it, and ask “ if we desire it con- tinued for another year” ! ! ! ! We had heard of “ journalistic enter- prise ” before, but this is the first time we ever rubbed against it in precisely this manner. We hear that some of the “ads.” of first-class houses are kept in the journal referred to on the dead-head plan, as bait to draw in smaller fry — the advertisers never having ordered them and repudiating all bills for them, and yet the “ads.” are still printed. Yours truly, J. S. C.

A watchmaker’s DUTIES.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular :

In reply to “C. J. O.” in your January number, I will state that these men that are willing to pay from $20 to $30 per week for watchmakers, have no trouble in procuring good workmen. If a man applied to me for a good watchmaker, a good salesman, a good engraver and a good repairer on jobs, I should ask him if he wanted that he should saw the wood and carry the water for the house. A man that is competent to fill the place of watchmaker and engraver is not obliged to go out in the back shop and do jobs, nor is it policy for a jeweler to pay a man a good salary to work on jobs that it is the work of apprentices to do. The contract that “ C. J. O.” alludes to, in which he would be willing to enter, viz., have a person to fur- nish him with material and all the work he can do and have one-half of the proceeds is well put in, but he must bear in mind that such a contract as that is entirely different from the contract the watchmaker makes in hiring out with a jeweler. In this case he has to take charge of the watch work, wait on customers, do engraving, look after the apprentices, show them how to do work and then have to do one-half of their work over, and case all the new watches, which have to be looked all over and some taken down and put in order. If “ C. J. O.” can book twice the amount of his salary in a case of that kind he is a good, smart workman, and is deserving of a great deal of praise. Another thing is to be thought of; the mainsprings are all put in by apprentices, which, of course, yield the greatest profit. And I will say again that there are plenty of good workmen to be had providing you offer them a good, honest salary.

Manchester, N. H., January 9, 1888. H. P. G.

REGULATING THE PENDULUM.

To the Editor of the Jewelers’ Circular:

I send a rough drawing to show that the winding arbor of aspring clock may have a small pinion in connection with a segment on either side, made rigid, with arms of lever reaching to a point perpendicular with the pendulum, having a fulcrum a little, ways from the connec- tion, with lifting box to raise or lower the pendulum automatically, say, size of segments contains pinions 4, 5 or 6 times; this will serve

as gauge and stop to winding; raise and lower the pendulum in exact proportion to the increased tension or diminution of the spring by winding or relaxing in running. This will compensate for gain or loss of power resulting in equation of time. If this may be of service please see to it at once. I merely sketch the idea that you may give it proper form. Very respectfully, C. A. Penn.

Byington, Ohio, January ii, 1888.

KIND WORDS FROM A DISTANT FRIEND.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

I enclose my check for $2 to renew subscription. Although over two thousand miles from the city where I was born, raised and have always done business, the welcome visits of your ably conducted paper serve me very much in the capacity of an old friend, and, in a measure, lessen the distance from the Atlantic to the Rockies. I sincerely hope that wherever I may be located, Boston or Denver, I shall continue to have the privilege of keeping myself posted through your instructive and newsy columns. Yours truly,

Denver, Col., January ii, 1888. F. \V. Ayer.

EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS BLUSH IN APPROVED FORM.

[Journalists and publishers are proverbially modest men, and readers of the following will please consider that the entire force of The Circular has retired behind its cold weather fan and is blush- ing vigorously. — Ed.]

To the Editor of the Jewelers’ Circular:

Enclosed please find two dollars to cover new subscription of The Circular for the year 1888. Allow me, dear sir, to wish you a very happy New Year. I beg you will excuse the liberty I take in sending you a few lines of meditations and some reflections on account of the priceless and excellently edited Circular. The increase of the trade and commerceof the United States, consequent on the increase of population, manufactories and agriculture, and the universal confidence reposed in our political institution, have called into requisition renewed efforts in every department of science and literature. About twenty years ago, when The Circular was first published,'^journals of this kind were not as common nor so much in

jphe Jewelepg’ diPGulap arjd ^oP0l0gi©al Review. 63

demand as they are at present. From year to year 1 he Circular improved and has accomplished the highest expectations of the most scrupulous subscribers. Great exertions have been made and are still continued by its present editors, to render a practical as well as theoretical knowledge of the science in the jewelry trade attainable by study and instructions. The Circular is scattered throughout all kinds of business, from the largest commercial establishments to the smallest retail shop, from the emporiums of the cities and towns to the remotest trading house on the confines of civilization. Every year The Circular is improved, enlarged and even beautified in appearance and print. Every edition brings something new for the importer, the jobber, the watchmaker, the gold and silversmiths, the engraver, the mechanic, the rich and poor. I truly believe that no journal of similar kind as The Circular is in existence in the world which is edited with such a great ability, tact and noble heart. Such a system of doing business is admirable and the best recommenda- tion to all tradesmen. This small epistle is respectfully submitted to the subscribers of The Circular and my fellow-craftsmen.

Very respectfully yours, Herman Werner.

Ansonia, Conn., January 4, 1888.

a horological school wanted.

To the Editor of the Jewelers Circular:

Kindly let me know, at your earliest convenience, if you know of any School of Horology in this country, something like the one at Geneva and Lode, or a school for machinists. I prefer the Horo- logy. I have a son who desires to enter in such school in this coun- try instead of going abroad.

St. Louis, Mo., Dec. i, 1887. D. C. J.

To the Editor of The Jewelers' Circular:

Will you kindly inform me if there are any schools for watch- making in the United States, and please give me their names, addresses and where located. I have a son who desires to enter such a schcol to learn the trade.

Nevada, Mo., Nov. 19, 1887. M. J.

[The above letters were answered in The Circular for January, but were inadvertently left out by the printer. — Ed.]

and I shall think more than ever of it during my enforced leisure. Wishing you a very prosperous New Year, I remain.

Yours respectfully, W. F. Foster.

Ayer, Mass., January 11, 1888.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

Enclosed find the sum of $3.25 for one year’s subscription of The Jewelers’ Circular, including the back ])lates from February to November inclusive, also one binder to hold the same. If any extra postage charge, notify me and I will remit the same. I remain.

Yours respectfully, F. Clausen.

San Francisco, December 27, 1887.

back numbers wanted.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

In your January number I see that “A Venerable Subscriber” is willing to part with some of his back numbers of The Circular. In Vol. IX. would like Nos. i, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, of 1878; in Vol. XHI. would like Nos. 3 and 6, of April and July, 1882; in Vol. XI. would like Nos. 3 and 9, of April and October, 1881; In Vol. XIV. would like No. 7, of August, 1883; in Vol. XII. would like No. 12, January, 1882. I enclose money order for $2.50. Am willing to pay any reasonable price for the papers if you can procure them for me. If there is not enough enclosed, please inform me and will remit. If I can get the above numbers it will make me nearly com- plete from No. 12, Vol. I. Actions speak more than words, how much I have thought of The Circular; will say that No. 12, Vol. L, of The Circular was the first paper I saw of the publication. I have some duplicate numbers that I will look up, and if you would like them will send to you. Respectfully, L. Fitch.

Effingham, 111., January 7. 1887.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

Please send me the November, 1887, and January, 1888, numbers of The Circular. I would like to have the following numbers: October, 1877, January, 1879, February, 1879, August, 1879,

July, 1880, of The Circular, to complete a file. Will you please ask for them through The Circular if you have not got them?

Very Respectfully, W. F. A. W.

Winona, Minn.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

Send me the November number, 1884. I am going to have my Circulars bound and miss above number. I will remit on receipt of same, with price marked on. Have the number on cover.

Livonia Station, N. Y. J. D. Howell.

HOW TO REMOVE GREEN OR PICKLE COAT.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular :

Please inform us in your next issue how to remove green or pickle coat from new or unfinished work. Constant Reader.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circidar:

Can you send me March number for 1887. Have all the rest except this number. I wish to have them bound.

Yours truly, W. N. Bratt.

Washington, 111., January 13, 1888.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

The firm of Foster & Co. is dissolved by mutual consent. Mr. Hoskin will continue the business in Rutland, Vermont, and I am obliged to retire for a time on account of my health, after eight years of very pleasant and successful business in this little place. And although not actively connected with the trade, yet I must keep up my love and interest for it by subscribing for your inestimable journal.

wanted, a receipt for COLORING.

To the Editor of the Jewelers' Circular:

In one of your issues of 1886, I think the January number, I am not certain, but does not matter, you will be able to trace what I want. It is a receipt for coloring gold jewelry; there was copperas and acetic acid in the mixture; I have lost the journal and can’t remember the receipt. If you will re-publish the receipt or send me a written copy I will send you two years’ subscription in advance for your valuable journal. Write per return mail, and oblige,

Yours, E. L. Weiss.

Madoc, Ontario, December 16, 1887.

To the Editor of the Jetvelers' Circular.

Mr. Henry D. Morse, who died on the 2d of January, I thought deserved some notice in the Jewelers’ Circular. I think Mr. Morse was the first to introduce into this country the art of cutting diamonds. I enclose a notice from one of our papers.

Yours truly.

H. Guild.

Boston, Mass., Jan. 5, 1888.

KIND WORDS.

The Waltham Watch Tool Co. say; “We have received more

good from our advertisements in The Circular than from those in all other publications.”

Mr. H. H. Robinson, Presque Isle, Me., says: “This is the tenth

)’ear I have taken The Circular.”

F. L. Davies Sc Bro., of Nashville, Tenn., write: “We cannot get

along svithout The Circular.”

Mr. J. W. McVine, Crown Point, N. Y., writes: “I cannot keep

house without The Circular.”

Mr. J. B. Blickle, of Rochester, Minn., sends $2 to renew his sub- scription, and says: “I would not be without The Circular if it

cost ten times the amount.”

Mr. Chas. H. Bentley, of South Bethlehem, Pa., writes: “ I’d feel

lost without it.”

Palmer, Bachelder & Co., of Boston, say: “ Congratulations on

the excellence of The Circular.”

Mr. Joseph Durst, of Foxboro, Mass., writes: “I can’t do

without it.”

Hubbard Bros., of Buffalo, N. Y., say they' are “ perfectly satisfied that ’tis the best paper published in the interest of the trade.”

Mr. W. S. Lydecker, Wamego, Kansas, says: “I couldn’t be

without it.”

Britton Bros., Lindsay', Ontario, write: “The articles by Dr.

Bucklin have made The Circular invaluable to us.”

A Lady’s Rambles Among the Jewelers

The opinion very generally prevails that the increased activity which has been so noticeable in the jewelry trade during the past six months will continue right on through the spring season, and that 1888 will prove a fairly remunerative year to everybody concerned.

Novelties that received patronage during the holiday season, also all lines of standard goods that met with a paying demand, will figure in the spring trade. Indeed, it may be said that the sales made dur- ing November and December are generally considered as trustworthy indications of the public’s requirements and tastes in matters relating to jewelry and silverwaie for, at least, the next six months to come.

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* =k ■ =f; * * *

A NOTABLE feature, and one which will be hailed everywhere with joy, is the very decided advance ear rings have made of late in the world of fashion. Especial care has been taken to gain information on this point in several directions: i. By observation of the ladies

themselves the street cars, at the opera, at the theatre and recep- tions of various kinds. 2. By interviews with manufacturers and retail dealers. 3. By watching advices from abroad. The result of these observations and interviews justify the conclusion that ear rings are worn in larger numbers than before for several years, and the sales in these articles were very much larger during last Decem- ber than during the holiday season of 1887.

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Not only is this increased activity noticeable in ear rings, but in me ear knobs and screws as well; in fact, it is difficult to say which

of the two styles is the more popular. These ear ornaments, in con- sequence of this increased demand, are being made in a great variety of designs, which include many quite fanciful patterns.

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As YET both the ear rings and ear knobs incline to be rather small in size. Often they are merely a small stone set in simple framework of gold; again, they are a small cluster of fine gems, and yet again they are a little gold knot or a gold flower, fly or other diminutive object.

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Among what is known as the exclusive fine trade, which means to the jeweler patrons with unlimited means, the cluster ear ring is not so popular as is the solitaire, from the fact that enough money can- not be gotten into the former. The clusters, however, have a good trade of their own, suiting well the requirements of that very large and respectable class who prefer small, fine stones, to single gems of inferior quality.

* »

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The ball ear rings are still good selling articles. Some very pretty ones seen lately were covered with gold grain work, studded here and there with small gems. Another pretty style seen was a ball formed of small forget-me-nots enameled in natural color. A ball composed of pearls and diamonds, set in a network of gold filigree, makes a very handsome as well as expensive ear ornament. Diamond or gold arrow heads figure as ear screws, so do tiny sapphires or rubies in gold settings. Minute flowers are another form of ear screws quite popular.

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Necklaces of many styles are now seen in the show cases. These ornaments are no longer confined to the costly gem-set affairs, but are fashionable in gold, silver and enamel.

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The demand for watches appears to be an unusually active one. Everybody carries them. Those in decorated cases and of irregular form find jiurchasers among those who seek novelties, but the watch for the popular trade remains a medium-sized one in a plain case or one with a little decoration.

* % * * * *

The Queen continues to be the leading watch chain for ladies, wear. For men, the double chain is much worn, but what is known as the fancy vest is, if possible, more popular than ever.

One of the newest things is Russian jewelry, which had quite a boom in this city during the holiday season. This jewelry must, in the nature of the case, remain popular so long as the craze for Rus- sian gowns, Russian teas, etc., prevails; indeed, it is almost safe to predict that it will find admirers after the gowns and teas have dis- appeared. The decoration in this jewelry is very pleasing, consisting of enamel in many colors, so blended as to form a very harmonious and effective whole. The patterns, too, are, many of them, unique. Much of the Russian jewelry which has found its way to this country is of silver; occasional specimens occur, however, in gold.

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Russian belts seen recently were fastened with clasps simulating

^he JewGlepS’ Gir?Gulap ar^d BoPoIogiGal Review.

two bears; one enameled in black, the other showing a golden coat. The effect was peculiar and pleasing.

X- *• *

^ k * * * *

This Russian decoration also appears on odd pieces in silverware, such as vases, card receivers, toilet ornaments and the like.

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One of the best selling articles during the holiday season was the flower pin. The all gold ones sold well, as did those enameled in natural colors. Among flower pins that take well are those repre- senting the “ heart’s ease ” as large as nature, in translucent enamel with a diamond dropped in the center.

* * *

The subject of scarf pins has been so fully considered in recent numbers of The Circular, that it is hardly necessary to say more in regard to these popular ornaments than that they remain as fash- ionable as ever, and are out in every conceivable pattern. There remains quite a fancy for heads of animals, as a stag’s head, a dog’s head or a horse’s head seen through a gem-set horseshoe. Tiny daggers and swords, a drum major’s stick and miniature squirrels are all simulated in the newer scarf pins.

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There is little to be said that is new on the subject of finger rings. Small seal rings are much affected by men who are also wearing two or more rings on one hand, as a gem-set ring and a fancy ring in gold or gold and platinum.

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The search for oddities has resulted in the introduction not only of Russian, but of Austrian jewelry, which latter comes mostly in silver; it is also finished in high-colored as well as black enamel. Considerable mosaic jewelry is seen, in form mostly of brooches in Oriental design. Ear rings also appear. This mosaic jewelry is out in both gold and silver settings.

-s * *

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Quite new and very effective is tortoise shell jewelry set with diamonds. Brooches, cuff buttons and ear rings are all represented in designs that follow more or less closely the patterns seen in gold and silver jewelry.

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There is no question whatever about the popularity of the brooch in New York City. By term brooch is meant, not only the round and oblong pins to which the name was originally attached, but all pins, the width of which is nearly or quite equal to the length, such as a stag’s head with diamond eyes, a crescent and star and the like. Some of the new brooches are made with small pendants attached, and are used for the three-fold purpose of neck pin, pendant and hair ornament.

•St *

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As REGARDS the lace pin, it is one of the good selling articles on the road and a favorite at home. For the city trade, however, it is not so often seen now-a-days in the form of a straight bar as it was of old, the shape being modified by some object in the center that breaks the effect of a straight bar and appears to shorten the pin. In illustration of these newer styles of lace pin, may be mentioned one that simulates a gold horn with a horseshoe in the center, or one with three clover leaves in line. Very pretty ones, coming hardly under the head of lace pin or brooch, are those having three dia- mond swallows perching on a golden branch. The grasshopper, by the by, has been figuring of late as a model for neck pins.

* * ‘k

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One of the most popular among pins just now is the jeweled safety pin, consisting of the ordinary style of safety pin in gold or silver, and set with one or more jewels. Sometimes in place of the jewels is a floral or other ornamental design in enamel. These pins are exceedingly convenient for fastening laces or flowers to the bodice, or for the more substantial uses for which the safety pin was first designated.

The Marquise ring has gained favor among the ladies, and is very popular when composed of small but fine diamonds. From London comes what is called the bangle ring, which consists of a gold hoop that nearly meets on top of the finger, either end being set with a gem, usually a ruby or brilliant. Of English origin, too, is the horse- shoe ring, which, as the name indicates, has its gem-setting in the form of a horseshoe. A very effective ring seen, was a plain gold band widening slightly at the top and set with five fine pearls, grad- uated as regards the size, the largest one being in the center. Quite a popular ring is what is termed the diamond half-hoop ring, set with , diamonds half way round.

•*r *

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While some of the new bracelets are very light and delicate in construction, the tendency is to heavier and more solid workmanship in these ornaments. The gold curb chain bracelet is a popular sort. A bracelet out for the holidays was formed of two strands of gold rope tied in the center, so as to present the figures 88. A striking ornament seen consisted of a bracelet composed of gold horseshoes united by little chains, the nails in the shoes being -represented by small brilliants.

* *

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There appears no diminution in the favor shown to bangles of all descriptions. Some of the newer of these are formed of a single gold or silver wire ornamented with a pearl horseshoe, a diamond fox head or two little diamond birds.

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The popularity gained by the girdles which Mile. Sara Bernhardt had the credit of introducing, has doubtless inspired the French jewelers to push the“LaTosca” bracelet recently introduced by this famous actress in her new play of that name. The original “ La Tosca” bracelet is of matted gold, covered with a flexible applique. The bracelet is further enriched by three jewels representing the French national colors. This bracelet has been reproduced in silver with some modifications, and will doubtless soon find its way to this country.

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Silver chatelaines are in big demand. An octopus, an elephant's head and the gnarled roots of a tree are numbered with objects that serve as models

Ornaments for the hair continue fashionable, and are out, if pos- sible, in a greater diversity of style than ever before since their introduction. Numbered with decided novelties in this direction are gold or tortoise shell ornaments in the form of a feather and edged with tiny brilliants. Gold and silver arrows set with peails, are also numbered with the newer hair ornaments. In some of these arrows, which, by the by, also figure as brooches, are copied the ver- itable Indian arrows and classed among the so-called Indian jewelry. Tortoise shell hair pins set with diamonds are also new. Gem-set horseshoes, stars and butterflies, remain as fashionable as ever, not only for pendants and brooches, but as ornaments for the hair. The little tortoise shell side combs with jeweled tops, described sometime ago in The Circular, have provena success and are worn by ladies of all ages, elderly ones fastening their puffs and curls in place at the sides of the face, while younger ones place them whereever the hair appears to need an ornament. These little flat combs are only about three inches long, but make very effective ornaments with their sparkling line of brilliants or rubies, as the case chances to be.

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What has been previously said of cuff buttons holds true at the present date. In New York society the preference is given by men to the linked button, but elsewhere, it appears from all that can be learned, that the single button and links run a neck-to-neck race for favor. Ladies, almost without exception, prefer the single button, which, by the way, is being made now in somewhat more fanciful patterns than heretofore. The flat knot pattern, made of gold and platinum, described last month, appears to be taking very well. Numbered with new things in cuff buttons, are those having a blight finished center surrounded with a carved border. These buttons come both in round and oblong shapes, with or without a gem in the center. Occasionally the central part is of platinum with a gold border, and sometimes this order is reversed.

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The increased demand noticed last month for garters with deco- rated clasps has resulted in some very beautiful patterns. Some of these are very costly, being of gold and set with gems. Others are finely enameled and some show etched designs on the bright fin- ished surfaces.

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Old designs still continued in the newer jewelry, are the fleur-dc- lis. the trefoil, shamrock, four-leaved clover, daisy, pansy, violet, crescent, star and horseshoe.

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As IS always the case when jewelry is booming, diamonds are in active demand, and the consequence is a great deal of the jewelry now seen is set with these gems. The increased use of diamonds, however, does not appear to offset the popularity of colored gems and fancy stones, but hyacinths, tourmalines, jargoons and beryls continue to please with their effective hues, which afford a wider scope for design and add variety to personal ornaments.

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Counted among decidedly expensive practical objects, designed for man’s use, are miniature brushes with gold handles and tiny pocket combs with gold tops, with which to keep the beard in order.

Elsie Bee.

President, Henry Hayes Of Wheeler, Parsons & Hayes.

First Vice-President, Robert A. Johnson Of Celluloid Show Case Co.

Second Vice-President, James P. Snow Of G. & S. Owen & Co.

Third Vice-President, Joseph B. Bowden Of J. B. Bowden & Co.

Fourth Vice-President, Charles G. Lewis Of Randel, Bareraore & Billings.

Secretary and Treasurer, William L. Sexton Of Sexton Bros. & Washburn.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

George R. Howe, Chairtnan

Wm. Bardel

J. R. Greason

Geo. H. Houghton

Wm. H. Jenks

A. A. Jeannot

.Of Carter, Sloan & Co.

Of Heller &. Bardel.

.Of J. R. Greason & Co. .With Gorham Mfg. Co. . . . With Tiffany & Co. ..Of Jeannot & Sheibler.

The Jewelers’ Circular is the exclusive official paper of the Jewelers’ League and has been selected for the publication of all matters of interest pertaining thereto. Letters or inquiries pertinent to its business or purposes, and which might interest the trade or inquirers, willherein be answered. AAdxes%yewelet s' League, Box 3,444, P. O., New York, or the office of The Circular.

At the regular meeting of the Executive Committee, held Friday, January 9, 1888, there were present Chairman Geo. R. Howe, Pres- ident Hayes, Vice-Presidents Lewis, Snow and Bowden, and Messrs. Greason, Jenks, Jeannot, Bardel, Houghton and Sexton.

There were five changes of beneficiary granted.

Edw. D. Lewis, Oneonta, N. Y., proposed by Ford Bros., and Chas. Sorg, proposed by Wm. Bardel, were admitted to membership.

The Committee will meet again on Thursday, January 12, prepar- atory to the annual meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 17, at Cooper Union, 4th avenue and 8th street.

C3 aoaa oQO'aQonoacoooiB

A TTLEBORO.

The new year finds the jewelry shops in the Attleboros going at full blast. The anticipated reaction alter the holidays has not come, and the prospects are that it will not, at least not for some time, and consequently most of our manufacturing jewelers are feeling quite happy.

Many of The Circular’s subscribers about here were agreeably surprised upon opening their last number, to find a long letter telling all about the trade in their own town, and no doubt it was read quite thoroughly.

Since my last letter I have visited a large number of the shops in this vicinity, and one and all report a most excellent outlook for the coming season, and are making preparations to meet the demand which they soon hope to see.

I said last month that every year found some of our jewelers enjoying the “beautiful climate of California,’’ and this year will be no exception to the general rule. On the afternoon of January 16, the Raymond excursion party which started out of Boston, included the following jewelers from this vicinity: Mr. John F. Makinson, of

W. G. Clarke & Co.; Mr. A. F. Bennett, formerly of Young & Ben- nett; Mr. D. D. Codding, formerly of T. I. Smith & Co.; Mr. C. N. Fisher, of E. I. Franklin & Co.; and Mr. F. A. Newell, of Watson, Newell &: Co.; as jolly a party as you will often find. They go direct to Cincinnati, then south to New Orleans, and thence through

The JewelePS’ GiPGuIap ai^d RopelogiGal Review.

Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Los Angeles. They will begone about four months.

Mr. J. F. Ripley, salesman and junior member of the firm of Wat- son, Newell &: Co., has just returned from a flying trip as far West as Kansas City and St. Louis. There is evidently a good demand for the sleeve and collar button which this firm make, as Mr. Ripley reports one of the most successful trips in his eight years’ experience. He was accompanied by Mr. Blake, of Blake & Claflin, who also reports large sales. Mr. Blake was a little sceptical as regards the present boom, and said he thought it would only prove a “ little flurry.”

Mr. S. O. Bigney, of the firm of Marsh & Bigney, reports large orders, and the prospects in the near future of being obliged to run nights. This firm is a live one, always getting out some taking styles of pins.

F. S. Draper & Co. report plenty of work. January i this firm discontinued their New York office, and the headquarters are now at the factory. A little item in connection with this firm may be of interest to the trade. The shop here is under the complete manage- ment of Miss Annie Meader, a most businesslike lady, who will always be found at her post of duty. I thing this is the only jewelry manufactory in the country managed by a woman.

Mr. A. W. Sturdy, one of our most successful jewelers and mem- ber of the firm of Sturdy Bros., has just presented the L^niversalist Church in this town with a $1,500 pipe organ. This church seems to owe its entire prosperity to the jewelers, as the elegant building in which they now worship was nearly all paid for by the late Charles E. Hayward, the pioneer of the jewelry interest in Attleboro. Mr. Hayward was in the West at the time the building was finished, and he did not live to see the object of his generosity.

Mr. D. H. Smith, who has for many years been in the manufactur- ing jewelry business, has this month opened a fine undertaking establishment. Mr. Smith is a highly respected citizen, and will probably make a success of his new venture.

ATTLEBORO FALLS

is a little village set in between Attleboro and North Attleboro, and a busy little place it is too.

R. F. Simmons & Co. are located here. They do a large business, and are probably making money fast. Mr. Simmons, the senior member of the firm, is President of the Attleboro Agricultural Asso- ciation and makes a most efficient officer.

Once in a while our jewelers receive midnight callers who, in the absence of any member of the firm, proceed to entertain themselves. Murphy Bros, received such a visit the other night, and in the morn- ing found they were out just about $50.

Mr. B. S. Freeman was closed a short time in December, but now is running all right.

NORTH ATTLEBORO.

It is an open question in the minds of many whether Attleboro or North Attleboro does the most business. But it was here that the first shops were started, and I think there is probably more capital invested in the business here than in Attleboro.

Bugbee & Niles, successors to C. E. Smith & Co , took possession of that shop about the first of the month. Mr. Bugbee says they will soon have matters straightened out, and he hopes to do a good business.

E. I. Franklin & Co. are one of the most successful firms in the ■ town. Mr. Franklin is a live man, and always ready to take hold of anything which will prove a benefit to his business.

Healy Bros, is another live firm; they were formerly located in Attleboro Falls, but last year moved their factory where they could have more room.

J. G. Cheever & Co. hadn’t much to say in regard to the trade.

They were busy and could only hope for a continuance of the present boom.

A very pleasant little affair took place on the evening of the 12th in the parlors of the Wamsutta House. Mr. Alonzo Bennett, who has just severed his connection with the firm of Young & Bennett, was invited to step into one of the parlors of the hotel. Complying with the request, he \va.s greatly surprised to find quite a number of his former employees gathered in the room; before he could recover from his surprise, the spokesman stepped forward, and, in a few very appropriate w'ords, presented him with a large French pastel likeness of himself elegantly framed. Mr. Bennett was completely overcome with his emotions at this evidence of good will, and could only mur- mur his thanks for the really valuable gift.

PLALNVLLLE

is a little village close by the Attleboros, and i^s interests are so closely connected with those of Attleboro, that anything in relation to the jewelry trade there would very properly come under this heading.

One of the principal films in this place is that of Wade, Davis & Co., who make a general line of jewelry; they are quite busy and report good sales.

The Plainville Stock Co. are running about 120 hands and are full of business. Mr. Corey, the manager, is West, and is finding a good supply of orders for their popular line of goods.

Barden, Blake & Joyce are also having their share of the general prosperity. • Mendon,

Attleboro, Mass., January 16, 1888.

Repairing Swis.s Watches.

NOW propose to give some details concerning the other escapements used in Swiss watches, says Hy. Ganney, for, though it is usual to associate the horizontal escapement with Swiss watches, it is doubtless quite true that they manufac- ture a larger number of lever and duplex w'atches than any other country. Great improve- ments are apparent in their lever watches of late years.

. . . The fact that all the actions were jeweled and the levers very long and heavy, almost put it out of the })ower of the repairer to effect any alteration. To make the depth of the escapement as light as possible, to secure the greatest amount of vibration or to hammer out the lever, if there is too much play on the banking, was all that could generally be done, as there was a vicious practice of making the lever and roller of the worst possible shape; the guard pin and roller action w'as with them made by forming the lever into a sharp edge, and the roller also being made with a sharp edge, a constant tendency to cut or stick into each other was observable.

This form has now' been pretty generally abolished in favor of the English plan of brass pin and broad roller edge, and they further imitate the English by adopting the brass ratchet wheel; this is a mistake, as the club tooth is a stronger and more correct acting wheel and gives more vibration to the balance, as the escapement can be worked closer with less drop and more freedom, and the friction and action on each pallet are more equal. It would be a matter of little

consequence if one pallet supplied nearly all the impulse so that none is wasted, as equality of impulse is not an element in timing; the best timing escapements — the duplex and chronometer — have the impulse all in one direction, but in the lever we have the locking resistance, which is always in the same ratio as the impulse, and a small impulse being preceded by a strong locking, may cause the watch to stop. Inequality of locking resistance is a very common fault in Swiss levers, the draw on the second or exit pallet being very strong, almost sufficient to prevent the escapement unlocking, whilst the other pallet has no retentive action. With a sound guard action, very little draw is needed to Swiss levers, and if the draw prevents a performance as the oil gets dirty, it can be made less by taking off the corner of the inside locking face with a diamond mile and emery polisher, which may be made from two ferrules turned true and of suitable shape, and charging them with diamond dust and emery and revolving them in a lathe; or, with the bow and turns, holding the pallet against them whilst revolving rapidly, a corner maybe very rapidly rounded. A pallet maker, of course, would do the job much better, but this class of watches is seldom worth the trouble involved in sending defective parts to a specialist, and the repairer must depend upon his own resources and mother wit; and much of the skill the practical repairer possesses is owing to the abundance of this class of work, as the best work generally needs and will warrant the employment of the special talent used in producing it.

Pallets can be altered considerably by warming them to melt the shellac with which they .are fixed in the steel, and may be put closer or wider, deep or shallow, by this means; or the hole may be drawn with a fine file, altered and closed, and, in fact, any alteration may may easily be made that a good knowledge of the escapement and experience suggests. Without a good vibration, performance is almost out of the question, and a small vibration that will give good results with an English lever is quite useless with a Swiss, as the escaping angle is generally very large and the balance has to move about sixty degrees until it escapes. There can be no question that a good Swiss lever watch, with the large, light lever and roller and club tooth steel wheel, is a very reliable and durable article.

If there is too much play between the guard point and roller, the steel may be filed away and a hole drilled and a pin put in, English fashion. If that is too much trouble and the steel is soft, a slitting file may be used to cut the steel into the form of a pin, and it may be bent over, or a penknife and hammer will force the steel outward; if the roller is taken off the sharp edge may be removed with advan- tage, as the edge soon damages and prevents handling it. The steel clams and a hollow punch over the pivot, and a drive with the ham- mer, is the best way of getting the roller on and off, as they are never fitted well enough to be taken off with ordinary hand pressure. The fine steel clams used for riveting will generally force off a lever roller by putting it in the vise and screwing it up gently. The jaws of the clams pressing the backs of the collet of the staff and roller simul- taneously, one of them must move, and it is generally the roller that moves first; but the clams must be thin and regular, tapering at back. I have in use a pair of English clams used by my grandfather for fifty years, and they will take off any roller without fail. I have another pair of clams of the .same size, but of common modern make, which destroy every staff on which the experiment is tried, so it is necessary to discriminate in using such tool. Others use pliers and sliding tongs of brass, or with brass riveted or soldered on the ends, to remove the roller. Every repairer should have these brass-nosed pliers, as they hold the roller without damage, while rough roller edges cause very troublesome stoj)pages of the balance occasionally.

The amount of vibration may often be considerably increased by closing the lever notch, as all unnecessary shake there is wasted power, and the hammer is generally used to close the lever notch if the steel is not hard. As the action of the roller and lever are in the sink of the plate and cannot be viewed direct, considerable judgment and observation is necessary to see and understand them, as nothing is so good as a direct view in a line with the light of a delicate action,

which in this case is impossible. The end shakes of all the escape- ment parts must be carefully made alike, or the ruby pin may get on the lever notch or the guard action under the roller. A lever and roller may foul in some positions, as, owing to the great length of lever, ordinary side shake of pallet pivots allow of considerable motion of the lever end. It will hardly be possible to poise the lever, so the guard action must be perfectly sound.

The action of the wheel and pallet may be as shallow as possible; if put as deep as is usual in English watches the watch will soon stop, as the long lever and roller give advantages in preventing a recoil of the pallets and allow of a lighter depth, which is necessary to prevent waste of force in unnecessary motion of heavy levers and hard lock- ings. More play of the guard action is necessary in the Swiss lever movement, as the action is more coarse and magnified; the tightness and accuracy usual in the English lever and roller action is not necessary, and would be fatal if applied, as side shake and freedom must be increased in proportion as the increase in size and roller, but perfect soundness must be obtained.

Defective Rate of Anchor Escapement.

CORRESPONDENT in the Deutsche Uhrmacher Zeitung asks: “Where can I look for the defect in

an anchor escapement when it goes much worse in a hanging position and has an ‘ unclean ’ vibration in all positions ? Its conditions are as follows: The

anchor draws well, the performance falls exactly on repose, the roller jewel has, in the horns of the fork, only as much shake as, say, a pivot has in a jewel hole. The fork also has only just sufficient shake between roller and hand; there are no scrapings anywhere. The balance spring lies well concentric and no cap jewel is loose.”

To which he received a number of “ probablies.” We select the following: “ The defect mentioned by you is occasioned, probably,

by the insufficiency of shake in all the parts of the escapement. It is altogether a wrong idea to place an ordinary anchor escapement everywhere as close as possible, as close as is required for a fine watch. I have several times obtained good results and a uniform and large vibration by giving more shake.

“In the examination of the escapement I proceed as follows: After I have taken out the balance and barrel, I press with the left forefinger against the center wheel, and pass through the scape wheel by placing a blunt-pointed pegwood in the fork, and with gentle pres- sure press toward the arbor. Should the motion in general fall a little too much upon repose, and the repairer does not wish to make it shallower, it is actually no great objection; it is only necessary to observe principally that each single tooth* which, in ordinary watches are of \inequal length, drops off sufficiently, and the fork makes then still a minute trifle of motion before it leans against the banking pin. 1 then mount again the balance, test the shake of the impulse pin in the fork, which must also not be too scant. The lat- ter must be well polished within. I next mount the barrel, wind the spring a few turns, and inspect the sh.ike of the pivot of the fork between roller and sides, and at this spot is generally tlie error to be found. If the movement is held horizontally, and there is sufficient shake in this position, it will be found that when it is held vertically there is far less, and often none at all, becau.se it has been absorbed by the width of the balance jewel holes, and sometimes because the roller is untrue and the watch will consequently lose in rate in this ])osition, and in some cases stop altogether. It is self-evident that the repairer must examine whether the impulse pin in its entrance into the fork does not butt against one or the other horn, as that it does not lay itself full into the fork, or that other scrapings or pinch- ings occur. When an escapement has been corrected in this manner.

Jphe Jewelepg’ GiPGulap RopoIogiGal Review.

the balance will vibrate at least one full turn. Watchmakers know well that this escapement requires much practice in repairing.

“ I would also add, that personally I am in favor of placing a minute trifle of oil with a pointed pegwood into the (steel) fork. It is true that scientific watchmakers prohibit it, but then they are all not agreed on this point.”

Another correspondent says, that if the anchor escapement is otherwise correct in all its parts, and nevertheless the balance vibra- tion becomes smaller in hanging, and that the going of the watch is not clear, the fault may be due to the jewel holes of the escapement. Examine them with a strong magnifier, and if its sides are rough, polish them with diamond dust and oil.

The impure sound of the vibration may also be caused by the cap jewels of the balance lying too low; in other words, there may be too much space between caps and jewel holes. If this space has been reduced to the right quantity, it is very possible that the scratching noise may also cease.

How Periodic Crazes of the Medical Profes- sion Affect Skilled Opticians.

[By C. a. Bucklin, A. M., M. D., New York.]

AM induced by several requests to review a few of the past and present crazes which have been introduced into medical science for the purpose of curing func- tional nervous diseases. Let us admit that in selected cases good ' ' may be obtained from any of the methods we are about to describe. What we object to is the building up of statistics from selected cases and publishing them in sup- port of the general adoption of a means for the universal cure of a

certain class of cases when it is only adapted to the relief of special cases of this class. I am thoroughly convinced that it is a moral impossibility for any enthusiast to be thoroughly impartial on the subject of his hobby.

The older members of the profession remember Baker Brown, of England, who had his special theory of functional nervous diseases in women. He stood among the highest of medical scientists, published a book, and had a large following among the profession who thoroughly believed in his views and were ever ready to testify to his universally successful results. Baker Brown believed that he had found the cause of all functional nervous disorders in females, which cause was a diseased condition of the clitoris, the irritability of which caused the woman to become an habitual masturbator. The nervous exhaustion resulting from a continuation of this habit so undermined the nervous system as to cause all forms of functional nervous diseases. He concluded that the removal of the clitoris would obviate these difficulties. Having practised this operation for some time he argued if the removal of a hypothetical cause relieves the difficulties, the proof is convincing that the hypothetical cause is the real one.

Baker Brown removed the clitoris from thousands of English women, and collected immense fees from their husbands for having robbed their wives of the ability to enjoy sexual intercourse. A gentleman, discovering that there was a most striking change in his wife after treatment by Baker Brown, decided to thoroughly investi- gate the cause of this change. Several experts were called upon for an opinion, d'he opinion was unanimous that the woman had been horribly mutilated. A prosecution followed, and this periodic craze,

which had been a curse to the public and the profession, was completely exploded. Baker Brown was sincere in his belief, and probably correct in certain cases.

No. 2. Most members of the profession remember, a few years ago, how many females were suffering from stenosis of the cervix, and how long and deep the cuts were made. No man was considered a gynaecologist until he had thoroughly lacerated a hundred cervices, and to-day the youngest gynaecologist is sewing up the lacerations that the older men made, believing that no part of the uterine tissue can be exposed without a healthy covering of mucous membrane without subjecting the sufferer to all kinds of reflex troubles.

No. 3. Another class of men have come up upon whom the female ovary has the same effect as red flannel has upon an infuriated bull. This class of men remove ovaries from their female patients, which are quite as healthy as the ovaries of their wives, mothers, and sisters. When the removal of both ovaries fails to cure an epilepsy they sigh that a woman has no more ovaries to remove. This class of men sincerely regret that men have no ovaries to remove, and would readily be induced to remove the testicles for any functional nervous disease if the men valued them as lightly as women value their ovaries. It is not an uncommon thing to see a specialist open the abdomen of a woman suffering from tubercular peritonitis in search of the tumor which swells the abdomen. To open a tympanitic abdomen in such a case would cause .Alonzo Clark to turn over in his grave.

For men suffering from functional nervous diseases a longitudinal section of the entire penis has been proposed, and the operation has found many warm supporters. The section is to be made after the manner of an internal urethrotomy. Great care must be observed not to make the section so complete that the cut throughout its length shows from outside, in which case the curvature of the penis upward is so marked when cicitrization takes place that the future usefulness of the organ is greatly compromised. The above- mentioned cases being quite familiar to the thinking members of the profession in America, most of whom have already severely burned their fingers with some of them, we proceed to the consideration of a new means of curing the few cases of epilepsy and other functional diseases which the above described highly curative measures have failed to relieve. This means, I believe, has more in its favor than any of the above described methods of treatment. The profession know that a most frequent cause of chronic headache, nausea, and dizziness in some faulty refractive condition of the eye or muscular deficiency ifi the ocular or ciliary muscles. This fact has been known for a quarter of a century, and is becoming more fully appreciated daily. A work is now presented to the profession entitled : “ Functional Nervous Diseases,” by George T. Stevens, M. D., *Ph.D.

The author claims as the result of observation in twenty-six hundred and ninety-two cases of nerz'ous diseases that the nervous exhaustion occasioned by difficulties attending the function of accommodating and adjusting the eyes in the act of vision, or irritations arising from the nerves involved in these processes, are among the most prolific sources of nervous disturbances, and more frequently than any other conditions constitute a neuropathic tendency. He believes that the above causes of nervous conditions are the pre-eminent, but admits they are not the exclusive causes.

The author, publishes a table of one hundred cases of nervous disease, containing records of the disease of the patient ; the refractive error found ; the result o'f the treatment and a history of the family. These hundred cases were sufficiently accommo- dating to have refractive errors, the correction of which cured the nervo js disease in every case where the results of the treatment were reported.*

Another thing which must not be forgotten in considering this remarkable production. It received from I’Academie Royal de Med- icine, of Belgium, the highest honor, which it well deserved, providing

* Note. — this is a most accommodating lot of patients,

it can be proven in the future that there is an almost constant rela- tion existing between epilepsy and ocular defects, the correction of which will cure epilepsy. Allowing for the utter impossibility of any enthusiast to write upon his hobby in an impartial manner, if one- half of the claims made in this work are true, it is the most remarkable contribution to medical science of the age.

The author publishes illustrative cases of headache, epilepsy and chorea, insanity, naming in several instances the family physicians of the patients treated, and also giving photographs before and after treatment, of which he says:

“ The photographs show more than I am able to tell, but even they do not convey a perfect idea of the wonderful revolutions which had taken place in the mental conditions of the boy in eighteen days.” The author is a gentleman and a friend, and the profession believe him to be perfectly sincere. I have given as fully as space permits the strong arguments which favor his theories. Having no collected statistics, I am obliged to use those he has collected in forming an opinion. My conclusion, after a careful examination of the subject, is that the only difference between the author's views and those of any careful ophthalmologist who examines the refractive and muscu- lar conditions of the eyes of every person who consults him, is that the author finds refractive, atcommodative or muscular errors in all cases of nervous disease.t He believes that the commonest cause of epilepsy and chorea are ocular defects, the correction of which will cure the case.

Other ophthalmologists find ocular defects a very frequent cause of headache, nausea and dizziness, but not infrequently find such cases which have no ocular defects. They do not find cases of undoubted epilepsy which are cured by the correction of an ocular defect, and when they find cases which resemble epilepsy they usually find an hysterical element, which causes them to reject the case from the list of epileptic patients treated.

We have been very free thus far to admit the claims of the author and acknowledge the facts which support his theories. Now, let us criticise in the same free manner the means the author uses to con- vince us of the correctness of his opinions.

1. He has read and admires the contributions of Landolt, of Paris; he must have found them faultless to have admired them.

I find Landolt has written a book in 1886 which, in all its practical conclusions drawn from clinical experience, is decidedly inferior to Bonders’ work, which appeared in 1864. Landolt’s work is not for a moment to be compared with Mauthner’s work, published in 1876. If a man can’t improve on the literature of a given subject he better not contribute to it.

Landolt misquotes authors, draws a conclusion from his false quo- tation, acknowledges he does not understand the etiology of the subject discussed, and then commences a criticism of the false quota- tion he has made. If our author has read Landolt and failed to discover these facts, it reflects a bad light on the acuteness of his powers of observation. This fact alone makes me suspicious that a prevailing incorrectness will be found in his work as we proceed to examine it.

2. Page 7 of his introduction, he gives Duoder credit of discover- ing “ hypermetropia,” another little inaccuracy that makes me suspicious that he is capable of making other blunders.

.\11 Bonders knew of hypermetropia he stole from the table of Jaeger during a visit to Vienna.

Br. Carl Stellwag had written an essay on this subject and given it to Jaeger to read. Bonders, during this visit, obtained these views from Jaeger and appropriated them.

The next point I desire to call the attention of my readers to is the photographs illustrating patients who have had various nervous diseases; they illustrate before and after treatment. Two portraits — page 46 — one shows the child June 8, 1883; the other, June 12, after the operation which relieved an insufficiency of the external rectus. The author states that “ it is needless to tell one who t Note. — See his statistics.

examines these two pictures that the change was marvellous.” I agree that the change is marvellous.

Before operation the photograph is so printed that the child appears to be a decided brunette, four days after operation she appears as a blonde.

The following will illustrate how great the change was in the indi- vidual after the operation of tenotomy had been performed.

Before Operation.

Brunette.

Vertical measurement of head, I 3-4 inches. Breadth of head, 1 3-8 inches.

Badly printed.

Before operation the child ap- pears as if she expected both eyes were to be taken out.

After Operation.

Blonde.

Vertical measurement of head, 2 inches. Breadth of head, I 1-2 inches. Great care used in printing.

After operation the the child ap- pears free from fear.

The change is marvelous, but it appears to me to have been pro- duced principally by optical changes within the control of the photographer; that part of the change in the photograph which was produced by an alteration in the ocular conditions is not easily discovered.

All the physicians referred to confirm the statements made regard- ing their particular case of chorea or epilepsy, which must be remembered as a strong argument in favor of the truth of these apparently wonderful discoveries.

Space will not allow me to review more than the striking photo- graphs. Let us now consider Plate No. 2, which illustrates a case of chorea before and after treatment by the author.

Before Treatment.

Vertical measurement of head, 1 7-8 inches. Horizontal

measurement of head, i 3-8 inches, allowing for constant movement of head in lateral directions.

Picture printed as badly as possible.

.\fter Treatment.

Vertical measurement of head, 1 5-8. Horizontal measure- ment, I 1-8 inches.

Picture printed distinctly.

From the above our author makes a brave assertion, namely:

“ Chorea is emphatically a nervous trouble, depending upon ocular conditions.” I here again claim that the difference in the appear- ance of the patient before and after treatment, is largely due to optical conditions which are under the control of the photographer, and are not due, as represented, to a change in the ocular condition of the patient.

We will now consider Plate j, which represents a most distressing case of epilepsy in the minds of the author and the family physician The picture presents to my mind, among other things, the purest kind of a picture of hysteria:

Before Treatment. After Treatment,

Picture so badly printed as to be Picture piinted perfectly,

unrecognizable.

The distortion of the measurements of the photograph before and after treatment are not sufficient to require criticism.

Plate 4 represents an individual suffering indescribably from epi- lepsy and chorea, another striking picture to my mind of an “ hysterical crank.”

Before Treatment. After Treatment.

Vertical measurements of head sufficiently alike not to merit criticism. Horizontal measurement of head. Horizontal measurement of

I 3-8 inches. Picture printed head, i inch. Picture

with striking indistinctness. printed with striking dis-

tinctness.

It is a strange photographic lens which will, without any intention on the part of the operator, distort the horizontal measurements of a head three-eighths of an inch without disturbing its vertical measure- ments. This piece of art would be an interesting subject for photographers to discuss. M’e have no space.

Plate j represents a most remarkable change in the condition of a young man, who, during a period of unusual religious excitement, became unquestionably insane. The case is vouched for by Br. P. M. Wise, Superintendent of the Willard Asylum for the Insane.

Before Treatment. After Treatment.

Mouth open. Picture badly printed. Mouth closed. Picture badly

^ printed. Necktie changed.

The change is marvelous