Life — December 4, 1897 — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

gton a urned ext to } of the drink ke one ke one dida’t that the 1 Goor shtreet nner, debt" + polit. 1 sup: red on their ent, as out it, WALTHAM WATCHES. Howa WALTHAI1 WATCH set England’s Time. a American Waltham Watch Co., Waltham, Mass., U.S. A. Ge EMEN: About three yearssince, acting on the advice of a friend who had had one of your watches for about eigh- teen years, I purchased a Lever Wal- tham Watch, I am happy to say it has turned out a marvel of accuracy, and under the circumstances | feel | am only doing my duty in bringing this fact to your notice, .. . But perhaps its most unique performance, and the one of which I am especially proud, is the fact that by its aid I was able to defect an error in the fall of the time-ball at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, which gives the standard time to the civilized world. It happened as follows: I make a practice of watching the fall of the time-ball cach day at one o'clock p. m., whenever the air is clear enough, and one day, to my surprise, 1 found the ball had dropped some few seconds before I had expected itto. / had such confidence in my watch that I did not believe it was at fault, and felt sure that some mistake had been made at the Observatory. On telling some of my The reply from the 26 Ormiston Road, Westcombe Park, London, S. E., England, 10-2-'97. friends of my convictions, I was simply laughed at for my impudence in daring to pit my Waltham watch against the accuracy of the Royal Observatory. However, to set the matter at rest, I wrote to the Astronomer Royal, telling him of my conviction, and asking him if he would let me know whether I was right or wrong. Jn return I received a courteous reply from the Astronomer Royal, stating that Iwas quite right. and that on the day named, owing to an accident, the ball was dropped about eighteen seconds too soon. This seems to me sucha remarkable proof of the re- liability of your watches that I feel justi- fied in bringing it to your notice. If you would care to have the Astronomer Royal's letter as a memento, I should be pleased to hear from you to that effect. Wishing every success and prosperity to your deservedly world- famed Company, | remain, Yours very sincerely, Thomas Wireate, Astronomer Royal. Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, S. E., 1894, March 10, Dear Six: In answer to your letter of yesterday the Astronomer Royal requests me toinform you that on Thursday last the time-ball was, through an accident, dropped about eighteen seconds before one o'clock. T. Wheate, Esq. Yours truly, H. P. HOLtis, comicbooks.com