Figure 13. — The Auburndale Timer with top plate, 

 balance, and control mechanism removed to show 

 the train. The conventional barrel has 66 teeth 

 that drive a pinion on the so-called lo-minute staff. 

 This staff carries on the dial end the pointer, which 

 revolves in 10 minutes, as indicated on the dial. 

 .'Mso on this staff is an unspoked wheel of 80 driving 

 the center, or minute, stalF through a pinion of 8. 

 In addition to the sweep hand (or hands in the case 

 ol the split model) indicating seconds up to a duration 

 of one minute, there is a wheel of 80 driving a pinion 

 of 8 on an intermediate staff. A wheel of 60 on this 

 staff drives a pinion of 10 on the escape-wheel stall. 

 A pointer on this last staff also carries the hand that 

 indicates fractions of a second. (In the author's 

 collection.) 



through the ring and across the face of the teeth. This 

 produced a gear somewhat resembling an internal 

 bevel gear, one which could have only the merest 

 contact with its mating pinion. To make a durable 

 gear for this application it would be necessary to pass 

 the cutter through the ring in line with the gear a.xis. 

 This would require a special or, at least, radically 

 modified gear-cutting machine with a cutter arbor 

 shorter than the inside diameter of the gear. Into 

 this short space the spindle bearings and means of 

 dri\ing the spindle would have to be crowded, along 

 with the cutter. Hopkins faced a problem similar to 

 this in cutting the ring gear for his watch, except that 

 the brass gear needed for the rotary watch could be 

 cut far more easily and quickK . This may be the link 

 which brought \\'ales and the defunct United States 

 Watch Co. into the .Auburndale picture. .Another 

 plausible link between Fowle and Wales in\ol\es a 

 patent ■' Wales received for a pulley. This, the now 

 familiar device of interlocking conical sections so 

 commonly used in variable speed V-belt dri\es, was 

 assigned to G. E. Lincoln of Boston. Massachu.setts. 

 George E. Lincoln was treasurer of the Mammoih 

 \'ein Consolidated Coal Co. at Boston in 186.S, with 

 an office adjoining that of Fowle. In addition he 

 ijoarded for many years at .\ubmndale,"^ and he 

 apparently owned the buildings about to be con\crted 

 into a watch factory. Thus we sec that Lincoln ma\- 

 \er\ well have been the one who brought Fowle and 

 Wales together. 



William B. Fowle's cash book shows, on JiiK' 14, 

 1876, payment to Geo. E. Lincoln "For large building 



" U. S. patent 179746. is.sucdjuly 11, 1876. 

 '* Boston directory, 1865 through 1872. 



used $200" and "For .small building used S30." On 

 July 21 is an entry "Milo Lucas bal. of Building Con- 

 tract $1605.25." These with an entry on the pre- 

 ceding June 30, "Milo Lucas on a/c Contract for 

 Building" seem, with a July 25 entry "W. E. C 

 Fowler, Painting Factory S64.91," to cover the 

 expense for the bare factory. The buildings, two 

 stories high and measuring 40 x 20 and 32 x 20 feet, 

 respectively, were located on the Weston bank of the 

 Charles River, opposite Fowle's home, from which 

 they could be reached by a private ferry. This 

 pleasant bucolic location was not far upstream fronj 

 that originally sought by the Boston Watch Co. when 

 that firm was looking for a spot to move to from 

 Roxburs in 1854. The situation of the factory was 

 described as a wild and secluded glen." 

 Another account ■"* says: 



The well appointed little steamer U'fiiU Suan, owned and 

 commanded by a Captain Gibbs. veteran of the last war, 

 now plies regularly between Waltham and .\uburndale 

 Bridge, carrying picnic parties, etc. . . . Along the banks 

 of the river arc located the summer residences of Messrs. 

 Cutter and Merrill, the elegant residence of R. M. Pulsifer, 

 Ma\or of Newton, the splendid mansion of Ex-Mayor 

 Fowle, the Benyon mansion and others. ... At sunset the 

 river is alive with canoes, row-boats, shells and sailboats 

 tilled with ladies and gendemen adding, with the delightful 

 music, greatly to the natural charm of the scenery. 



-■ M. F. Swoitscr, King's handbook of .Vavlon, Massachusetts, 

 Boston, .Mass., 1889, p. 203. 

 2* Smith, op. cit. (foolnote 22), p. 20. 



PAPER 4: AUBURNDALE WATCH COMPANY 

 471274—59 5 



