My Grandparents' Watches
SCENES FROM CHILDHOOD
April 13, 2024 at 5:07 p.m.
(left) Naomi riding Flossy, with Grandfather Henry Weakly; (right) the Treasure Domes that house the Dollar Watch and Railroad Watch
...by Naomi Cooper Murphy
One day Grandfather asked Grandmother what kind of gift she wanted. She told him she had always admired the Ingersoll Dollar Watches that ladies wore tied at the waist with a grosgrain ribbon. Grandfather gave her a dollar and when she came home with her new watch, he asked for the change.
Now the watch is mine.
When I open the back of the watch, I see in very fine lettering, the date, 1903. The original box sits near the Treasure Dome that displays my Dollar Watch. It boasts, “The Dollar Watch that made the dollar famous.”
In the second Treasure Dome is Grandfather’s railroad watch which I enjoyed every time he pulled it out of his watch pocket. It was engraved with a locomotive on the back.
The family story tells that when Grandpa and Uncle Ike left Omaha to homestead in Montana, they settled on land north of Billings. Grandpa was hired as a watchman for the railroad at the tunnel that ran through the rim rocks from Billings to all towns north. He told us the watch was given to him by the railroad. He was so proud of it.
I like Grandpa’s version of this story and have learned that sometimes it isn’t so wise to dig for the truth.
Recently a watch and clock maker advised me, “This pocket watch is not of railroad grade, but is a reliable grade of the type affordable to non-operating railroad employees or to the general public. A watch with a picture of a locomotive on the case is almost a guaranty that it is not a railroad watch.”
He continued, “All U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads at the time this watch was manufactured required a movement of 17 or more jewels for operating employees; e.g. engineers, firemen, conductors and supervisory employees who were responsible for ensuring accuracy of train schedules.”
Grandpa’s watch was a 7-jewel model and will always be my treasure.
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