Out for Business (1900)

Out for Business

Horatio Alger Jr. and Edward Stratemeyer's 1900 juvenile novel follows Robert Frost through work, risk, and opportunity in New York. During an encounter with a stranger, Robert checks the time on his silver Waltham watch. (Open Library)

Watches

Waltham watch

Robert consults his excellent Waltham silver watch during an encounter with a stranger. The stranger asks to inspect the Waltham and proposes swapping it for a gold-colored watch, with Robert adding ten dollars. Robert explains that his father gave him the silver watch and that it cost twenty-five dollars. The exchange tests the sentimental value of a known gift against the stranger's tempting sales pitch. (Project Gutenberg source text)

Source text: "Here Robert took out his watch—it was an excellent Waltham silver watch—and consulted it." (Project Gutenberg ebook 54737)