Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 September 16

= September 16 =

What was the occupation of "timer" circa 1902?
My local newspaper, the Canton Repository, is running a series of front pages of the last 200 years for each day, to commemorate the paper's 200th anniversary. The Sept. 4 one was a front page from 1902 speaking of various Labor Day activities and other things involving work; a good taste of Labor Day in Canton back then.

One headline intrigued me; it mentioned timers seeking more pay and that those in Massillon and Alliance made a couple cents more an hour. I've tried to search on Google, but while it could be buried deep, I can't seem to find anything when I ask what the occupation of "timer" is. I'm guessing it has to do with train switches and determining how on schedule they are, things which would be all automated now (and not as common anyway with much less train travel than back then) but i really have little clue.

So, I turn to the fine people here - does anyone here know what the occupation of Timer was? Thanks.Somebody or his brother (talk) 21:47, 16 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Oh, I wish people didn't ask these sort of questions as it makes me feel so old... This was about TINNERS not timers. A person who works with tin or tin plate. Don't appologies, I have the sanne  same problem with printed letters.--Aspro (talk) 22:23, 16 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Also, Wikipedia has a disambiguation page on tinners, there are two such jobs; one was a tin smith the other was someone involved in tin mining. Also relevant to this question is the concept of kerning, look up "kerning goofs" on Google.  You'll see lots of fun examples (words like "click" look like "dick" and things like that).  -- Jayron 32 23:35, 16 September 2015 (UTC)
 * I thought of that too (being half Cornish), but I had a look at our Canton, Ohio article, and there are no tin mines there, nor ever have been. Therefore, tinsmith it is. Alansplodge (talk) 10:23, 18 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Still, thinking "timer" was a job is a reasonable misinterpretation. In 1902 a computer was the name of an occupation, not a gizmo that we use to communicate around the world :) SemanticMantis (talk) 22:57, 17 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Thanks for understanding; yes, being legally blind makes things very interesting at times. I guess I just tried too hard to make it seem like it had to be vastly different than what we use the word for now.Somebody or his brother (talk) 01:24, 18 September 2015 (UTC)