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February 13, 1939.
Hal H. 1.orbovig (white)
22 N. Lexington Ave.
Asheville, N. C.
AatonmaKer
Douglas Carter, writer.
CRAFTSLAN BORN
Original Names
Hal H. Norbovig
Changed Names
Halver Halverson
CRAFTSMAN BORN
"My parents were born in Molds, Norway, and came to
America in 1867. They were on the boat 30 days, and
their first child, my oldest brother, was born before
they got to liew York. My father was the oldest of nine
boys. I was born in 1876, the sixth of 10 children."
The speaker is Halver Halverson, and the sign on his shop
reads "Expert Watchmaker." He is above medium height,
weighs about 170, has white hair, brushed straight back,
wears glasses, and is known to his friends as "Professor",
but he cannot recall how he got the nickname. He prefers
to be called "Hal", but no one outside his family uses that
name.
His father settled in Winona, Minnesota, and there Mr.
Halverson was born. Some of his brothers and sisters still
live there, and Minnesota is "home" to him yet, although he
has been away for 35 years or so. He has nailer been to Nor-
way, nor out of the United States, except for short vacation
10,
.s
Craftsmen
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trips to Canada and dilexlee. His most exciting tripe how—
ever, was a boat trip on the Mississippi La 1893. His father
had auilt an 18 —toot sailboat in his spare time d during
tho suer tivIr eight sail for Iowa: Ur Halverson, his father,
and two of Lis brothers. Adverse wether waa encountered
almost implediately, and once they were caught in a. whirlpool,
but toy reEched their destination, Muscatine, Iowa. and
then visited tlo Chicago :trldts air, The father was think..
in of removinf!, to glseatlne, but he did not find the situation
th.:.6 favorable. ttirnia tron tie sold the boat
and th,u went tlacr. to i,iinona.
r.Halverson was isatined to see or or Iowa, however.
For four earsthere he operated one of tne early motto*.
picture teaters. 4mi:salon was 51 and 1;4, end the program
Ivo:slated of two reA.s, stini7, about -30 minutes. Later he
operatod a ehain or 10 wnolesele—gractery stores. Aeither
the lotion•picture industry not the groeory business was able
to retain Ilia interest, thau41, Rad laf.4 returned to the first
busiilasF; he knew: jewelry. :l'or 15 years he we a traveling
auetioneer, eara:143 about 250 a woe. Then his health failed
and hes river tom _lately recovered t.Ien 30wee anle to
work fain, ha started anew, IN:miming the emit he learned as
a by in A.aons. He ha- viaited this as a Jewelry auctioneer,
and the climsta seemed benefleial to his oondition, so here
he is: .elver flalverson xAtrt 4atchmakier.
For three years after coming hece he wee employed by one
of the leadisv jewelers, but he tired of the long, regular
hours 1.::4 t!,0 repair shop, and decided to open a place of Lis
own, ,igh-priced field wee fully covered at tht, ties,
as it La now, and his capital war limited, uo he opened a
very n7iall store ia oae or the minor busineszi ovations& The
elterprise was uot properou et tirst„ but ha was his awn
boss ef4eLi, and hi .11enttged to kosp go ur.
-subsequently he moved twice each tto to a etter loots ion
and now hd has a watchmaker working for his. ills present
store is roomy, bit sot ex:Aasiva; attractive, t not slob
orate; conveniently located but not conspicuous. There ere
ase showcases alon tWO S-05 of ttle front room, stiet is
flush wit the aldewalk, and frouted th IA.e.glaes windows,
lvereoa itis his own workbeneh Just inside one of the
wintlows, so t% -t the curious nay stead an tivi pi ewolt and
watch him at work Th i4tent a beach is farther beck,
a-gainst the well. Both are b-lnd Vats thowehilisa.
Xhe rear
room has °that' orkbenenes ad the leavier A8 hinery. tr,
jalversoa valacta his tools and equipAeat it aout Pip000•
Many or tha tools have beca Ui 4is soassi for sore than
Creftemon
411.41.
45 years, inoluding tha first slall at given to him as a
boy by :11a father. TWIse could not be bought at any price,
though Vlsir actual moetaz.y V1Ue is small.
There le no extfrAgive trade in merchandiee,most of tho
inoomo of the business being derived from repairing end
manufacturW. Any erticle of Jewelry eau be made to order
in the shop, a. any repair Job will be unAortaken. 9eeidoe
new -lerchan'Ane, Mt Halverson deals. In secondhand articles,
mostly watohes and oloos. He as SONO .very interesting old,
timapieees, which he would probably sell if prorv,eod, but he
ha e become atteehed to them, ana rather ilk a to 4V010 VMS
around, .ine of there is a cloak lade entirely or w-Jod in
Boston in 1723. Te works are of apple woad, a:id tho other
;)arts, cherry ehd maple. It still keeps accurate time.
LaQa.dng a watch does not sound compliented to tie average
person, end it in really a sirele faeration for the expert
who ha w ttu proper equipment, but tNersons who have oomplained
about the prices charged by watehmakers for oleaningtheir
tiptoes should see Ur. lalvercon clean one. There is an
astonishing number of parte in the everee watch, and some
of them ere no larger ta tc. goal/ end of a -3in. All must
be remaved end given eeprato attsrtlon. Some require the
use of elecial tools bet ore it is possible to remove them.
Craftsmen
When the watch is reduced to its comdonent parts, each
part is carefully examined under a powerful magnifying
glass. ':;orn or faulty parts must be replaced, but whether
or not the parts are replaced, each must be washed in a special
solution, after which it dried, washA, again in benzine,
fi-ally dried, and then restored to its proper place. When
it has been reassembled, the watch must be carefully adjusted:
one nut or screw too tight or too loose might cause faulty
operation.
In former days, as a hobby, Mr. Holverson painted land-
scapes. He was not very good at portraiture, but he became
adept at cutting silhouettes. He ,lade them at first to amuse
his children and their friends,and, beeoming interested, he
later perfected tae art.
Zach member of his family seems to have inherited manual
talents and a certain artistic ability. His father had been
a watchmaker in Norway, and was successful, by standards there,
but he had heard exciting things about America, and emigrated.
He was not only a watchwAker, he made violins, and played them.
Aamold, the concert violinist, visited him, tried out his violins,
found one he liked, bought it, and used it for the rest of his
career. Mr. Halverson tie(', seven brothers and two sisters, but
four of the brothers died in infaney or childhood. The
others became watchmakers. Later, one of them took up
photoraphy, and another, optometry, professions which they
still practioe in Minnesota. When their father died, Mt.
Halversonts oldest brother took over his jewelry basinees,
oombined it with ie own, and eondueted it sueessisfully
until his own loath a few years ago.
As a boy, Mr. flvi1yeron was taught watchmaking in his
father's chop, as were his brothers. He word for hiS father
for sow time, and also for his oldest brot%er, after the
letter had opened a separate place. At another time, he and
his yourvIest brother operated a jewelry storeof their own.
Zu 1902 he _larried a lady of anglish parentage, and they had
three daughters. The oldest daughter it the on4 one of the
family who ha.i hnd e collee education :he Txadunted at the
jniversity of !,anuestota. This daughter married, and is liv•
ing in New Jersey.
Thn other two daughtersere artist*, living In 0alifornia
frld working for the Disney lAudios. It, the older,
is na assistant !),apervi or, with 40 artiwts under her, and
Helan, the younger, is in charge of s de artment that employs
lb artists. The Vormer was given the name icaiznbeth, but
she has been "Burr" since her baby days, when she told people
that her name was "Lis -buff". Mr. Halverson is very proud
of several original Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and similar
drawings that were sent to him by his daughters. They are
framed, and hang on the walls of his store. When he sees a
Walt Disney production at a motion -picture theater, he never
is sure which part of the picture, if any, is the handiwork
of Helen or Buff, because scores of artists work on each film,
but it interests him to speculate. He has not seen his
daughters for nearly seven years.
He does not bother to vote, now, and has not even regis-
tered here, but he leans toward the Democratic Party. Such
things as Congress, relief, national defense, and the
European situation do not interest him at all, and he has
no opinions to express. He was brought up in the Lutheran
church, but belongs to no congregation now. For a time he
attended Christian Scientist churches, but mover belonged
to one.
Mr Halverson lives alone, at a local hotel, and takes
his meals at various cafes nearby. He likes to play poker,
and sometimes spends the night playing. He never loses, or
wins, very much. Often, after an all-night session, he
finds that he is about even. He is also a patron of petty
mrackets": baseball and football pools, butter and egg
lotteries, etc. He is always loser on these, but takes it
philosophically, however, his favorite diversion is to go
to the "movies"- after all, might see one of Walt Disney's;
and I like to keep up with the work Buff and Helen are
doing."