The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-22 00:00:00

LABOUR IN NEW YORK.

(From the New York Tribune, August 29.) '
Although Mr. Samuel Slick told a very good story,
and was in other respects a worthy and companionable
man, he was not much of a clockmaker. This is a
branch of business about which a great deal is said and
a very little generally known. The following facts have
been furnished us by a Yankee operator from Connecti-
cut, who is considerable of a clock " case" himself, and
is familiar with the budness in all its details.

The number of clocks manufactured in this country is
very great, and the improvements in the manufacture of
the article introduced during the last four years have
materially reduced the price as well as the wages of the
operatives. Connecticut, we believe, is the only state
in which clock " movements" are made. But there arc
many shops all over the north where the cases are ma-
nufactured. There are about 20 of these in this city.
The business thus consists of two distinct branches.
The case-maker sells his cases to the movement-maker,
or buys of him the movements and puts them in himself.
Formerly the wheels for brass clocks were cast, then
turned and smoothed with great labour. Now the
brass comes rolled in plates of the proper thickness for
the different wheels and is pressed out—one motion of
the prey being sufficient to cut and centre the wheel.
This saves much time and money.
There are a number of firms in Connecticut that put
ready for market 200 clocks a day, and they are sold at
2 dols. to 2 dols. 50c. a piece, according to quality.
The cases (which are extensively manufactured here)
are sold for 60 to 75 cents. each. Good mahogany and
zebra cases, well made and polished, can be bought now
for 65 cents.—the fame quality of article as would have
cost two dollars three years ago. The wages of work_
men in the clock business are poor. An experienced and
skilful hand cannot get more than 1 dollar or 1 dollar
25 cents. per day. A great many young men and boys
work at the business who receive only from 8 dollars to
9 dollars per month.
The movement or running part of clocks can now be
bought for less than 1 dol. a piece—three years ago they
were worth 2 dols. 50c. We know a gentleman who made
a grand speculation in the clock bnsiness as follows :
He sold his farm for 3000 dollars and added to ihis sum
3000 dollars in Lash, the whole am+ unt of which
he invested in clock movements at 2 dole. 50c. a
piece to be delivered as he wishe 1. This w s
.ie
three
years ago ; and clueks being just then ratheri dull of
sale,
be
be
bought"boldin fgoorn"sf3oreebnettstc apiece.rprices, uet_r4olw m
hoivsemmoenvets.
ments cost him in cssh 40 cents. mo_s:rehisthiasnthtehewya3wtehree
worth to say nothing of the farm.
clockmakcrs get rich.
formerlyars ap soldce. atßu
tthe f
late South,
ye ars t
hbring-
ingthe
from 25 to.
100
0r
more knowing or less flush, purchase
The clocks were
Southerners, either more
Yankee nation has been for
in supplying Great
very engaged *
"improved patent buss clocks." Great
Britain with
numbers are also sent to the West India colonies
some fetrnieandextteensuively
and more to China. Nearly all that are made are now
sent out of the country. There were three months ago
probably 3,000 clocks per day sent frotn the state of
Connecticut ; but since that time mans of th, manufac-
turers have run down, owing to their selling t. o much on
tick, and the business has somewhat fallen off.

TEE LATE Ma. THOMAS DAVIS.—The funeral
obsequies of the late Mr. Thomas Osborne Davis, editor of
the newspaper, took place at nine o'clock this morning.
His remains were followed to their final destination at the
cemetery of Mount Jerome, Harold's-cross, by a procession
consisting of nearly eighty carriages ; amongst others were
conspicuous those of Lord Clencurry, the Lord Mayor, and
Mr. O'Connell, M.P., besides a great number of private equi-
pages. The members of the 'B2 Club attended in full force,
their gay and glittering uniforms affording a sad contrast to
the mournful spectacle of which they formed a part. Mr.
Davis was ono of the original projectors of this club, the
nucleus having been formed during the imprisonment of the
Repeal conspirators in the summer of 1844. He was also the
acknowledged leader of the " Young Ireland" section of the
Repeaters ; and while the journal under his control was, by a
new and peculiar style of writing, exercising an influence
perfectly marvellous upon the minds of a population appa-
rently half ripe for any adventure, however desperate, it was
his good fortune, by a happy art, never to give currency to
one expression calculated to wound the feelings or hurt the
self-esteem of a political opponent.---Dublin Paper of
Thvrsday.

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