The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-13
THE CLOCK-MAKER,
Or tbs sayings and doings Of Samuel Slick
OF Siickpiie


Of Siickuiile.
These sketches, which have been much
quoted by all Of the country, have been col
lected and published in one volume, IL mo.
They are well worth reading, possessing a
great deal Of quaint humor, graphic and strik-
ing description and great insight into charac-
ter. The author of the book may be Justly
called the American Boz.
The following are some of his peculiari-
ties !:
The Clock Maker.--I had heard Of Yankee
clock pedlars, tin pedlars and Bible pedlars,
especially Of him who sold Polyglot Bibles
(aHm Enghsh) to the amount Of sixteen thou
sand pounds. The house Of every substan-
tial farmer had three substantial ornaments,
wooden clock, tin reflector, and Poly
glot Bible. How is it that an American sells
his wares, at whatever price he pleases
where bule nose would fail to make a sale at
all | will inquire Of the clock maker the
secret Of his success.
What a pity it is Mr.. Slick" Qor such
was his name) "what pity it is" said /,
that you who are so successful in teaching
these people the. value of clocks, could not
teach them the value of lime"
gutSS, lHSy lluNC sOt thub
ring to grow on their horns yet, which every
four year-old has in our country. We reckon
hours and minutes to be dollars and cents.
They do nothing in these parts, but eat, drink,
smoke, sleep, ride about, lounge at taverns,
make speeches at temperance meetings, and
talk about house ofassembly.' If a man don't
hoe his corn, and he don't get crop, he says
il is all owing to the bank; and if he runs in
debt and is sued, why he says the lawyers are
curse to the country. They are most idle
set of folks, tell you"
;" But how is it," said ], /" that you manage
to sell such an immense number of clocks,
(which certainly cannot be called necessary
articles,) among people with whom there
seems to be SO great scarcity of money!"
Mr.. Slick paused, as if considering the
propriety of answering the question, and look
inc me in the face, said, in confidential
tone
"Why don't care if do tell you, for
the market is glutted, and shall quit this
circuit 1t is done by a knowledge of soft
sa,rder and human natur. But here is deacon
Flint's" said he 81 have but one clock left,
and guess will sell it to him."
AT the gate of most comfortable looking
farm. house stood deacon Flint, respectable
old man, who had understood the value of
time better than most Of his neighbors, if one
might Judge from the appearance OF every
thing about him. Alter-the usual salutaton,
an invitation to "alight" was accepted by
Mr.. Slick. who said he wished to take leave
of Mrs. Flint before he left Colchester.
We hardly entered the house, before the
clock maker pointed to the view from the
window, and addressing himself to me, said,
"If ! was to tell them in Connecticut, that
there was such farm as this away down
east here in Nova Scotia, they wouldn't be-
lieve newly there Amt such location IN
all New England. The decon has hundred
acres of dyke'-
"Seventy," said the deacon, "only Sc
venty."
swell seventy but there is your fine deep
bottom, why could run ramrod into it
Interval, we call it, said the deacon,
who, though evidently pleased at this eulo-
GUM, seemed to wish the experiment Of the
ramrod to be tried at the right place
We'll, interval, if you please, (though pro-
fessor Eleazer Comstock, in his work on
Ohio, calls them bottoms,) is just as good as
dyke. Then there is that water privilege,
worth 5000 or 1000 dollars, twice as good
as what Governor Cass paid $4,000 dollars
for. | wonder, deacon, you don't put up q
carding mill on it; the same works would
carry turning-lathe, shingle-machine, a
circular saw, grind bark, and
"Too DID," said the deacon, too old ior
all those speculations."
"Old" repeated the clock maker" mol