Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-03-30
TIE CLOCK AKER,
Or THE SAYINGS AND DoINGs OF SAMUEL
SLICK, OF SLICKvILLE.

llsh) to the amount of sixteen thousand
pounds. The house of every substantial
farmer had three substantial ornaments, q
wooden clock, tin reflector, and n Poly-
glot Bible. How is it that an American
sells his wares at whatever price be pleases,
where blue nose would fail to make n
sale at all I will inquire of the clock
maker the secret of his success.
What a pity it is, Mr.. Slick (for such
was his namc,l what a pity It Isl said |,
that you. who are SO successful in teaching
these people he value Of clochS could not
teach them the value of time
Il guess, said he, they have got that
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 paris
bu, cot, drink smoke, sleep, ride about
lounge at taverns, make speeches at TEN,
perance meetings, and talk about blouse
of ASSEMBLY," If a man don't hoe his corn
and he don't get crop, he says it is all
! owing to the bank; and if he runs in debt
and is sued, why he says the lawyers are n
curse to the country. They are a most
idle set of folks, tell you
TO sell such an immense number of clocks,
| (which certainly cannot be called necessary
artlces) 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
looking me in the face, said IN u confden>
tial tone
why, don't care if do tell you, for
the market is glutted, and shall quit this
circuit. Ii is done by a knowledge Of soft
saWder and human natur. But here Is
deacon Flint's,' said he, Il have but one
clock left, and | guess will sell it to him
! At the gate Of most comfortable look
ing farmhouse stood deacon Flint. re-
spectacle 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.
After the usual salu,ation, an invitation to
'allght," was accepted by Mr.. Slick, who
said he wished to take leuve 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, 50 id ,
IF [ was TO tell them in Connec,lcut
that there was such farm az this, way
down east here in Nova Scotia. they
wouldn't believe mc-why there amt such
"a location in all New England. The dea
con has hundred acres of dyke
Seventy said the deacon, only seven.
ty.
well seventy; but there is your fine
deep bottom, why l 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 in its right place.
We'll, interval, # you please, (though
Professor Eleazer Comstock, IN his work
on Ohio, calls them bottoms it is just as
good as dyke. Then there is the water
privilege, worth 5000 or 1000 dollars, twice
as good as what Governor Cass paid 5, 900
dollars for. wonder, deacon, You doo't
put up n cardng mill on it; the same
works would carry turnng-Iathe, a shin
gle machine, circular saw, grind bark
and
Too Old said the deacon, too old for
all those specula,ions,'
'Old,' repeated the clock maker-not
|
the young men we see now-a days; you
are young enough to have
Here he sad something in lower tone
of voice, which did not distinctly hear :;
but whatever it was, the deacon was pleas
ed he smiled and said he did not think of
such things now.
But your beasts, dear me, your beasts
must be put in and have some feed saying
which he went out to order them to be
taken 10 the stable.
AS the old gentleman closed the door
after him, Mr.. S. drew near to me, and
said in an under tome
| That is what | call soft Sa,cder. An
! Engllshman would pass that man as sheen
passes hog in pasture, wnhou, looking
at him; Or SAID he, looking rather archly,
| If he was mounted on pretty smart horse,
| guess he'd tIot away i he could. Now |
| find
Here his soft sa,cder' was cut short by
the entrance of Mrs. Flint.
'Jlst come to say good bye, Mrs. Flint
what, have you sold all your clocks?
Yes, and very low too, FOR money is
scarce, and wish to close the consarD--
no. am wrong in saying all, for | have
Jest one left Nclghbor SlceI's wife asked
to have the refusal Of 1t, but guess wont
sell it. had but two Of them, this one
and the Teller Of it that | sold Governor
Lincoln. General Greene, the Secretary
of the State for Maine, said he'd give me
fifty dollars for this ere one; 1t has compo
sllon wheels and patent aXles--it is a good
article, real first chop, no mistake, genuine
superfine, but guess I'll take it back.--
And besides, squire Hawk might think
kind O. hard that didn't give him the Of
fer.
Dear me- said Mrs Flint, Il should like
| to see it--where is ~
: It's in chest of mine over the way at