Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-11-27
From the ". y. SPriiof TIE Times.
YANKEE CLOCK PEDLER.
RON A Missouri LAwYER's Norg BOOK.

In travelling through the new States OF the
West, one cannot faIl To notice the number OF
New Englsnd clocks every where TO b. found.
While riding tn circuit some years ago,
TO stop Tor the M ght al he house OF
a man with whom / had some previous ac-
q iiutance.
III was an industrious sensible man, but
poor. aud surrounded with large family OF
children.
In one corner Of the cabin, on a side shelf,
stood very small looking Yankee clock. Ey-
cry thing else bctokened poverty. His children
were hall naked. aud his wife performed all
the household work.
After supper asked him whether his clock
kept correct lime, observing that my watch
was some minutes faster than hs clock.
YES" he remarked, there is not better
time-pic in the State. I've had that clock
TOUR years, aud it's never been the least out Oi
Order
| then asked him what he gave for it, aud
ot whom he purchased l.; aud these intetroga-
tories drew from him, what | expected. the
history OF the clock, which was "a follows:
About four years ago, he commenced, "a
Yankee clock pcdleT Gated at our house with
a load OF clocks. knew at once what he was
after, bu, had before made up my mind not
tn purchase Yankee clock upon ans terms
whatever. lie ,sed me for a long time offer
ing me any terms might ask, bat told him
was determined MT To purchase; thlt we had
no use Tor q clock, that w could tell the tin e
oi day well enough tor our purposes by the
sun mark on the floor; and that on cloudy DAYS
We could tell by our feelings when it was time
To eat.
When he found that would not buy, hc
asked me 10 let hin set up one ot his clocks
until lac came that WAY again. But knew
that was one OF their old tricks, aud 50 re-
fused 10 let him set up the clock
Finding that he could do nothing with me,
he drove ON. lie had notlbecn gone long before
he returned saying his horse was sick aud The
roads were 80 hard, aud his load SO heavy
he was afraid that he would not bc able To &c,
along without he lightened his wagon. lie
again asked me as d favor, TO let him set az
one OF his clocks in my house until he retur
ned, saying lac did not want me TO buy tn,
clock, but only wanted TO tighten bis wagon
Il suspected him, even then; but his hor >,
did look badly, aud ! felt cory for the fellow
80 | consented that lac might set one OF hi,
clocks, upon condition that he would not az
me p1rchdsc II on hIs return. lie thanked M
very much, and sid that io prove that lac dis
not want me To- purchase the clock, lac would
give II To me II on his return lac asked me tc
huy II. So he set up the clock aud set IL I
'''b, ~" E"'t particular NilNNAollo loN u
keep il in order.
"Af.er the Yankee left us every thing abou
the house was done by the clock. Ny wife
regulated all her business by the clock The
meat was put in the pot TO boil at a certain
aud the dinner was always on the table just
as the clock struck twelve.
when the clock struck nine we oil went
TO bed. and got up as the clock struck Eve.
The preacher often preached at our house
because he could tell al what hour TO com
mence, and when TO stop, 80 as to let the peo-
pie 90 home before dark. Every day some OF
our neighbors would stop at our house 10 learn
the time OF day. la short nothing was done
without consulting the clock NV wife went
- iaT "a To say thet whcn l was away from
home, the cloca wss company tur her.
About SIX months afterwards, | was set
ilng 81 nay door, one afternoon, when who
should drive up bot the Yankee clock pcdlcr.
tile had Come for lis clock, aud had but a
few minutes tu stay, Tor lac wanted To get as
a. lar as possible on his way tina, evening
You never saw such huhhub a. there was
IN our house. My wife declared that she
could not set along without the clock She
SAID she could never know when io do any
thing. The children commenced crying and
begged not 10 let the clock 20.
"fhe Yankee stood by. only saving that he
was IN hurry aud wanted To box up lis clio. X
az soon a. possible.
The short OF the matter is. thatI was com
PEELED TO buy the clock. gave the Yankee
hir'y dollars IN cash for it, aud that took eva
~ dollar had been saving Tor tie last year to
cnler my land