Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-07-09
5eletteo articles.
From tho Boston Journal.
The Yankee CIock.Maker.
BY DR. ALcorT.

nuity, bought an old grist-nill in Plymouth,
at the southeastern extremity of Litchiieid
county, 10 Connecticut, and converted it into
wooden clock factory, The writer of this
article, then n tnere hoy, rendered his feeble
assistance in the work of rebuilding Wood
en- clocks liad indeed been made bcfre this
time by Lemuel Harrison, Of Waterbury, and
Gideon Roberts, Of ofBrisiol-towns contiguous
10 Plymouth-and perhaps ~ other pnrts of
The country; but only in very small numbers
II was even said that the parts of some of
the clocks first manufactured by these gen.
tlcmcn were nciunlly cut out with n pen
knile. In any event they were matle very
slowly, inserted in long cases reaching from
tic floor almost TO the ceiling, aud cost from
twenty-five to fifty dollars apiece.
The nntno of the Plymouth ndventurer
was Eli Terry. He was som able to manu-
facure clocks in his new factory at the rate
of several hundred--perhaps thousand-n
year. The "strcnm," however, to keep it
going, required many tributaries. All the
hills, for many miles round, at least in some
directions, were runsacked by the inhabitants
for hard wood various kinds, such as laurel,
popularity called ivy, box wood, sugar maple,
&c, wherewith To- make frame work and
pinions for the interior the fields were laid
under CONT ibuion TO produce flax, whence
hO NWNS Ntlb Wy NliiNN ut NilEUNH
were suspended; aud the price of labor on
the farns was raised because so many young
men were employed in connection with the
factory, aud in selling the clocks when made.
OF these last individuals, 'yclept clock ped
lars, some of The more bolu and enterprsing
yentnred abroad with their one horse wagon
fifty or hundred miles from home, aud sold
their wooden clocks at the amazingly low
price OF twenty five or thirty dollars. =
The busines rapidly increased, mud Mr..
Terry was, ere long, able to manufacture. not
only one thousand clocks n year, but several
thousand But his example awakened n
world Of Yunkee enterprise, which had |
hitherto been sleeping. They could not be
content to let plain Eli Terry make his thou
snnds Of dollars yenr,while they only made
three dollars n day; and hence one after
another, IN the contiguous places alluded TO,
they found their way into the same employ
ment. The mania even spread further than
Bristol and Waterbury. II extended to Wa
tertown, Litchfeld, Ilnrwinlon, Southingion,
pnd Meriden. The clocks, moreover, were
peddled Nil over the United States,
Mr.. Terry soon sold out his establishment
TO Seth Thomas and Sins lIoadly, two en-
ierprsirg young mechanics who, after max
ing such changes aud adopting such improve
ments us enabled them to manufacture many |
thousands of clocks in year, separated, like |
Abraham mud Lot, and each had factory OF
his own. Mr.. Hondly remained oil the old
spot, where he made clocks very many years,
hut subsequently, cutlery while Mr. Thomns,
his partner, established himself in wlnt is
called Plymouth Hollow. The former is far
from ufiluence, but the latter has made him
self and many others rich.-As did Cain of
old, though not in Gains spirit, he llns built
quite city. lie rot only contrives TO man
ulacture clocks, but cotton also, and | believe,
other things Perhaps he has done more
good for a quarter Of century past tfnn amy
other mechanic in all ihnt region. Mr.. Terry
and his sons continued in the business until
the death of the father, which happened only
u few years since. lie wns more fortunate
IN pecuniary point Of view, than most pi-
oneers, though never so wealthy ms some of
those who followed in the path he marked
out.
TiIirty-two years ago, Chnuncey Jerome, n
young man Of enterprise of the same town,
Plymouth, engaged in the wooden clock
business. II is said IN New Haven paper,
that he, TOO, made his first clock by the hand;
but for The truth of this statement ! cannot
vouch, as the business had been carried on
ht that tins hy machinery about twelve years.
III any event, however, Mr.. Jerome, with his
coadluiors, all of whom | personally knew,
WINS destined, MS n clock mnker, TO eclipse all
lis predecessors. The price of clocks had
indeed fallen, but not greatly. ltwns reserved
Tor that gentleman 10 reduce it from three to
four dollars.
Mr.. Jerome, nearly thirty years ago, re-
moved from Plymouth 10 Bristol, where he
remained until nine or ten years ago, when
Iie removed 10 New Haven, where he still
resides. lie has experienced reverses of
fortune; but, like the fahlcd PhoGuix that
rises from its own nslles, so every reverse in
his affairs has only served to increase his
energies, and devclOpe aud extend new
spirit Of enterprise. He has probably made
Two or three times ns mnny wooden clocks
us any nun in this country, and more than
any other person in the world; though for
some Time past, believe, his material for
clocks has been brass. Indeed, do not
know that wooden clocks nre now made.
Besides his factory in New Haven, which
employs nearly hundred aud fifty hands,
Mr.. Jerome employs much morr tlInn another
hundred in Bristol, Derby, aud elsewhere,
and his commodity is scattered all over the
couniry--and might say all over the civil
lied und even the hnlfcivalized world lie
has, as have lately learned, (lor have made
n purchase ihere) depository of ls clocks
in Hanover street, in Ills city also, one il
each of the cities of New Yolk, London ant
Liverpool. am Told by those who ougl
to know, TINT lie has ior three years pas
manufactured five hundred clocks daily. a
this rate the result of his labors would IL
about one hundred aud fliy thousand year
In truth I should not he greatly surprised Il
know tint he has manufactured in lis who'll
life nearly n million.
II il curious to observe WIN. results some
times E,low from the Efforts of single maj
-as"iall oaks fiom liltle aeorns grow."-
How many social circles in the United States
IN California, Oregon. Peru, England, Con-
tinen,al Europe, Turkey. China, llindosinr