Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1853-06-30

even by the dozen, fol many years be-
fore Lis death, and still he never aban'
doned the work shop. He was during
many years engaged in making nov and
then church clock, few watch Tegu>
lators, and the like. The church clocks
. were made in three independ ent parts
or nearly so, the connection between
each being such as not to be iniuriouslS
affected by the other. The time keeping
part was of the ordinary size, and moved
f by a separate weight. The striking par
was moved by one large weight, and The
dial wheels by another, while that Of The
time keeping part weighed only three o.
four pounds; The dial wheels, hands, OIL
pointers. moved only once in a minute
Chnch clocks constructed in this way.
were thus rendered as perfect time keep
els. and as little affected by wind or
storm. as any house clock or watch reg>
ulator could be, These clocks were made
with compensation pendulum rods. of
his own design, and the escapement after
a INC del Of his wn. During these years
Of comparative leisure, his time was
mostly spent in making this description
of clocks. chiefly in reference to accuracy
as time keepers, making variety Of
regulators with new forms of escape
men,s and compensation rods. No year
elapsed up to the time Of his last sickness,
without some new design in clock work.
specimens of which are now abundant.
These things he did. to tns neglect. many
times, Of taking suitable care of what
property he had before accumulated. -
Though not so wealthy as ssme Of those
who followed the track he marked out, f"
as you have observed still be distribu>
ted to his family, and gave away to diff
ferent objects during the latter part Of
his life. not less than one hundred thou.
sand dollars. retaining at the same time
an amount Of available property sufficient
to afford him an annual income of three
thousand dollars. This he regarded as
sufficient for all his temporal wants.
When commencing business in early life,
he never once INDUCED the thought of
accumulatlng one tenth the amount
He died. not "a few years since" hn.
the last OF FEB, 1889, He oltiast son
died twelve years ago, leaving ar estate
Of some siAty Ave er seventy thousand
dollars. History however. ana. .aos hi,
ography, 10 FSef9 especially tie Object of
this review.
II is unnecessary TO adj much 10 re~
gard to o,O~L making, as ia.is prosecuted
al this time. 1t is scarUe,y .: l,a credit.
ed that half million Of shelf CLOCKS are
now annually made in Connecticut, and
places not far distant, We have reason,
however, TO believe, that this estimate is
not an exaggeration.
The improvements in machinery, and
the skill attained in manufacturing.
gradually reduced the price Of clocks
Thus i! is. that brass clock which for
merly cost from $SS to $50 is superseded
by more nea, and convenient shelf
clock, and afforded and sold at the very
low prices of IS, 50, and 90. Some
may suppose these clocks TO be poorer
article. and not as durable; this may be
true Of many Of the clocks now manu>
featured, still it is equally true, that a
clock as good and durable can now be
made and sold at q profit, at these low
prices. What is true. also, of the entire
clock, is we'll illustrated by the reduction
in price. of several Of the separate parts
of the clock, as now made. Such parts
AS at one time cost ten, twenty, and even
fifty cents. to each clock. are now man>
uiactured for one fourth the amount, and
in some instances for less than 1.-THE Of
what they formerly cost. Spring clocks
are made more extensively than they
were few years since; the springs for
one clock. that cost, only six or seven
years ago. seventy FIVE cents or more, are
now made and sold for eight and seven
cents. II is proper to add here, that this
description of springs cannot be imported
mol is the secret Of manufacturing them
known in foreign countries.
These facts show the folly Of any Sigh,
experimenting 10 ascertain what eau OF
what cannot he manufactured 10 this cOun.
Try. President Wsyland IN his Elements
of Political Economy, virtually denies the
right OF a government 10 impose dlscrml-
mating and prOhbilary duiIrs, but, says he
| 49, u W. huObS IN
detrimental manufactures, which nigh, show
from time To time, what branches Of man
uiaclure cnuld proflably be introduced into
a country, and how they might be success
fully conducted"
Now, then, suppose the United States
Government had, sixty years ago, set up
an " experimental workshop. and under.
taken The business Of manufacturing q lew
clocks 10 Philadelphia, aud afterwards in
Washington for the purpose OF SCREAMING
whether the manufacture could he pr"i-
uab.y introduced into this country" How
niany government paid operatives. with
some distinguished governmental nabob tn
snperlniend them, think you, II w0ud have
taken, TO have kept pace with Connecticut
enterprise and ingenuity, 10 manufacturing
clncks:
IN CONCLUSION, Il should be stated, that
these STATISTICS are given Tor the purpose I"
preservation. Vhe writer 10 aware thai
1iher branches Of American industry, are
A A Ah.ss Aaa.-