The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-06-25
The Story OGssae yvanderfssi Clock
az StTasbOIarS.

Nearly three centuries have passed
away since this wonderful clock was
made; it was the talk Of the world, and
thousands of people from different coun-
tries, wended their way to Strasbourg to
see its wonderful workings the king who
ruled over the town was proud of it, and
pleased that his subject should eclipse the
world in manufacturing such piece of
mechanism, when the king of neighbor-
ing province, growing jealous of the
success OF rival, negotiated with the man
who had built the clock to come to him.
and there construct one which would excel
the wonder of Strasbourg, by further
improving and making it more gigantic,
grand, and wonderful. This coming to
the ears of the king who ruled over Stras
bourg, he felt sorely grieyed. and deter
mined there should be but one wonderful
clock, and that at Strasbourg. There
was only one man who could construct
such a clock, and he was bis subject.
BY the kings orders he was seized and
deprived OF his eyesight, so as to prevent
him from building such another what
became of him afterwards is not positively
known-but there was no other clock ike
the one at Strasbourg built. The clock
ticked Oh, day after day its movements
all throughout were perfect, as any one
could wind it up, which was all that was
required years rolled by, and the people
continued TO congregate to SEE its wondrous
workings. One day after the crowd had
dispersed there fingered a blind man,
accompanied by a little girl the man
who had charge of the clock was accosted
by the blind man; said he: 81 have
heard of this wonderful clock, and have
travelled far 10 hear it, for you see am
blind and cannot see 1t; yet before l
return to my home I'should love to say
have been near it, that my hands had at
least pressed its outward covering; will
you please allow me to realize nv most
ardent wish Do not deny my request &"
The man being kind of heart, opened the
iron gate and allowed the blind man to
be led by the il tie girl towards the clock;
his attention was called 10 another part of
the church on his return, the blind man
and girl had disappeared, and, to his dis
may, the clock had stopped. The most
skilltul and celebrated mechanics were
called into reqnisition, but none could
remedy the evl.--ihe clock would not 60.
Twenty years rolled around; the clock
during all that time had never moved a
second the thousands b t came to Stras-
bours 10 witness its workings, were
sadly missed by the shopkeepers, for it
brought money to their tiils and made
business brisk. The king was greatly
grieyed at the accident that was SO sore
iy felt by his subjects, and large rewards
were offered to any one who would repair
the mischief About this time appeared
IN the church young soldier, and in the
course Of conversation with the one who
had charge, the soldier asked the man
''why he did not wind up the clock -
wind it up? Yes; and I might
keep on winding ii up it requires sone>
thing more than that why that clock
has not ticked these twenty years, and 40
one can be found to put it in order"
''Indeed," replied the young soldier ;
''why, l can fix it, 1 am sure [ would
risk my head on it; just hand me the
key, and l will make it go" The man
SOue"ual reluctantly handed him the key,
and the soldier remarked ''Now YOU
may go, and return IN half an hour"
He did as requested, and saw the sol
dIer enter the clock as be turned into the
body Of tie church in the time specified
he returned, and, to his great JOY, found
it in perfect running order, each particular
movement being complete. He looked
around, expecting to find the young sol
dier eager to claim the large reward, but
he was nowhere to be found. The clock
has been going from that day to this, and
the supposition IS that the blind man that
stopped it was the one who had made il,
and that he did it in revenge for having
been deprived of his eyesight, by removing
small piece of steel which connected
with the entire machinery. The young
soldier of course was his daughte in dis
guise. Her father, upon lis death bed,
impaired to her the secret, with a strict
injunction that after his death she should
repair the mischief by inserting the piece
he had removed, which task was faithfully
attended TO as you have seen.
And thus ended the stcry.- Correspond
ence O The Peoples TVeeEly.