Connecticut western news., 1873-09-05
Marvellous Mechanism,
The Wonderful Clock that was Made by
 a Poor Miner-What Man of Genius z can do with a Jaclkknife.

The Wonderful Clock that was Made by | a Poor Miner-What Man of Genius
 can do with a Jaclxknife.
 Karl Ketter, poor German miner ot
 the Excelsior Colliery, which is situated
 within a few miles of Shamokin, Pa, has exhibited clock of a most remark
 able character. He has been three
 years constructing 1.-the first two years
 at intervals of time, and the last year
 he worked at it day and night, scarcely
 taking time enough to eat and sleep.
 He became almost a monomaniac on
 the subject. The clock was in his mind
 during his working hours and in his
 dreams at night. He occupied alone a
 small wooden shanty, where he worked.
 slept, and cooked his food. Whatever
 sleeping and cooking he did, however,
 was but little. It is thought he would
 have nearly starved but for the kindly interest which his neighbors took in him and his clock. They took him food and encouraged him in his labors.
 The clock, which was made with no other tools than two common jack knives, is eight feet high and four feet broad. Its frame is of the Gothic style of architecture. It has sixteen sides, and is surmounted by a globe, on top of which is attached a small golden cross. On the front of the clock there are four dial plates ]; one shows the day of the week, another shows the day of the month, another shows the minutes and fractions of minute, and the other the hour of the day. These dials are carved in a most unique manner. hay ing emblematic figures upon them and around them of almost every imaginable description. Above the dial plates is semi,circular gallery extending around about half the width of the framework of the clock. Immediately in front, in the centre of this semi-circular gal lery, is the carved wooden figure of our Savior.
 side there is small door opening into the body of the clock. Over the door, on the right hand side of the clock, as you stand facing it, is an eagle Over the door on the left hand side is cock. Twice day-that is at 12:05 in the day and at 12:05 at night-a sweet chime of bells begins to play, the small door on the right hand side opens, and the small wooden figures admirably carved, of the twelve apostles, appear and walk out slowly and gravoly in. pro- cession, Peter in the lead. Advancing along the gallery until they get opposite the figure of Jesus, each in turn, except Judas, slowly turns round and bows his head to the Master, then recovers his former position as Peter does this the cock crows. They continue to ad- vance to the other side of the gallery and enter the small door on the left. As Judas (who is in the rear), with his right hand shielding his face and his left hand clasping the bag which is supposed to contain the thirty pieces of silver, comes in full view of the cock, the cock crows again. By simple arrangement this procession can be made to come out and pass around the gallery at any time desired.
 On pedestals, at the extreme corners of the front of the clock, are carved wooden statues of Moses and Elias. In the rear are two obelisks of the Egyp- tian style, upon which are carved hiero- glyphic characters to represent the ancient periods of the worlds history The clock will run thirty-two hours without winding. MT. Ketter, who is native of Freiburg, Baden, is very proud of his workmanship. He can scarcely bear to be away from it long enough to eat his meals. He has been | offered $1O,000 for it by person from New York, but he refused it. MT. Ketter says he has often heard of | the celebrated clock in Strassburg, but he never saw it, and he has no knowl- edge of how it was constructed neither has he ever had any instruction in of any kind. His purpose is to exhibit it for few months in this country, and then take it with him to Germany.