Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-09-11

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following description of a wonderful
clock, wonderfully made, from a cor
respondent at Shamokin Penn.
Karl Ketter, a poor German amer,
Of the Excelsior Colliery, winch is
situated within a few miles of this
borough, has exhibited clock here
during the past week Of most re-
markable character He had 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
sleep and eat.
He became almost q monomaniac
on the subject. The clock was in his
mind during his waking hours and in
his dreams at night. He occupied
alone small wooden shanty, where
he worked, slept, and cooked his food.
Whatever sleeping and cooking he
did, however, was but little. 1t 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 Gothic style
architecture. 1t has sixteen sides and
is surmounted by 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 most unique man
ner, having emblematic figures upon
them and around them of almost every
imaginable desert ption. Above the
dial-plates is u semi-circular gallery,
extending around about half the width
of the framework of the clock. I'M
mediately in front, in the centre of
this semi-circular gallery, is the carved
wooden figure Of our Saviour. At the
ends Of the gallery, on either 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 1905 in the
day and at 1905 at night-a sweet
chime of bells begins to play, the small
door on the right hand side opens,
and the small wooden figures, admir-
ably carved, of the twelve Apostles,
appear and walk out slowly and
gravely in procession, 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 RECEIVERS his form
er position as Peter does this the
cock crows. They continue to adj
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 Lis 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 a
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
wooded statutes of Moses and Elias.
In the rear are two obelisks of the
Egyptian style, upon which are cary
ed hieroglyphic characters to repres-
ent the ancient period of the worlds
history. The clock will run thirty
two hours without winding. Mr.. Ket-
ter, who is a native of Freiburg, in
Baden, is very proud of his workman
ship, He can scarcely bear to be
away from it long enough to eat his
meals. He has been offered ten thou
sand dollars for it by person from
New York, but he refused it. Mr..
Ketter says he has often heard of the
celebrated clock in Strasburg, but he
never saw it, and he has no knowledge
of how it was constructed, neither has
he ever had any instruction in mech
anics of any kind. His purpose is to
exhibit it for a few months in this
country, and then take it with him to
Germany.