Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-05-12
LYON COUNTY TIMES
A CURIOUS WATCH.
A Relic of Mary, Queen of Scots.

The old habit of mixing up the
ology and mechanics isillustrated by
by a curious relic which was present.
ed by Mary, Queen of Scots, to her
maid of honor. The watch is OF sill
yer, in the form of skull. On the
front of the skull is the figure of
Death, with scythe and hour-glass;
he stands between palace on the
one hand, and cottage on the other,
with his toes applied equally to the
doors of each, and around this IS the
legend from Horace, ''Pale death
strikes with equal foot the huts of
the poor and the palaces of kings"
On the rear part of the skull is rep
resentation of Time, devouring all
things. He also has scythe, and
near him is the serpent with its tail
in its mouth, being an emblem OF
eternity; this is surrounded by an
other legend from Horace, "Time,
the consumer OF things, and thou, en-
vious age" The upper part of the
skull is divided into two sections;
on one is represented our first parents
in the Garden OF Eden, attended by
some of the animals, with the motto,
"By SHINING, they merited perdition
and eternal misery for their posteri-
ty." The opposite section is filled
with the subject of the salvation of
lost man by the crucifixion of our
Saviour, who is represented as suffer-
ing between two thieves, while the
Marys are in alteration below; the
motto is, $50 He satisfied Justice,
conquered Death, and provided sal
vation." Running below these Sec
tons on both sides, there is an open
work of about an inch in width, to
permit the sound to come more freely
out when the watch strikes. This
is formed of emhlems belonging to the
crucifxion, scourges of various kinds,
swords, the fagon and cup of the
Eucharist, the cross, pincers, lantern
used in the garden, spears of different
kinds, and one with the sponge on its
point, thongs, ladder, the coat with
out seam, and the dice that were
thrown for it, the hammer and nails,
and the crown of thorns. Under
all these is the motto, "The ladder
of heaven, the way to glory" The
watch is opened by reversing the
skull and placing the upper part of
it in the hollow Of the hand, and then
lifting the lower-jaw, which rises on
q hinge. Inside, on the plate, which
thus may be called the lid, is rep
resentation of the Holy Family in the
stable, with the infant Jesus laid in
the manger, and angels ministeriDg
to Him; in the upper part an angel
is seen descending with scroll, on
which is written, "Glory to God in
highest, and on earth peace to men
of good volition." In the distance
are the shepherds with their Aocks,
anil one of the men is in the act of
performing on cornemuse. The
works of the watch occupy the place
of brain, the dial-plate being on fiat
where the roof of the mouth and base
of the brain are to be found in the
real subject. The dial-plate Is of sill
yer, and it is fixed within golden
circle, richly carved in scroll-pat-
tern. The hours are marked in large
Roman letters, and within them is
the figure of Saturn devouring his
children, with this relative legend
around the outer rim of the fiat, Gas
to mine, so also to ALL" Lifting up
the body of the works on the hinges
by which they are attached, they are
found wonderfully entire. There is
no date, but the makers name and
the place of manufacture, "Moyse,
Blois," are distinctly engraven. Blois
was the place where it is believed
watches were first made, and this sug-
gests the probability of the opinion
that the watch was expressly ordered
by Queen Mary at Blois, when she
went there with her husband, the
dauphin, previous to his death. The
chain now attached to it appears to
be a more modern addition. 1t is
now in perfect order, and performs
wonderfully we'll, though it requires
to be wound within twenty six hours
to keep it going with tolerable accu-
racy. A large silver bell, of very
musical sound, fills the entire hollow
OF the skull, and receives the works
within it when the watch is shut; a
small hammer, set in motion by q
separate escapement, strikes the hours
on it.
IDAHO MINING. = There is no