The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-11-27
AN OLD BACHELOlt,S CLOCKS.
AppraisinS the Estate Of an Ec.
centric Old Gentleman of Penn.
Sylvania.

AN OLD BACHELOls,S CLOCKS.
Appraising the Estate Of an Ec.
centric Old Gentleman of Penn.
sylvania.
Not far from the village ofGouglers-
vile, near the extreme end of Breck-
mock township, up to within few
weeks ago, lived an old and eccentric
bachelor by the name of Elias Filter
ing. Yesterday Squire Gougler took
the aflidavits of the appraisers of the
deceased's personal property, the ap-
praisement having been made under
the supervision of the attorney for the
parties, l. G. Becker, of this city, Fit
tering was past seventy years of age,
and lived on his 40.acre farm alone
and unattended. Several weeks ago
he died, when his four.room log build
ing, with all its curiosities, was locked
up until yesterday, when the appraise-
ment was made.
The great hobby of the old man was
clocks. In his little home he had no
less than fourteen clocks, of as many
styles, sizes and shapes. Nearly all of
them were of old styles, and contained
musical boxes and automaton figures,
In one room he was obliged to lower
portion of the floor and raise por-
ton of the ceiling in order to place in
tall clock of a peculiar description.
He had small clocks containing
'cuckoos,' and large clocks that played
tunes and worked a number of wood
en- figures. One figure was that of
pretty woman, which he regarded as
his wife. His sisters and his cousins
and his aunts' were pictured in the re-
naming figures. In the society of
these speechless automatons the old
man spent many happy hours in con-
tentment. In his 'parlor' was large
organ for which, about 1882, he paid
S400. This huge instrument is all en-
closed. and the keyboard is only
reached after several coverings are re-
moved. 1t was built in Reading, but
is now somewhat out of tune, The
organ was appraised at $40. In his
cellar the old man had a splendid ci-
der press built at great cost. There
he pressed his cider aud cooked apple
butter. Pots of apple-butter and jars
of preserves were found in the house
supposed to be at least thirty years of
age. In one corner of his room was
cane with the head to represent
Adam and Eve, with trailing serpent
near them.
He had several costly music boxes
and an accordeon and flute. Upon
these two instruments he was quite an
expert performer. All his tastes and
desires ran to clocks and musical in
struments. In the purchase of these
he was liberal, while he was entirely
Indifferent in the matter of furnishing
his house. His domestic comforts,
from modern standpoint, were ex-
tremely limited, but he was always
apparently happy. He had a large
lot of the straDgest looking tools two
new carriages were found packed un-
der aquantity of hay, and large
number of quaint and curious articles
were found in his house. He had fine
harness and plenty of hay, and the ap-
praisement amounted to quite large
sum. The deceased had no children,
and the estate is to be divided among
his collateral heirs, about three in
number. 1t is thought that no other
house in the county contains so many
clocks and other quaint and curious
articles to be compared with this
Reading Eagle.