Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-30
The Castle Clock; Or, How Hans Up
set the Solar System.

set the Solar Systems
A LONG time ago there lived on the
banks of the Rhine a small boy named |
Hans. He was the son of the warder OF
the Castle of Klatterdasche-a stone
castle on a wooded hill, not many miles
from Bingen. Below, in the valley
next the river, was the village of
Schlossburg. Hans and his mother
lived in the village; but his father had
to stay up in the castle, to lock the
doors and windows, pull up the draw
bridge, and wind up the castle clock
every Monday morning.
All this was so long ago that watches
had not been invented, and the big
clock in the southwest tower of the
castle was thought to be truly Won
derful piece of machinery. 1t had a
BIG dial, that could be seen from all
parts of the village, and even from the
other side of the river. 1t had also
big bell, that sounded the hour. On
still nights il could be heard for miles
up and down the Rhine. It was even
said that once the Lorely heard it at her
home on the crags, and was so alarmed
that she forgot to sing to the fishermen.
This fact, however, is not mentioned in
any of the story-books about Miss Lore
ly, which was certainly great over
sight on the part of her historians.
The people of Schlossburg had neither
clocks nor watches. Clocks cost much
money, and nobody had ever seen
watch. Before Baron Klatterdasche
put the clock in the castle-tower, they
had depended on the sun and moon and
stars for the time of day and night.
They got up when the cocks crew; and
thew went to bed when it was dark, as
thev felt sure it must then be night.
They planted beans when the spring
frogs piped in the meadows. They cut
the grass when the raspberries were
ripe, and they piled up the winter wood
when the birds flew away. Once, when
there was an eclipse of the sun, the en-
tire population went to bed at half-past
two in the afternoon, only to wake up at
three, in broad daylight. Once fool
ish Young cockerel, who had been
dreaming, crowed at midnight. All the
the people got up and started their fires
for breakfast, and were surprised to find
how long the sun was in rising that
morning. So they went to bed again
and slept till noon; for the cockerels
being disturbed so early, were too sleepy
to crow.
For BOYS with well-regulated minds
such state of affairs would have beer
perfectly dreadful. For Hans and hi
playmates of Schlossburg it didn't maxi
much difference. The sun rose and Sc
pretty regularly the moon waxed ant
Waned lust about so {; the stars seemed
to 90 through their motions with reg
MARTY that was quite comforting; tn
winter and spring and summer and au
tumn came round in the same Orde
every year; and all the Schlossburgers
both Young and old, felt sure the entir
universe was carried on pretty mucl
the same all the time.
When Baron Klatterdasche put VI
" the clock, and in free lecture at tn
town-hall explained what it was for, tn
Schlossburgers felt deeply grateful
Now, said they, we can get breakfast
and have dinner, and put the childre
to bed without paying any attention t
the sun or the moon. In fact, tn
clock would make them quite independ
ent of the Solar System. Hans's father
being the most learned man in the plac
(he could write his name and he kne
vulgar fractiQns), was appointed
the honorable position of town clocl
Winder. Soon after this Baron KlatteI
dasche went off to the wars; and so
happened Hans's father was left
charge of the castle and the new clocl
The Schlossburgers were very prou
of their clock; and for the first fe
nights sat up all night to hear it stril
the hours, as they were not quite sure
would 90 in the dark. After this the
paid no attention to the cockerels; bU
got up when the clock struck five, he
breakfast at six, and went to work
seven; at twelve they had dinner; at s
they came home to supper; at eig
O'Clock the small children went to be'
at nine the bigger boys and girls we
off; and every candle in the place we
out at the same instant on the fiji
stroke of ten.
Hans's mother used to put the dim
on to cook by looking at the sun, al
let it boil by an hour-glass. Now
went TO the door and looked up at {
castle, and governed her cooking by t
bic clock. Hans's father stayed at t
castle, and every day Hans carried
dinner up to him. So it happened th
Hans made the acquaintance of t
castle clock. He stood by when
father oiled the wheels, and helped h
turn the crank when he wound it up
Monday mornings. His father explain
every point, and showed him how
pendulum worked, and how 1t made
clock 90 slower when it was lengthen
and faster when it was shortened.
these things Hans remembered for,
doubt, in time he would succeed
- father in the honorable position of to-
clock-winder.
The children of Schlossburg so
found the clock was terrible nuisan
When they depended on the sun to
them when to come home from play
in the fields, they had a good tin
The mornings were long and the aft
moons quite splendid. Some days did
seem 70 have any end at all, and u
l.. really only stopped playing beeaus
was dark. The castle clock chang
} all this. It struck every hour and
&he time into little bits. Dinner-t
came before. they were half ready for