Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-02-09
Helena, Montana, Thursday, February g. 1882.
COSTLY CLOCKS.
The Treasure i'll the Possession OF G.
w. ChiIds, Of Philadelphia.

The Treasure i'll the Possession Of G.
w. ChiIds, Of Philadelphia.
Mr. George W. Childs, OF the Philatlel
phia Ledger, according to the record of that
city,is the pOssess0r of clocks to the value
OF $4,000 Among them is Gen. Grants
present, sometimes known us the Grant clock
and often named the Klingenburg clock
(atter its maker, John klingenbur-, of Am
sterdam). OF great value. But il is common
place, as compared with the Ruttenhouse
clock, which occupies IN honored corner in
the magnificent office. For ingenuity, accu-
racy and beauty Of workmanship it is be-
lieved to exceed any clock in America. Dav-
id Rittenhouse Il tamou Philadelphian,
after whom RittenhOuse square was named
made the clock in 1867 for Joseph Potts,
who paid S64O to Rittenhouse This time
piece was much sought after in the early
days OF the Republic, 125 guineas having
been offered for it by Lord Howe. when he
was holding Philadelphia under occupation.
Later Oh the Spanish Minister to the United
States wanted to make substantial present
to his sovereign, and offered $500 for this
clock. 1t, however, fell into the possession
of the Barton family, who retained it until
it was bought by Mr.Childs in October, 1879
The intricacy OF its mechanism is wonder
tul. 1t contains seventy-two wheels, with
$3.50 teeth. 1t is operated by three weights,
aggregating 100 pounds in weight. In addi-
tiOn to the timepiece it has a musical attach
ment and limited planetarium in miniature
On its face are six dals. The main dial in
the center has four hands, indicating seconds,
minutes, hours, and days, the last being so
set as to run perpetually, with due provision
for leap year and all the other vagares of
the calendar. The phrases OF the moon are
also shown. The second dial accurately rep
reSentS the movements of Venus, Jupiter,
Mars, Mercury, and the earth around the sun
each Of the planets being represented by
small gold ball, that makes it's Orbital revc-
lutiOns around the central sun with wonder
tul precision. Thus far the gold ball marked
Jupiter has made only nine and a half revo-
lutions since the clock was made -114 years
ago. The rim of the dial is marked with
the signs of the Zodiac, thus showing the
locations of each planet. These clocks in Mr..
Childs' Office could not be bought tor any
money. They cost over $4,000 while $780,
600 will hardly cover the cost of all his clocks
numbering fifty, the others being divided
among his summer houses at Wootten, his
Long Branch residence, and his mansion at
Twenty-second and Walnut streets. Every
room in each of these domiciles has its clock,
and each clock has its peculiar merit. In
the library at the corner of Twenty-second
and Walnut streets is heavy clock, rich i'll
design and finish, that was once owned by I
Prince Nepoleon, while in the parlor stands
what is perhaps the most costly parlOr clock
to be found in the world. 1t weighs two tons
and stands nine feet high, onyx and verde
antique forming base two feet square and
four feet high. On this pedestal poses a life
size figure in silver of a woman, her raised
arm poisng circular pendulum, which OPP
crates the machinery in the base. The clock
won universal admiration, as well as the
grand prize, at the Paris exhibition of 1867.
Sweet Home.
When two young people love each other
md marry, they restore the picture of the
apostolic church. They are of one heart
md of one soul. Neither do they say that
anything they possess is their own, but they
have all things in common. Their natural
rust in each other, their entire confidence in
Zach other, draws out all that is best in both.
Love is the angel who rolls away the stone
rom the grave in which we bury our better {
nature, and it comes forth. Love makes all
hings new makes a new heaven and new s
,arth makes all cares light, all pain easy.
t is the one enchantment of human life
which realizes Fortunio's purse and Alad-
Inns palace, and turns the ARABIAN Nights
nto mere prose by comparison Before real
ociety can come true homes must come. AS
II sheltered nook in the midst of the sum-
nit of Mount Blanc is found little green l
pot full of tender flowers, so in the shelter
# home, in the warm atmosphere of house l
lold love, spring up the pure affections of {
'arent and child; father, mother, son, daugh |
er; of brothers and sisters. Whatever
makes this insecure, and divorce frequent, t
makes of marriage not a union for life, but I
n experiment which may be tried as often t
S we choose, and abandoned when we like, t
nd this cuts up by the roots all the dear af
ections of home leaves children orphaned,
estroys fatherly and motherly love, and is
ritual dissolution of society. l know the
reat difficulties of this question, and how I
1uch wisdom is required to solve them. But =
Thatever weakens the permanence of mar !,
age tends to dissolve society for perma-
ent homes are to the social state what the '
tile cells are to the body. They are the ;
of organic life the centers !,
'om which all organization proceeds.
SpIfiShupSS