Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-02-09


The Thirty Thousand Dollars Worth OF
Clocks Used by philadelphia Publish
sr-some Wonderful Timepiece-.
A Philadelphia Record reporter has
been paying visit to the private Office
Of George W. Childs, proprietor of the
Public Ledger, and has written an in
teresting account of the wonderful
clocks which the room contains. A
glance ground the room, says the re-
porter, revealed clocks in every placo
where such heavy articles could be put
On Mr.. Childs' writing desk were three
odd looking timepieces. On the top
was clock made with lapis lazuli case,
one foot high and ten inches broad.
Stone as it is, the clock case is
worth more than its solid weight in
gold, and is the highest priced article
in the room. Immediately below is an
odd-looking ornament consisting OF two
uprights supporting what at first glance
appears to be ball, but which is q
Japanese clock, the dialcompletely COW
ering the front half Of the sphere, and
curious hands pointing out Japanese
scrawls to denote the hours. The works
inside rock like cradle There is third
clock on Mr.. Child's desk, an ornamen-
tai steeple clock, which is set in q
stand that indicates the day and date
of the month. Over the old-fash-
ioned freL lace where the CRATE is sus-
pended by heavy iron crane there is
basso-relievo wherein q winged Cupid
is depicted bearing an hour glass, to
typify the fight Of time, while on the
mantel Immediately overhead is
bronze and marble French clock Of
beautiful design and exquisite finish
and OF such fine workmanship that it
varies hardly more than minute in
year. 1t has perpetual calendar at
tachment, and cost over $500. On
either side Of the mantel, under the
life-size pictures of Messrs. Childs and
Drexel, are clocks marking two periods
in French history. One has case Of
tortoise shell, inlaid with bronze scroll
work, such as was fashionable in the
time Of Luis XIV; the other is in the
Rococo style, which was popular during
the time of Henry ~. The bronze
case. nearly three feet high, is profuse
in decoration of q debased style
that succeeded the first revival Of
italian architecture. Above huge
ebony cabinet filed with curios Of every
variety stands an antique English clock,
with square ebony case. 1t is very
plain and very old, the seconds being
measured by a verge escapement. which
was. supplanted more than 200 years
ago by the pendulum. Another expen-
si7e clock on the walls has case Of
malachite ornamented with bronze.
This is Russian work, The clock stands
on neat bracket of malachite and
bronze that was made in this country
to Mr.. Child's order at cost Of $3.50.
The glance around the room from desk
and mantel, and bracket and cabinet,
now strikes three hall clocks, the
dearest treasures of the collector. The
convent" clock, which came from an
Austrian cloister, is over 200 years old,
is roughly made, and il. exceedingly
crude in its mechanism.
General Grants present, sometimes
known as the Grant clock, and often
named the Klingenburg, clock latter its
maker, John Klingenburg OF Amster-
dam, is Of great value. But, precious
as are these two timekeepers, they are
commonplace as compared with the Rit-
tenhouse clock, which occupies an hon
ored corner in the magnificent Office.
For ingenuity and accuracy and beauty
of workmanship it is believed to exceed
any clock in America. David Ritten-
house, a famous Philadelphian, after
whom Rittenhouse square was named
made the clock in 1857 for Joseph Potts,
who paid $640 to Rittenhouse. This
timepiece was much sought after in the
early days of the republic, lbs guineas
having been offered for it by Lord
Howe when he was holding Philadel-
phiaSu under occupation. Later on
the Spanish minister to the United
States wanted to make q subtantial
present to his sovereign, and offered
$500 for this clock. 1t, however, fell
into the possession OF the Barton fani-
ly, who retained it until it was bought by
Mr.. Childs in October. 1879. The in
tricacy of its mechanism is wonderful.
It contains seventy-two wheels, with
{. 1855 teeth. It is operated by three
weights, aggregating one hundred
pounds in weight. In addition to the
timepiece it has musical attachment
and limited planitarium in miniature.
On its face are six dials. The main
dial in the center has four hands, in
dicating seconds, minutes, hours
and days, the latter being SO set
as 10 run perpetually, with due
provision for leap year and all
the other vagaries OF the caleudar.
The phases Of the moon are also shown.
he second dial accurately represents
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 its
orbital revolutions around the central
sun with wonderful precision. Thus far
the gold ball marked Jupiter has made