Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-08-11
Werecommend Wise's Axle Grease.
GRANDPARENTS CLOCK
An Honest EndeavOr TO Make the
Supply Equal the Demand.
From the Philadelphia Press.

L -@O----~'.~~s
From the Philadelphia Press.
During the past few weeks i haye
been travelling through various sections
of Berks and adjoining counties, and in
one of the many little villages | came
across an old cabinetmaker who was
doing novel and thriving business in a
quiet way. He was turning out grand
fathers clocks" manufacturing by hand
those tall, tower-like clocks that were in
vogue century ago, and which are now
being bought up as relics and sent to all
parts of the country. His little shop
was just back of his house, and it was
| evident that the honest old man had no
| dea that his wares were
| being used in q manner for which they
mad never been intended.
By inquiry from other sources it was
| learned that this old clock business is
| quite popular. Everybody wants one
of the tall cofiin-like clocks that formerly
| swung their long pendulnns in the
corners of old farm houses all over
Pennsylvania. The famOU song Grand
| fathers Clock" has caused the old FASH
| Toned time-keepers TO be known as
''grandfathers clocks" Nearly all the
genuine time pieces have long since
been bought i'll by those who want them
as relics. The demand being greater
than the supply, they are being manu-
featured to order in the back country.
The clocks are put up in the old fash
Toned way; the cases are not polished or
finished In any extraVagant manner,
and the works are procured son east"
and sent to this section for insertion.
The dials are painted in the old-fash-
Toned manner and the clock is turned
out so as to resemble a time piece 100 or
more years Old 1t is ther stored away
in some dark corner Of a moldy log
house until finally it is "accidentally dis
covered" by the owner and dealer. who
sends it on 10 New York or Philadelphia
to be sold as an aged relic. It is also
learned that quite number of strangers
are engaged in this business ofgetting
'grandfothers clocks" to order 1t is
really given ont as actual fact that a
number of dealers have placed thsee
new old clocks into ancient log houses
where public sale for furniture has been
announced. They wonld then 'start the
story that there was Il very old clock to
be sold which had been Intentionally
kept off the sale bill in order to avoid
COuIpEltIlOu ia UIuUlISs SD JllAt Tile DG1fS
could BUY IN cheap. In this way large
rowd is attracted to such sales, and the
81 ock is sold for very high figures. The
purchaser takes it home, confidently be-
lieving he has genuine article, and he
has never been told the truth about it.
Philadelphia sharpers are said to be at
the bottom of the fraud. The works are
contracted for from parties in the
Naugatuck valley, c., who have no idea
that their works is being used in con-
tempt:ble swindle. Of course there are
legit innate, honest dealers, who buy and
sell genuine old grandfathers' clocks"
but the puplic oag ht to know that not all
.o-called old clocks in market, or that
are found in rickety, mouldy looking
old log houses, are the genuine article.
Buying an old clock is as difficult job
AS buying trotting horse of your own
Judgment