The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-07-26
THE OLD SOUTHERN CLOCKS.
How one of Them Opportuneiy Shell
tered Mosby, the Guerilla.


tered Nosby, the Guerilla.
In Virginia and the Carolinias the
traveller cannot bat notice the number
Of large, old-fashioned clocks to be
seen everywhere Many of them
are quite valuable, not orly as heir
looms, but for their monetary worth,
being often richly carved and orna-
mented with gold and silver
These quaint reminders Of other
and more prosperous days have alw9y
held peculiar as well as important
position in the Southern household.
The clock not only did its duty in reg
ulating the affairs of the household
and plantation, but it was and is now
use d as repository tor valuable
papers. money and jewelry.
Sometimes they became the hiding
places of more vhluable articles than
those mentioned. Any number Of ro-
mances are told in connection with
these quaint old family relics, and an
interesting chapter might be made in
chronicling them A prominent ex-
Confederate officer related the other
day the following story Of the famous
guerilla chief, John 5. Mosby, until
quite recently United States consul to
Hong Kong 1t was at the time when
Stonewall Jackson and Generals Ere
mont and Banks were alternately
chasing each other up and down the
Valley Of Virginia. Mosby and his
daring band Of riders were In every
fight, between the intervals Of which
they occasionally found time for max
ing love
The leader visited q young lady one
afternoon, and her society proved so
agreeable that he forgot the uncer-
tainty Of Jackson's tenure upon VIM
chester and stayed until quite late in
the evening. Suddenly the tramp &C
an approaching squadron Of cavalry
was heard, and looking from the win
dow be saw to bis dismav that the
new comers wore blue. He knew they
would search the house, and also chat
he could not escape III the bright
moonlight. Capture meant death to
him, tor price was on his head.
There was but one resource, the big
clock that stood in the corner OF the
room. Mosby is even now small
man; then he was much siighter,
being hardly more than boy il stat
ure. He opened the loor Of the
clock and stopping The pendulum 3
moment he got between IL and ta4
blackboard Of the case Then he closed
the door and started it 2gaIu. The
next moment the soldiers entered the
room and demanded to know whether
he was not hiding there, declaring
that they had information to that
effect. The young lady of course, de
MED his presence iii the house, but
just at that moment ii strange noise
came from the direction Of the clock :;
the soldiers quickly rurned in that
direction, but i'll a moment the clock
commenced to strike slowly and regu-
larly the midnight hour. The hour
hand showed that it was but 11:30
o'clock, and the men seemed puzzled.
The young lady, however, had by this
time regained her presence Of mind,
and remarked, casually, that the
clock needed repairing. The truth of
the matter was that Mosby, in moving
about, had disturbed number of
dust t-covered papers, and the fine dust
had found It's way into his nostrils,
causing him tc sneeze at a most criti-
cal moment. He was cool enough,
however, to reach for the hammer
and strike the bell, thus distracting
the attention of the enemy. He af
terward admitted that it was one Of
the narrowest escapes OF his adventu-
rous life.-Jemelers' H,eekly.