Smyrna times., 1888-08-01
The Old Southern Clocks.
HOW ONE OF THEM OPPORTUNITY
SHELTERED MOsBY, THE GUERILLA.

HOW ONE OF THEM OPPOKIUNELH /
SHELTERED MOsBY, THE GUERILLA.
In Virginia and the South the trav-
eler cannot but notice the number of
large. Old-fashiOned clocks to be seen
everywhere. Many of them are quite
valuable, not only as heir-lOoms, but
for their monetary WORTH being often
carved and ornamented with gold and
silver. They are for the most part of
seventeenth century manufacture, haV-
ing been brought to this country in col
onial days, when many gentlemen and
cavaliers, fleeing from religious and
political persecution in the mother
country, took refuge in the Old DOmin-
| ion. These venerable timekeepers are
twice as old as the republic, their an
cient faces have looked down upon .
many changes in the South, but time |
deals lightly with them as they do with |
it, and they go faithfully on, ticking |
! the days and years and centuries away |
with regularity highly to be COM
mended.
These quaint reminders of other and
more prosperous days have always held
a peculiar as well as important position
in the Southern household. The clock
not only did its duty in regulating the
affairs of the household and plantation,
but was and is now used as repository
for valuable papers, money and jew
elry. Its capaCiOus case, sometimes
ten feet high by three in breath, will
hold quite as much as the average
wardrobe, and when the ponderous
doors swing shut and the click of the
key is heard in the lock it certainly
gives one one an idea Of security. The
armies which in turn ravage the Old
Dominion during the civil war carried
off many articles of value, but the old
clocks were left, and in some localities
they are the only reminders of the
planters former prosperity. Family
plate and Jewels, indeed every portable
article of value, were stolen by the
horde of robbers that followed in wake
of both armies. What could not be re-
moved was in many instances destroy
ed, but the ancient clocks were allowed
to tick on undisturbed. The soldiers
seemed to have superstitiOus regard
for them, almost amounting to rever-
} ence. So it was that the dusty recesses
of the clocks became more than ever
the receptacles of valuable papers and
= jewels.
Sometime they became the hiding
places of more valuable articles than
those mentioned. Any number of
romances are told in connection with
these quaint old family relics, and an
= interesting chapter might be made in
( chronicling them. A prominent ex-
r Confederate officer related the other
2 day the following story of the famous
9 guerilla chief, John S. Mosby, until
! quite Recently United States consul to
I Hong Kong. 1t was at the time when
Q Stonewall Jackson and Generals FIRE.
> mont and Banks were alternately
chasing each other up and down the
!. Valley of Virginia. One day the Con
federates would be in possession of a
II town and within twenty-fOur hours the
( Federals would have forced them
s back. For weeks this state of affairs
s continued, and some of the towns
J. changed hands as many as fifty times
1 Mosby and his daring band of riders
o were in every fight, between intervals
, of which they occasionally found time
9 for making love.
The leader visited young lady one
> afternoon and her society proved sc
=, agreeable that he forgot the uncertain
: ty of Jackson's tenure upon Winches
ter and stayed until quite late in the
evening. Suddenly the tramp of al
approaching squadron of cavalry was
I heard, and looking from the window
4 he saw to his dismay that the new
comers wore the blue. He knew they
It would search the house, and also tina
ID he could not escape in the brigh moon
u light. Capture meant death to him
for price was on his head. Their
j. was but one resource, the big clocl
Or that stood in the corner of the room
Mosby is even now a small man thel
l he was much slighter, being hardl,
~ more than boy in stature. He open
ed the door of the clock and stopping
7 the pendulum a moment he got be
&c tween it and the back board of tn
ge case Then he closed the door an,
a. started it again. The next moment tn
90 soldiers entered the room and demand
n. ed to know whether he was not in hid
ing there, declaring that they had in
formation to that effect. The yOun
IT, lady, of course, denied his presence j
Iy the house, but just at that moment
to- strange noise came from the directiO
lat of the clock the soldiers quickly turr
a in that direction, but in moment tn
tai clock commenced to strike slowly an
I'm regularly the midnight hour. Th
no hour hand showed that it was but II. g
H., o'clock, and the men seemed puzzled
Ike The young lady, however, had by tn
ar time regained her presence of min'
NV and remarked, casually, that the clOC
md needed repairing. The truth of II
9ut matter was that Mosby, in mOvin
IN about had disturbed number of dus
ur' covered popers, and the fine dust ha
found its way into his nostrils, causin
him to sneeze at a most critical M
:. ment. He was cool enough, hOweve
IN ~ to reach for the hammer" and strl
IIv TV the bell, thus distractiug the attentiC
IRE of the enemy. He afterward admittt
he that it was one of the narrowest e
ng capes of his adventurous life.-Je'OeIel
he Weekly.