The Dickinson press., 1889-05-11
THE CITY TIMEkEEPER.
Liyin. in IL House Full of Clocks. Old
New, Curious md CniUnc.

NGNS ~ s'"s "A&lh
Like the driftwood scattered along the
banks of q river, there are many curious
characters to he found in the hooks and
corners of this great city Among these is
the city timckceper, whose duty il is to sccthat
all of the corporation clocks keep good time.
Tall and spare in frame. with scanty locks
whitcncd 10y the lapse of years. this old man
winds up the big clock in the cupola of the
city hall, and climbs up into the high tower
of jefferson market for the same purpose, He
also looks after Mayor Grant clork aud
those in the a%ldcrnanic chamber 1t is lay
one of his clocks that the precise hour, min
ute and second of adopting the tax levy is
determined.
The city tilnekeepcr has also charge of all
the clocks in the finance department, the
street and park departments, the courts of
sessions, all of the district, civil and the pc
lice courts. He is very seldom seen, even by
those governed by his clocks, as he makes his
rounds ut Il very early hour Few who do
meet the old man imagine that he is IL city
official.
JOHN McCartcn is Il native OF Dunpatrick.
lii the north of Ireland, where he was born in
the year ISL, when the battle of Waterloo
was still fresh in the minds of men. Though
now over 40, he is quite active and has been
the city tinekcclcr tor nearly fifteen years.
lie learned the trade of watch and clock
t:aking in his native town, and has passed all
his life among clocks, and is n walking cncy
~ciole,!ia on the history and progress of clock
making Coming to New York some forty
years ago, he has been in business ever since.
hut now his principal revenue is derived from
the care OF the city's clocks and those of pri
.ute individuals.
y World reporter visited the old man at
his homo, No. BOP West Thirty-scvcnth street.
and at once found himself in clock land. On
entering the hallway the visitor is confronted
10y an old and evidently valuable time piece.
while another looms up from the top of the
basement stairs. Looking up, the eye cn
counters more clocks. and, as the hour Of >
l., trembling on the verge of eternity, II mul
titllde OF unseen clocks begin tolling the
strokes. But it is in the parlor that John
McCarteD keeps his chicfcst and choicest
treasures. In one corner stands Il large
grandfather" clock of Holland manufacture
and belonging to the time of the First En-
pire, when B%onaparte upset and gave away
thrones. This one strikes the hours and half
hours on separate bells, and the diul contains
II monthly calendar. Over the silver faced
dial stands Il figure of old Father Time, NOW
W., o'st ~ uA5 ~ litS WI tlS Itli'lu
hun movement is indicated by IL group OF
dancers. In an opposite corner stands an
other of these tall Dutch clocks. and it bears
tho nam of IL famous Amsterdam house
There are three silver bells among its mech
anism to Indicate the hour. half and quarter
hours, with a weekly and monthly calendar,
adial showing the phases of the moon and
many other quaint devices. The cases of
these two clocks arc of rare woods, richly i'll.
laid and decorated with gilt carved figures
and tracely
On the mantel beside a bust of Daniel
OConnell is an English clock, and beside it
another over 100 years old. On the wall near
the piano hangs an old Flemish painting, the
stceplo OF tho church in tho village scene huv
ing Il miniature clock in active movement.
On brackets in the corners, between the win
d"ws. over the doors, standing on the tables
and pianoand even OIL chairs, are more clocks,
all of them rare and valuable. Down stuirs
i'll the basement, where Mr.. McCarten has his
workshop, there arc moro clocks. English.
French, German, Italian and Swiss. Some
OF these are very old, others comparatively
new and fresh, but they are all considered
treasures by this old clockmnkcr.
"Ics, ! have plenty of clocks" said John
McCarten, as he lifted IL clock from n chair
for his visitor. 81 don't know how many
there are. for they are scattered all over the
house. Being all of foreign make they are not
very marketable, because American clocks
arc so cheap, but these clocks of mine are
limo time Keepers and very curious in their
make. Clocks arc n good deal like children
If You take good caro- of them and use them
gently they will respond to your touch and
be on their best behavior Neglect them and
they soon grow irregular and get d~issipa,ea
and unreliable. | get $3.50 a year for attend
ing TO tho corporation clocks, and besides
that, have regular routes to look after clocks
for private customers. There is no telling
howm many clocks there are in New York city,
but | don't doubt that there is over one mill
ion running, for some families keep us many
rs Il dozen. One of my customers has three
in his parlor, two in the library, two more in
tho dining room, and there isn't aroom in the
house without one. AS | keep them going
correctly it is like listening to a chime of bells
when they begin striking the hour of ncon.''
New York World.