Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-05-21
THE GROWTH OF CLOCKS
AncIents Scored the Hours With
water Timepieces.

The dropping of water through a
small hole in jar was used by the
ureeks and Romans as the rough mea-
| sure OF time, the water being either
measured in the iar from which il
| flowed or else by means of a floating
piece or wood Ill receiving Jar. Oc-
caslonally some very wealthy ancient
Greek or Roman had a clepsydra that
| SCUM ed musical note at intervals of
| an hour.
The story of King Alfred and his
twelve candles, each Of which burned
for exactly two hours. is well known.
The hour glass is also CT early date.
We read that in the early history of
New York the soldiers used hour glasses
wher defending the city in order that
they should know at what time to
mount guard.
AT what period in tho worlds his
tory sun dials came into use il is i'm
! possible even TO conjecture. The Chal-
deans we're accustomed to hang a bead
IN hollow hemisphere in such position
that the shadow thrown by the bead
| would point directly 10 the hour, which
was marked on the inner side of the
| hemisphere.
The old clock on the eastern end of
Faneuil Hall, Boston, was formerly a
| dial
OLD HoRoLoGE.
| The word horologe (horologia) means
| hour teller, and was in very early times
| applied TO any machine for telling the
| hours. Previous TO the discovery of
the pendulum these Were very unrelia-
bic affairs. The striking parts. how
ever, OF those erected in Canterbury
| cathedral in 1892, and at Westminster
III l2SS, and many other places at these
early dates, are still in use.
The earliest known description of n
genuine horoloSe is that or one sent by
the Sultan Of Egypt in 1892 to the En-
peror Frederick ii. lit resembled a
celestial globe, in which the sun, moon
and planets moved, being impelled by
weights and wheels. so that they pointed
out the hour, day and night with Ger
| tainty."
A horolOge from Dover Castle was
on exhibition some years ago in Lon
/ dom IL bore tine date l34S, and was
exhibited In good going condition
THE FATHER OF CLOCK MAKING.
Ell Terry was the father of the clock
making industry IN this country. With
no implements but n jackknife and saw
he made the first clock at Terry willie,
Litchfield county.
III began the business In 1898. In
the year 1900 he employed two young
men 10 help him. The works of his
clocks were now cut cut several dozen
at time, owing TO the business JecOm-
ing rapidly enlarged. They were after
ward put together. Mr.. Terry, when
| he had a small stock of clocks ready,
would make n trip To what WAS then
| called ''the new country" just across
the lower Hudson, and sell the clocks
for about So ea h, this price being for
/ the movement alone.
In 1897 Mr.. Terry fitted up a mill
| with machinery and took a large con
| tract u make clocks for Waterbury
| capitalists. In Is ; he began the works
of 500 clocks at once. Previous TO this
time the wheels had been marked out
with square and compass and the teeth
/ cut with very fine saw. Mr.. Terry
male the patterns and managed the
| business but left his work TO do the
mechanical parts and went himself
4 from house to house to peddle clocks
| He oft-n carried buck to TeTryyille salt
\ pork and farm produce In payment for
his timepieces. At that time Mr.. Terry
was poor, but twenty-five years later hs
was worth $4,000.
INCREASE OF THE BUSINESS
The business was sold out in 1910 10
! Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley, two of
| Mr.. Terry's leading mechanics, and
| Mr.. Terry devoted himself To inventions
and improvements Other concerns
sprang up about this time, and the
/ - .lnnl-c rahnaaI frNpn ~ :
/ TO $40 and 50. The great family of
Yankee clock peddlers grew out of the
competition OF the manufacturers, and
with two or three clocks in their saddle
bags they started out to the South and
the then far West.
| The business was revolutioniZed in
| 1914 by an invention of Mr.. Terry-a
/ shelf clock of wood, which superseded
the old fashioned hang-up clock. This
clock was patented and called the pill
lar scroll top case" Mr.. Terry sold
his ratent to Seth Thomas for 81 900.
| Their incomes were at this time from
S15, ,OOJ TO $4,000 Il year each. And
together they made abo4t 100 clocks
| yearly.
| Shortly afterward Mr.. Terry retired,
and, together with his SONS, began the
manufacture of locks and iron castings.
None of the family is now in the clock
business
In 1859 the elder Seth Thomas died,
and his elder son succeeded him. Mr..
Thomas became secretary OF the Seth
Thomas Clock Company when it vas
organized. He died in April, 1SSS.
The present treasurer of the company
is his only son, Seth L. Thomas.
There are several tower clocks in
| New York none of which strike the
hours. Ii was at one time usual to de-
mand in a tower clock 4 variation Of
not more than 4 minute a month. One
In Independence Hall has averaged a
variation of less than n second a month
At Holyoke, Mass, the variation has
not exceeded two seconds a month In
making n sale now ten seconds month
must be guaranteed
/ Icebergs Are Plentiful.