Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-02
THE CLOCK WINDER.
Naught to Do But Wind Clocks for
Twenty Years.

Prom the jewelers. Weekly.
20, yesi When any one has wound clocks
for twenty years" said Jacob Kringle, the gov
eminent clock-winder at Washington, The will
probably reach the conclusion that he desires
nothing 50 much to forever leave the tick
tack sound behind him, and to eternally shut
out the view of the clock-face from before him.
The first week L ever spent winding clocks
thought 1t was quite an entertaining business
1 started my rounds in the morning. and until
the late afternoon found pleasure in the new
scenes of the department buildings and in the
faces that confronted me in the various Offices.
gradually became acquainted with nearly every
body came In contact with. 1t was not until
several months had passed away that became
aware of the terrible sameness of my daily task,
which above all things had TO be regularly per-
formed.
1.-The motion of winding a clock. that un-
ending twisting and turning from left 20 right,
became 70 much a matter Of habit that felt
uneasy when Sunday came aud / was not
called upon TO go about and wind the clocks. I
did not notice the lack of something TO occupy
me until about o'clock in the morning, when,
az If palsied or suffering from ST. Nitus' dance,
my right hand would begin twitching, witch
ing from left to right.
Il had no difficulty in stopping this motion,
but as soon as permitted myself to- be insct-
i've and discontinued the mental effort TO keep
my hand STILL II would begin again. As kept
up my monotonOus labor of winding clocks
from year to year, my twitching habit In
creased, so that very often as i passed along
the streets it would attract attention. 1t was
accompanied by feeling OF uneaslness which
could only be gratifed by a renewal of my
work of winding. As have said, almost any
one, having pursued the calling that L have
followed, would make up his mind that the
only thing he needs is to go of on a vacation
or into some other business where he would be
forever relieved.
''Such was my idea after had carried on my
work for several years. and 1 went away down
to my old home in Virginia, where intended
remaining for a month. But 1 came back
wiser man. L learned the force of habit and
within few days was going about my old
haunts, and It seemed to me that had never
enjoyed anything quite so keenly / did wind
ing clocks the next few days. Il have been
awakened on several occasions in my life in
the middle of the night by feeling something
strike the bed covering and have discovered
that the twitching of my hand was the cause.
Il have thought that the great regularity
with which my work has to be done accounts
for my nervous habit. i have TO wind hun
dreds of clocks weekly and arrange the work
so that every day a sixth Of il is covered Each
days work is about all 1 can do, 80 that n
should get behlndhand on n score of clocks it
would be very difficult matter ever to catch up
without help from some one. Then you can
wind clock only SO fast, and / think / have
reduced the work TO a science. can go about
the departments and wind all the clocks with
as few motions as it is possible 10 make and
cover the ground.
81 could almost go over the route and per-
form my work blindfold know the number
Of steps in every flight Of stairs that have to
go up or down. As for the lack Of something
to think about, often count not only the steps
of the stairways, but pace of the distance from
one clock to another, going one way and an
other between them, and then finally settling
down to the shortest line. In almost every oc-
cupation men have TO think about what they
will do or say from time TO time, which gives
them something TO occupy their attention dur
ing the intervals, but with me 1T is different.
There is no thought required to wind clock.
Consequently have TO expend my mental en-
ergy somehow, and do so in counting my PAGES
and taking notes of little things that men ordi-
narily are not conscious of. On many occa-
sions have counted the number of steps
have taken from the time left home until I
returned, as well counted the number Of
turns it takes TO wind s64 clocks, which is the
number / attend to. You may be interested 70
know that Il, 062 turns are required"