The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-04-24
THE CLOCk-WINDER.


experience Of Man with Nothing % Do
But Wind Clocks.
'Oh, yes! When any one has wound
clocks for twenty years." said Jacob
Kringle, the Government clock-winder
at Washington. The will probably reach
the conclusion that he desires nothing
80 much as to forever leave the tick
tack sound behind him and to cternally
shut out the view Of the clock-face from
before him. The frst week ever spent
winding clocks I thought 1t was quite
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 ac-
quaintcd with nearly everybody camo
in contact with. It Was not until sever
al months had passed away that be-
came aware Of tho terrible sameness
OF my daily task, which above all things
had to be regularly performed.
1.-THE motion Of winding . clock, that
unending twisting and turning from left
to right, became 80 much matter Of
habit that felt uneasy when Sunday
came and I was not called upon to go
about and wind the clocks. did not
notice the lack Of something to occupy
me until about nine o'clock in the morn
ing, when, IS II palsied or suffering
from St. Vitus' dance, my hand would
begin twitching, twitching from left to
right.
II had no difiiculty in stopping this
motion, but as soon as permitted my
self to be inactive and discontinued the
mental effort TO keep my hand still 1t
would begin again. As / kept up my
monotonous labor OF winding clocks
from year TO year my twitching habit
increased, 20 that very often IS passed
along the streets II would attract atten-
ton. It was accompanied by feeling
Of uneasiness which could only be graft
fed by renewal Of my work OF wind
ing. As have said, almost any one,
having pursued the calling that I have
followed, would make up his mind that
the only thing he needs is to 60 of on .
vacation or into some other business
where he would be forever relieved.
''Such was my idea after l had carried
on my work for several years, and /
went away down to my old home in vir-
ginia, where intended remaining for q
month. But came back a wiser man.
LEANED the force Of habit and within
few days was going about my old
haunts, and It seemed to me that I had
never enjoyed any thing quite 80 keen1y
as did winding clocks the next few
days. have been awakened on several
occasions in my lie In the middle Of
the night by feeling something striking
the bed covering and have discovered
that the twitching Of my hand was tho
cause.
u have thought that the great regu-
larity with which my work has TO be
done accounts for my nervous habit. !
have to wind hundreds OF clocks weekly
and arrange the work SO that every day a
sixth OF 1t Is covered. Each days work
is about all that / can do. SO that If I
should get behind hand on score Of
clocks it would be a very difficult mat
tor eyer to catch up without help from
some one. Then you can wind . clock
only SO fast, and think have reduced
| the work to science. / can 90 about
the departments and wind up all the
clocks with as few motions as it is pos
sible to make and cover the ground.
II could almost go over the route and
perform my work blindfold. know thu
number Of steps in every flight OF stair.
that have to go up or down. As FOL
the lack Of something to think about,
often count not only the steps Of thu
stairways, but pace off the distance from
one clock to another, going one way AND
another between them, and then fnall,
settling down to the shortest line. II
almost every occupation men have L
think about what they will do or sa,
from time to time, which give then
something to occupy their attention
during the intervals. but with me it /.
different. There Is no thought required
to wind clock. Consequently have t.
expend my mental energy somehow, ant
to do SO in counting my PAGES and taking
notes OF little things that men ordinari
~ are not conscious of. On many coca
sions have counted the number o
steps have taken from tho time lef
home until Returned, as we'll IS counte,
the number OF turns it takes to wind 80
clocks, which is tho number ] have Il
wind, and find that l2,0s2 turns are re
Quired. Weekly.