The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-04-19
THE GROWTH OF CLOCKS.
.ANcIENTs SCORED THE HOURS WITH
WATER TlMEPlEcEs.

WATER TlMEPlEcEs.
Marvellous Development Of the Clock In
dustry In ThIs CountEy-somo Famous
Old Clocks That Have Existed for Hun
dreds Of Years--Eli Terry.
The dropping Of water through small
hole in jar was used by the Greeks and
Romans as the rough measure Of time,
the water being either measured In the
Jar from which it flowed or else by means
of a floating piece of wood in receiving
jar. Occasionally some very wealthy
ancient Greek or Roman had a clepsydra
that sounded musical note at intervals
of an hour.
The story of King Alfred and his twelve
candles, each Of which burned for exact
ly two hours, is well known. The hour
glass is also of early date. We read that
in the early history of New York the
soldiers used hour glasses when defend
ing the city in order that they should
know at what time to mount guard.
At what period in the worlds history
sun dials came into use it is impossible
even to conjecture. The Chaldeans were
accustomed to hang a bead i'm hollow
hemisphere i'm such position that the
shadow thrown by the bead would point
directly TO 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 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 unreliable af-
fairs. The striking parts, however, of
those erected in Canterbury cathedral In
1893, and at Westminster in 1888, and
many other places at these early dates,
are still in use
The earliest known description Of a
genuine horologe is that of one sent by
the sultan of Egypt in 1882 to the Empe-
ror Frederick II. sit resembled a celes-
tial 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 certainty"
A horologe from Dover Castle was on
exhibition some years ago in London. 1t
pore the date lS4o, and was exhibited in
goou gong condltlon.
THE FATHER OF CLOCK MAKING.
I'll Terry was the father OF the clock
making industry in this country. With
no implements but jackknife and saw
ne maoe the nrst CLOCK at Ierryville,
Litchneld county
he began the business In l1V3. In the
year loOO ne employed two young men
10 help MN. Inc works OF his clocks
were now cut out several dozen at a
time, owing TO the business becoming
rapidly enlarged. Ihey were afterward
put togetner' Mr. Terry, when he had
small stock OF clocks ready, would make
a trip to what was then called 1.-THE new
country just across the lower Hudson,
and sell the clocks for about SSS each,
TINS price being for the movement alone.
In loUt MI Terry ntted up mill with
nnachnlery anu TOOK large contract 20
make CLOCKS Tor waterbury capitalists.
IN loUo ne began the works OF 900 clocks
az once PREVIOUS 10 this time the wheels
mad been marked out with square and
compass ana the teeth cut with very
hne saw Mr.. Terry made the patterns
and managed the business, but left his
workmen TO DO the mechanical parts
ana went himself from house to house to
peddle clocks. de often carried back TO
Ierryville salt pork and farm produce in
payment for his timepieoes. AT that time
Mr. Terry was poor, but twenty-five
years later he was worth 100000.
INCREASE OF THE BUSINESS.
The business was sold out In 1910 TO
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 price Of
clocks was reduced from $26 to $40 and
So. 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 'pillar scroll top
case.' Mr. Terry sold his patent to Seth
at this time from $40, 900 to SIC, 900 a year
each, And together they made about