The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-10-01
IT STOPPED SHORT.
MIR. j. G. BI.AINE's ANCIENT
CLOCK.
1t Started Up In 1854, But
Stopped short When New
York Went Democratic.

SsSppCu ShOIL Wueu New
! York Went Democratic.
| Seattle Press.
"Une sfthe strangest coincid ence,
that l ever heard Of" said an ole
printer to the town ciier recen tly
occurred in the composing-room Of
the Kennebec Journal, at Augusta
Me-, on the night which James G.
Blaine was defeated in his race for
the Presidency. in 1884
old-fashioned clock, which was cov-
cred with dust, and had long since
been thought to have outlived its
usefulness. It's face was so dis
colorsd with the sccumulating dirt
Of years that the hands could hardly
be seen. The clock was one Of those
Affairs which receive their motive
power from a weight suspended by q
cord. IL must have been a long
time since the tick Of that clock had
been heard in the Office. The clock
was said to have been purchased by
James &. Blaine, when he was manag
ingeditor and principal owner Of that
paper, and together with an old
fashioned desk which was used BY
the State editor, and which had
formerly been used by Mr.. Blaine,
We're the only relics Of the good old
days when Blaine had been the life
and soul Of the institution.
"0n the night Of the day on which
Blaine was nominated for the Pre-
sidency Augusta was crowded with
people, special trans having been
run from all directions to the home
Of the great statesman. The BAN
gor crowd arrived late, and was the
last organization to pay its respects
TO the Republican candidate. The
Bangor crowd, on its way down
Water street, stopped in front Of the
Journal Office, and gave three cheers
for that paper. During the lull
that followed the cheers, one Of the
compositors, Frank Kimball, threw
up the front window and shouted:
"What will you drink, boysi"
"The effect was electrical, for o
crowd Of young men came pouring
up the steps and filled the com2os-
ing-room until not a foot Of vacant
space was left. Some one proposed
three cheers, and they were given
with q vim that nearly raised the
roof of the low and smoky rsfters.
The crowd then filed out Of the
room. In the quiet that followed
some Ole said:
"'Boys, the old clock has stsrted!'
"Sure enough it had. Whether 1t
was the vibration that started il or
not, | don't know, but anyhow it
was running along merrily enough.
Somebody wound il up in tie morn
ing, and it continued 10 run, keep
ing as good time as ever all through
the campaign.
ION the night of the election
which resulted in Blaine's defeat, /
was working, for / couldn't get q
sub Just before the paper went
TO press the telegraph messenger
came in with o dispatch. The fore.
man opened it and read il Is fol-
lows:
"'New York has surely gone
Democratic
"'That means that Blaine Is de-
feated,' saie the foreman.
"1here was Q silence for O mo-
ment, and then Q loud snap. follow
ed by q thud. The string thai held
the weight TO the clock bad broken,
and the clock had stopped.
"The next day the string was
mended. but the old clock refused
TO work. A clockmaker was called
in and he looked il over, and report
ed that il was all worn out. The
last | saw Of that clock il was still
hanging against the wall, and among
the boys in the composing-room
there was a sort Of sacred feeling
for il. | often heard il remarked
that when James q. Blaine was
elected TO the Presidency Of the
United States IL was expected that
the old clock wonld start nm and rum