The morning call., 1894-07-30
AN UNCANNY CLOCK.
1t Acted Strangely Before 1t Stopped
Never to Go Again.

"We've got a town clock in our village that
walked folks up more than a little at different
times during the past five years." said George
May of Coalton, Pa. THAT clock was put into
the tower OF the May building twenty-five
years ago. 1t struck the hours regularly for
nearly twenty years and then suddenly quit
striking John Gordon, the village jack-of-all
trades. mad taken care OF the clock ever since
it became feature OF The village, but he
couldn't tinker the old public indicator Of the
flight OF time so that 1t would again announce
the hours as they passed. The clock ran all
right, but il wouldn't strike.
"Now, our folks had got used 10 depending
on hearing the clock strike, and when IL be-
came silent there was much regre, i'll town so
much i'll fact hat when, two years ago, the
Presbyterian society of our town went around
with paper soliciting subscriptions for the
purchase OF town clock, 10 be put In the
steeple of their new church. people gladly and
willingly put down their names, and The clock
WAS bought and put up.
The church was across the square from the
May building ana IL was glad sound when the
new clock pealed forth its announcement Que
day that IL was ready to keep the village poseed
on the hours. II was set going at 2 O'Clock
noon. Everybody was rejoicing over being
able once more TO know just now things were
going. when. at l 80 on the day he clock was
started, they were thrown into CONSERVATION
by hearing the old CLOCK in the May building,
which hadn't made sound for three years or
more, start in deliberately and II seemed de-
family TO strike 2.
"It sounds ridiculous to say that the old clock
was actuated by yengeful feelings toward the
town 1t had served Tor so many years because
The town had forgotten it for a new and more
vigorous timeplece. but 1t is a fact all the same
that 1t took to striking a. all hours OF the night
sometimes Immediately preceding the striking
of its correct neighbor In the church steepe,
sometimes Immediately after 1t and sometimes
at the same time.
"Then, again, 1t would break out two or three
times an hour, striking all the way from one
stroke up to 1orty-cig ight The clangor II kept
up caused people TO reQueS the owner OF LDe
May building to cease having the old CLOCK
wound but he declined TO interfere with IL,
and IL Kept on fooling with the new CLOCK, and
keeping folks busy looking at their watches to
see what time it really was. until one night a
year and half ago the church caught flre In
some way and was burned to the ground new
clock and all.
The church was an hour burning, and dur
ing that time the old clock across the square
struck three different times.
lit wasn't until long toward evening the DAY
after the hre that people began TO notice tnaC
tile old clock hadn't struck once since lis rival
was destroyed. That amazed them, and their
amaZement grew when the clock remained
silent all that night and the next day, and did
not strike again Tor nearly year and hall.
'J0bn Gordon, who had wound the OLD CLOCK
for quarter OF a century, lived with his aged
mother In the Vlllag'. Along Ia The early part
of May, at just O'clock one morning, the clock
aroused and aStonisned everybody again by
giving one loud and doleful stroke. Soon alter
ward il was learned that GOrdon's old mother
had died at exactly o'clock that morning.
"At The funeral of his mother Gordon became
ILL., and for the first time since the clOc6 was
put IN the May building other hands than his
had to wind the caprIcious timeDlece Gordon
was sick TWO weeks, but every one expected 10
see him on The streets again III a few days,
when at 8 80 o'clo2k one evening The old clock
tolled out another single stroke.
John Gordon died at just that hour:
"Then the owner OF the clock decided that
1t should never be wound again. When it ran
down and stopped, its hands were at 8 80. and
there they will remain as long as they cling to
the face Of The now silent old clock. New
YORK sun.