The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06
FIREARMS AND CLOCKS.
THE DOUBLE COLLECTION GATH
Erred BR A CONNECTICUT MAN.
History Recorded by John whiiock OF
Derby by Means OF Curious Weapons
and Timepieoes Collected Daring Thirty
Years - Some Objects with Stories.

Derby By Means of Curious woapou
and Timepieoes Collected Daring THIRTY
Years Some Objects with Stories
A collection Of firearms and clocks, gath
cred together from the ends Of tho earth, ant
representative of people and times in the past
has been the thirty years work Of an apnre
ciative Connecticut man. While conducting
his business, John Whitlock of Derby has
found time to record the history of frearm'
and clocks as told by themselves. with dates
and makers names.
With 400 revolvers and 100 guns, rapiers. and
swords, the room containing them suggests an
arsenal. They tell q story Of careful evolution
from clumsy. primary methods to the perfected
mechanism OF to-day. There arc military.
naval. and duollinE pistols, muskots, rifles,
chassepots, and needle guns. with the finest
specimens of all leading modern makers. Three
relics are identified with Revolutionary his.
tory, n big gun carried by one Of "Old Put's'
soldiers, n brass.handlcd lint-lock pistol made
in London nearly two centuries ago and used
in the defence of BuddinGton. a carrier OF
dispatches IN WashinGton's service, and a pair
taken from Gen. Burgoyne at the surrender OF
Saratoga. There are Spanish, Belgian, Tur-
kish, Neapolitnn, Roman, Persian, Armenian,
Swiss, English, and American weapons. One
old Belgian fint-locK pistol has an ugly spring
dagger, as II one murdcrous instrument was
not enough. Duelling pistols, with n present
value OF over n hundred dollars, are reminders
OF mems passions and folly. Quaint old Dutch
affairs have clumsy attempts at ornamentation,
wi. lie Moorish ones are ugliest Of all. A fifty
year.old curiosity Is a revolving pistol of OK
auisito work mnnship, with an odd fiat disk on
the top near the r:uZEle.
In beginning his collection Mr.. Whitlock's
motive was to own n specimen OF every flrenrm
made to be operated upon by machinery. and
he has travelled hundreds of miles In quest OF
te-le 'easure, and has been Il quiet, patient
attendant at sales where not until after many
days was he able to see and bid for the coveted
object. He owns one of the finest specimens
of firearms in which the first application of
machinery waa put to use. the earliest flint
lock. The barrel OF this is 59 feet long and
tie Ilate is three .eighths OF nm inch thick ut the
muzzle. This leviathian weighs ten pounds.
Tho barrel is richly inlaid with solid gold and
silver characters. supposed to be Arabic. and 1t
is over 300 years old. II was fired by means
OF n cord made of bark wound around the
brooch. and iCnited like punk. A monster
weighing seventeen pounds. ami 9 feet Q inches
long, is OF German make. known as the wheel
lock. and is wound UP like u clock. The rapid
revolutions of the wheel against q chemical
substance evolve heat enough TO light the
powder. What Titaus the men.who carried such
weapons must have been!
The flint lock held supremacy until 1907.
when the Illuminating lock, the invention OF a
Scotchman. became the leader, being later de-
posed to make way for percussion caps. The
unusual value of Mr.. whitlock's collection
lies in the fact that It's quiet growth was d.
rested by a man having the pra ctlcal knowl-
edge OF the use of tools and appliances of
nnrIipary ngunlly Dosanaaal only nv sEi1 Ad
and trained mechanics. and rare.y by an ANA
teur. Many of the firearms came to Mr..
Whitlocs greatly in need of repairs. which
even u skilled workman woulh have been puz-
zled 10 make. but he is n clever and skilfnl
machinist and can make good use of the re-
sources in his tool factory. In addition to
firearms connected with the Revolutionary
war. Ir. Whitloek possesses a curious Con
rageously cumbersome. and its two barrels.
one placed over the other. viii hold nine
a half-inch ball. There are ,rapiers and
swords Of The finest steei and make.
feited with war records. to the quaint collec-
ton of timepieces. ancient and modern. prac-
teal and ornamental. which the opening of n
100. all of different makers. dating back TO
1896. The most unique and old est is or brass.
upward on u table. Allegorical subjects are
on the sides and dial plate, in the corners OF
which Cherublc htaus represent the -FOUR winuS
OF heaven: Between, the numbers : and 8 are
Adam and Eve. the Latter holding out the tr1-
ditional apple; Between 10 and l2 are groups
ening the tongues OF the dumb. A I 3 the good
samaritan is pouring oil on the wounds OF the
bruised man by, tho .wuySidc. AT 5 a monk is
which represents different ages OF ;he world.
There are exquisitelv engraved Latin inscrip;;
tioas. One is. mo one knows all things nj all
Time as a God, Under Mors, " are dying
the hours with n most musical sound. and has
MI arrow-shaped hand. Overlooking. this
iimepioGe Is a stately corner clock made in the
has n line metallic lustre. 1t is notable for
mechanical accessories.
Small trumpetcrs advance when tho hour is
struck. and after a flourish OF their rumpets
II musical attachment plays quaint tunes,
and IT. rhe ms nEs sresr 1nen iG fsS1d :, 10 cn,6 0HG nGI In of
Another tall clock. Of Envlish MAKE. will run ii
year with one winding. tell the moons phases
hundred. years old is II tiny French clock of
the trinket order. and its pendulum danvlcs
joker. Fully as interesting as tlitir, older for
eiGn neighbors are tho Yankee clocks. ono
from every maker. and they were many. Some
of them are stately. some pretentious. some in
tensely respectable. others severe. and many
just funny littlc turreted brass affairs. Nearly
all are of the eight-day order. as If time We're
indeed money and not u minute should be
wasted in winding clocks. There are two
connected in different centuries with the town
Ah'NAf
Hull Of Constitution fame. AMI the other
having been stopped in its usefulness by one
OF the great frcshcts this section was formerly
noted for. 1t was hung in the old RirminS-
ham Iron and Steel Works. destroyed later hv
that other Obstructive element. fire. Though
over six feet from the floor, the waters OF the
Nnngntuck md Housatonic reached the hands
and stopped them.
When Mr.. Whitlock was over go he decided TO
10 Il little clock characterization himself and did
HE work on an old family clock over II hun
drrd years old. 1t was a very fine affair be-
fore he began. Its six feet OF casing between
futed brass columns was, however, plain. Now
1t is n handsome specimen of narGuetry. In one
square Of FIX inches ale fifteen different kinds
of wood md n tiny border which would be =
wonderful production for any skilled worker.
and much more so for u man who made his be-
ginning In II new line SO late in life. IL Is an
Interesting incident that all these mechanisms
allied to machinery interests should he stored
in a house once owned and occupied by DIR.
John Howe. the inventor OF the pin machine.
LIKE n VOLCANIC BUBBLE.
An Extraordinary Freak or Nature Near