The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-11-03
TIE CLOCK wINDER.
a NEW YORK NAN WHO MAKES HIS
LIVING AT THIS CALLING.

LIVING Al MS CeLAlhS
vhims Of some Of His Patrons Whose
Timepieees He Looks After Mystery OF
the Clock That would Not Go on Friday.
Twenty Clocks In One House.
Clock winding seems a simple enough
task to be performed by owners for
their respective timepieces, but there are
many people who find it sufficiently
burdensome TO make them delegate It &c
sona one else. Hence has arisen the
nrofessiou Of clock winder. which as
vet claims probably fewer members
than any other calling in the city. For
some years jewellers have attended TO
the repairing CT clocks which they sold
and have even looked after the winding
where this was especially desired, but
they never tiled 70 obtain this kind OF
business, and il was. done merely as an
accommodation 70 tlieir customers Now
there is at least one nan In New fork-
there may be more. thcagh not many
whose only occupation is the wiud-
ing. regulating and occasional cleaning
of clocks for Numerous families de
makes daily rounds 50 as 20 cover his
entire route, but be never visits the
same house oftener than once week
On that day his coming is expected, and
he has free access 70 al the rooms,
whether they are occupied at the time
or not. Through the various halls and
apartments he goes, from the top Of the
house 70 the bottom, winding the clocks
and giving a touch here aE-a there to
regulator where he finds it necessary.
of course be does not pay any attention
20 the little nickel alarm clocks, which
run for only one day His care. being
given weekly. is spent upon the eight
day clocks Of more expansive design and
workmanship
The clock winde- whom The Tribune
reporter saw hsd several stories 10 tell
about the pursuit Of bis occupation
Some people are very particular about
the striking Of their clocks, " he said
They will ask nIe if | can { arrange TO
have all the timepieces in the house
strike together Now, as q general
thing that is an imposzbility, and I'll
tell you why Some clocks are arranged
70 strike Just half a minute before the
hour. some for a quarter Of minute
before, some for few seconds after the
hour and so on. You see If l fixed them
so that they would strike together they
would not be exactly together In point
of actual time, which is more important
In one house on my list the family owns
20 clocks OF these suppose or g.
perhaps more-strike In unison. and
the others all within minute. My or
ders in this house are TO have az the
clocks except one at precisely the cor
rect time This odd one is the tiInepiece
IN the bedroom of the mistress Of the
house. and she wishes it kept three
minutes fast | think that is the only
instance among my customers Of any
body who wants a clock perpetuaily
fast, and am very certain there is no
one who asks me to keep one slow.
When / unde take the care Of the
clocks IN a house, I0bcdy else Is allow
ed 70 touch them, aud the servants in
particular have orders never TO move or
interfere with them in any way Some
times this is done accidentally, and it
is hard. 10 find out how the clock has
been injured A few months ago l lost
one of my best houses because there was
one clock which / could not seem 10
put in proper order would take it
away. clean it thoroughly and look to
every smallest part of the mechani sn.
Apparently it made no difference The
clock positively refused 10 run right
Finally gave it up, and that family
had a mighty poor opinion Of my abil-
titles as clock repairer.
Some weeks after that ] came across
a clock in another house which acted in
exactly the same way. was puzzled
for awhile Finally noticed that II al
ways stopped ON Fridays That was
queerer than ever until by chance hit
upon the solution of the mystery. The
sertant while busting the room on tina
day, was in the habit Of passing her
cloth along the mantle under the clock.
This would have made no difference
with many timepieces. bat this enc had
an open bottom, through which the tip
OF the pendulum projected The busting
cloth Just touched this enough 70 stop
1t The girl did not know what she had
done. and thus the family were mysti-
fed anew each week by finding that the
clock would not go ON Friday.
n clean all my clocks regularly once
IN two years. and in that way keep them
In proper running order Most people
think that it is just as well to let a
clock run until II stops. fairly clogged
up with dirt but that ism t So BY that
time it may be so bad that it will be
impossible ever 10 make it run as accu-
rately as il did before
II am usually paid by the month to
take entire charge of all the clocks in
house. it being understood that make
weekly visits Sometimes, though, /
am employed by the year In the case
OF the house was telling you of. where
they have 20 clocks. they pay me 500
annually for the work. Ii takes q good
deal Of my time in the course of l2
months. and l don't fill my pockets as
fast as some folks seem 70 think
ought. concluded the clock winder
with smile New York Tribune