The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-19
JUDGE 6URkE'S CHIMES.

People whose daily vocations take them
into the corridors Of the Burke building
are wont to listen, when the clocks Of the
city are striking the hour. for mellow, rich
and soothing tones that float wave-like
through the atmosphere In the direction Of
Judge Burke's office. A chance visitor to
that locality might we'll imagine that,
perched high On tho hill. above the smoke
| stacks and traffic-lined streets Of the city,
| hooded tribe OF monks had erected a
cloister, from out whose tower the chimes
| as in the days of old st. Swithin, rang
| blithely every hour"
To those who frequent Judge Burke's Of
| fee. the mystery of those n1elodious tones
| Is no mystery. They have seen in his pr,-
waite office wondrouS clock, set In
corner by itself, that measures In melody
the passing OF the "inaudible and noise
less foot OF time The clock stands near
ly eight feet, and Is indeed taller by half
than the old man himself" Inside Of this
t!mepiece is set full complement of bells.
arranged after the manner OF the famous
Westminster chimes. so that when the
hands on the dial point to the hour. the
rooms about are flooded with pure melody,
and the CRIME and slavish toll OF every
day business are lightened for those who
are In reach os It's tones.
In no single article OF his personal prop
erty does Judge Burke take keensr pleas
ure than In this clock. and justly, too. He
takes the greatest care OF 1t. winds It and
adjusts It himself, and no one hears its
mellow tones give warning Of the flight OF
the hours with more pleasure than does ne.
1t was made present to him several years
ago. but that's another tale. and Is not for
these columns.
The case of the clock Is Of handsomely
finished mahogany, suita bly, carved and or
namented Its dial is covered with an
tiaue figures. done IN colors. and above
the dial Is a glass through which a nn!a-
ture moon looks comrlacentiy down on
the JUICE at his desk. until. through the
mechanism of the clock and correspond
ing accura te!y to the calendar. It disap-
pears altogether below the horizon.
There are two sets OF bells within the
clock. one Of which gives the chimes In
precisely the same notes as are rung out
every hour from the tall tower OF West
minister abbey. Another and direren.
set OF eight bells sounds the hours.
To the prosaic deliver amid the archives
OF the law, or to the worker in the duh
nlonotony OF commerce. the pean that
sounds from the clock merely signifies that
work has begun or that the hour for eat
ing. and rest has arrived To the lover OF
poetry and romance. however, there Is q
tenderer and more fertile meaning IN the
rnelody that floats from the molten-gold-
en- notes and all IN tune" a suggestion
that carries him back to the days OF chiv-
airy and knight-errantry.
History tells of days when a conqueror,
entering a fallen city. would melt the bells
into metal and recast them into cannons
For he who commanded the bells COM
manded the town, and at a moments no.
tics Nigh: summon in battle array a,l his
adherents.
The bells in Judge Burkes office have
no such martial significance. nor are they
suggestive OF those Of 81. Bartholomew.
whose groaning tones on that fatal day IN
Angus; ushered into eternity the souls OF
thousands OF French Huguenots. Their
peal is, on the contrary. one OF peace and
good win. To the visitor who thoughtles<s-
ly threatens 20 trespass on the Judges
time they mildly ard swestly warn him
that minutes multiply quickly into hours
And when the day Is done. and It's tasks
are put away, 10 man in the office hears
them announce the hour thar brings an
end 20 work more gladly than does the
Judge himself. PAUL c. HEDRICK-