The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-16
Mc1ELLANs ANcrENr cLocK.

Tavern at Birmingham, England, very
ornate wall sweep clock.
That clock is now in Wichita, having
been for 2S2 years continuously in the pos
session of one family, and It is ticking
away with the same good old cheer that ii
did nearly three hundred years ago. The
clock is the property Of Mr.. Alexander Nc
CleIian of Wichita, who lives on Lawrence
avenue, just north of First street. It is
probably the Oldest clock in this country
It was visited by reporter for the Eagle
on Friday and it was eolemnly at work
closing up it's third century of usefulness
Fortunately a complete history Of the old
time piece can be given.
It is constructed principally of wood.
Those parts Of it which are metal have
been fled out by hand, this being true Of
The hour and minute hands, which consid-
eTing the manner of their making, by file,
are really ornate. The wooden box in
which the works are enclosed is full Of
small holes, worm-eaten. and with centu-
ries Of use the wood has turned a deep
brown color. On one corner Of this wooden
box is pasted little label which reads:-
Made by w. & S. Fritz 1S2 Belgrave
Gate, Leicester, England" and right
above this IS perforated in the wood the
date, 1917. The paper label is very yellow,
but the ink has held out very well and the
Whole presents what would be today a very
credititable piece of job printing
The two Mr.. Fritz must have been very
proud when they turned out this clock.
It has very brilliant face with fine
bunch Of roses at the top which are just
"a
brush Of the artist left them. The makers
found a purchaser in the prOprietors Of
the Bull Ring Tavern, or perhaps it was
made especially for them. Anyhow, in
Bull Ring Tavern the clock first began its
labors. Bull Ring Tavern IS opposite St
Martins church. For fifteen years it
licked away there on the wall. Many a
Bobby Burns awoke from a gin-aided
snOoze to find the hands pointing omt-
nously at one o'clock or two, and gathered
himself together to stumble homeward,
there 10 brave the irate wife and agile
broom stick of offended domestic.ty. Many
a great man, arriving from some foreign
shore possibly a French courier, possibly
an Indian-fighting colonist from Virginia,
possibly a Spaniard from the then greatest
nation in the world, many a great man sat
in the tavern and looked upon the kindly
face Of this dilligent old fellow, who was
destined to last so long and who now in
his third century. IS as carefully tended
as a delicate child.
Some sort Of disaster overlook Bull Ring
Tavern in 1922, for there was a hotel sale
and one Alexander Mcclellan attended
that sale and fixed a covetous gaze upon
that kindly old clock.
It was hung upon the wall. Beneath it
and uncovered, hung the two weights, one
to make ii strike, the other to keep 1t run
ming. Also the pendulum, in full view,
swung to and fro. 1t ran only fourteen
hours. runs only that long today, and is
wound up by grabbing two chains and
pulling them down. this raising the
weights again for a re-performance Of
their pull Alexander Mcclellan succeed /
ed in bidding in the clock. During his /
lifetime it did It's humble service and when /
he died 1t passed to his oldest son. Rob !
ert, and the old clock licked away at
birth and death, in JOY and sorrow in the
family. Robert looked upon it as a boy
and as a dying old man studied its rose
topped features, willing it at his death TO
his Oldest son James. James Mcclellan. !
the grandson Of the man who had pur-
chased II years before, at Bull Ring Tav-
ern inherited the affection for the old hour
recorder. Probably it was the first thing
he remembered, and probably the last. For
before he died he passed the clock over !
to his son McGregor Mcclellan. who took
It and had it with him during his life, will
Ing Il at his death TO his eldest son George /
90 Ill.
clock with a much respect as had his
great great grandfather before him. It's
wonderful state Of preservation shows that /
through all the succeeding generations It /
was an object Of tender reverence, that It /
WIS a thing not to be handled roughly. /
or 10 he placed away in an attic and sup /
planted by a clock which would run eight /
days. and could be wound with a key. I
IT was family treasure evidently. When /.
the great grandson. George died, he .
passed it over to his oldest son William /
MrCleilan and William, at his death, left /
Il to his son Norbert.
What a long line Of sons at last to be /
broken. for when Norbert died, it passed /
out of the hands of the boys TO a daugh- /
ter of the Mcclellan family.
Norbert. gave it TO his only daughter.
Elizabeth, who married William Bennett.
II is short in the telling but the cock
had covered hundreds of years Of time.
Great men and great epochs had come
and gone while its penduiem travelled the
mouotonous journey 10 and fro. When
Frederick the Great aStonished Europe.
Il had been going hundred years. When
America struck for independence it had
told of one hundred and fifty years When
Napoleon marched his lesions to Russia
at the heighth of his career the clock
was nearly finishing its two hurded years
os toll
As mas been related above, Elizabeth
Bennett married William Bennett a min
ing expert who took the clock to China
with him. then 90 Cape Town.
Pretoria. then to Bu,uwayo. south Africa.
then TO Australia. then to san Francisco.
then TO New York. then 10 Chicago. What
d lot of travelling for a clock in lis old
age. to be sure. In 1897 William Bennett
LEFT Chicago for the klondike Mrs. Ben
nett. Elizabeth. felt that the clock could
not survive the precipices Of Chncoot
pass and the far north. What should
she Go with the venerable member Of her
family? She searched for a relative. She
found one in Mrs. \. Augustine MCClcl-
Ian Of Chicago. and 20 her she gave a his
tory Of the clock and also presented II 10
her. Mrs. A Augustine Mcclellan a few
months ago presented the cl7cS to her
oldest son. Mr. Alexander Mcclellan OF
Wichita. who has had a handsome ma
hogany case made for II. the wo-k being