Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-01
GRANDPARENTS CLOCKS.
The OId-Fashioned Timepieces Bring
Large Sums.
An Augusta Repairer Tells Of the Their Work
and Worth.

around than people would think" says
an Augusta man who makes a specially
ot repairing them. Most of those with
the wooden works are of American make.
| think. 1t must have been expensive to
import the clocks with brass movements
in those early days. and the ingenious
clocks from wood. Most of them are
made from the apple tree. and with only
a brass scape wheel and iron wires. They
are not 50 different from the clocks made
nowadays. and they can be repaired AMI
will really keep excellent time.
The principal thing to do in repairing
them is to put new teeth in the wooden
wheels where they have been worn or
been broken Off. Those are dove-tailed in
and then filed into shape. and the clock
is as good as new. Then again the holes
in the wooden backs are worn and brass
bushings are put in.
Most Of the old clocks are eight day
clocks, and they are frequently less
trouble to put in order than the modern
clocks. 1t is the pendulum which reSu-
Ia es the movement of the clock AMI
those long. heavy pendulums are less az
fccted by jars than shorter ones. Being
large, particularly those with the grand
IA her movement, as we call that Of the
large clocks, they are more apt to be sta =
tiCnary.
Most Of the clocks brought to me are
from 50 to 100 years old. though unfortu
nately they are not dated. | saw one tn"
other day that was known to be 800 years
old. but that was an imported clock. Last
year | repaired about 40 old clocks.
There is always a demand in the mar
ket for the old clocks. and | know most
of those that are to be found are gcnu-
inc. One would be more apt to find the
works genuine than the case. They may
be in good condition when the case has
been battered and broken to pieces. Il
would hardly pay TO make new clocks to
sell as old ones. There is not "A large
number of them sold, and a man may
hold clocks for year or so and then sell
several. When you come 10 think OF it 1t
is not so strange that there are 50 many
gel uine old clocks TO be found. If in the
eaIly days each family had one, that
would make good stock to 20 around
now among people who care for them.
Dealers travel all over the country
here. and everywhere abroad. picking up
Ola fashioned furniture. They visit TIL
old junk stores, pick up things for song.
bring them over here, have them re-
paired. ard s"ll them for big prices.
II ...- u.d lutc iaoge doubt about tho
Ecr uinencss Of many old things, but for
little story | know of certain family.
Thy had a cousin who was housekeep-
er in Germany for "A wealthy old man.
lie had only one heir, a woman who died
bcf ore he did. and he LEFT all his prop
crtE To his housekecpcr then sent for
her cousins family To come TO her. and
the all went. They had been living in a
hotel in New York and the daughter of
the family was engaged to New York
man. This is roundabout story to get
at enc little fact.
81; is now that the point of the s;or-
con es in. The housekecper. while she
respected the traditions of her former
master had no opinion Of his old-fash
toned belongings. and to receive tho
merlbers Of her family She had the whole
hoU 90 done over with entirely new fur
nitu-e-pictures everything. The old fur
nitu-e she had slowed away a the top OF
the house She had no regard for the old
furniture and would have sold it for al
mos nothing. | presume there are many
cast like that, and one house would fur
nish a whole shop. That incident has
been revelation to me as the way val
liable old furniture is put on the market
from time to time. The market value Of
old clocks with the grandfather move
ments is from S75 to $3.50