The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
SHEP JAGGERS'S CLOCK.
=. GRISWOLD'S GRiTI7TRE EARNED
by 4 THIRAIi NIkINGER.


Narrow Escape, Likewise Ananiass.
HAMMoNDsronT July - Tho last rum blngs
OF THUNDER were dying away in the distance The
storm had passed on. but 1t had been a fierce
one while 1t lasted. Lightning had struck in
various parts OF town. and folks were feeling
all shaken up and ncryous yet when the
stranger came into Packy Griswold's place.
1T was a shorter, wasn't II ," said he. tak-
ing chair by tho window. Pretty near 40
had as the one that came frskng in on us
down in our town the other night. keeping us
awake good deal the way it peddod its light.
ming about. But it wasn't that SO much as 10
was the way Shep Jaggerss town clock acted
during the storm that will make the phenom.
email cccentricties Of it something to be handed
down from generation to generation in the
lore OF our pastoral ricinage.
Yes p said packy GriswOd
.les." replied the stranEer taking critical
survey OF the surroundinRs; You've got .
"Evcrythng" said racky. but slate"
The stranger seemed to ponder awhile. and
II supnose. of course, that you've heard
shook his head; as il h" had doubts about Il.
o., IN ,alrn!h the n" w. OF 1t halnt got up -
:. That's amazing declared tho stranger.
more than TWENTY-FIVE years past, and it seems
SoSS RmT ii It Et H IN fS
chances are now that mono Of it ever would get
S SEU this way Tweinty;iYs years or more ago
s amer sESss 9% sR% money
he made up his nnd that the best thing he
@%n DO KIN Ta vi it TG" he me to n
For twenty years it pounded the hours
out for the information of the town,
t to be poGnded Then. "o ons day. pe S
that worked by the day were waiting to
O'Clock. thpy could urDu their hammprs and
their picks and their shovels and 20 home To
s srps s4 nof TIT d fHGf s 2 do i sdps
anything all day ong. and Jimmy Groner. the
tinker. who had woun aud groomed that
to get it in the humor Of rlking again, but the
clock Just simply wouldn't do it, 1t kept on
would induce il 70 strike, People had grown 40
used to depending on it that its refusal to
gloom over the place. and two or three OF our
best families moy"L awTny
and making il boiler. we, built a new Presby.
that folks thought since Shrp JaeRerss clock
was treating them SO shabbily. that it would be
scribed toward buving one. and 1t was bought.
They got il in and started il. and the first hour
the rejoicing was general, when suddenly. at
half past ]. Shep Jaggcrss town clock de-
hheTTa n Il p9d it seemed de'lanty doomed out
The stranger, paused and looked wistfully at
tne array OF thugs lPnlllu the counter. BaCky
GrswoId got up. walked to the, window and
glanced with some anxiety at tho sky. as II
dr"adinE, tn" possible gathering Of another
storm. The reconnaissance apparently relieved
him; and h" sat down again. ;.
II OF course sounds ahsurdIy ridiculous"
continued the stranger. mOistcnng his lips.
to say that Shep JhggerS clock BECAUSE the
+ haI m so Tn ana atnHy mSd
hearty wel"om" toa new and more vigorous
clock. was ac,nated BY r"ng.ful feelings; btt
Jaggerss clock took To striking all sorts OF
hours. day and night. without regard to exact
in the very face OF time, and demand.
ing to know what he was going TO do
| about it. Shep JaggerSS town clock was
so absolutely reckless and rollick ing il may
anplv such term to it. that it Frequently
| its q angor by pounding of sometimes only one
stroke, and then running them ~. in quick
duty. mpe,skly ard regularly, shep Jargers's
| fore he new clock began to strike an hour or
would ae,companv i during the st, striking, or
most constantly with their Watches in their
| was, We petitioned Shep Jaggers that he quit
having his meddling town clock wound up. and
ittlc, queer himself, an1 only said: ~ WV,
Why don't you folks let your, own spirit
less town clock run down. or else get one
And SO it went on for year. when one day
wind and carried more than 800 yards. Where
W II T9s dntf% and
hnH NGE ar 9s' saesng s6m
church to where it fell. hut while it was in the
nf sS d oPT one
peal when the crash came. and then 1t shut up
as tight ana as dumb as an oyster. and dis.
Tacky ,Griswold got up again, walked to the
door and looked up and down the street. and
seemed to long for somebody to come in. Mo-
yIn hap n a GIFi I'm Hny- uNtt mn uS
' Not so r%nons dry" replied the stranger,
in f3s ilrs s,s Bot. Of IehipH the
The stranger re Tracked al three Of the Joints
pondered; and then said:
Shsr JngGfers1 town click never pounded
suddenly, nt Just twenty minutes, past . on
July %. 1886. 1t tolled out one stroke. as dole
and all sorts OF forobodings were in the air un.
I'll II was learned that Jimmy tironer. who had
sa ID at h sick M h9Ss had
that evening Now this last freak was such an
pncanpy thing for the, clock to do that We
begged Shep Jaggers. almost on our knees. TO
let it run down and stop for good and all. now
thai Jimmy Gron Ter, was dend and couldn't care
That clock don't run down as long as I can
getup there, and wind it, said he.
months and wears vent by Without TT its &C once nee
opening w again. We gradually forgot Its &C.
cent rirtie- OF the past. and gave no thought TO
its future possibilities.
This was shorter of thunder and Light
ming storm that you've lust got rid Of. but it
wa; mid compared to the one that toyed with
us down in our town the other night. II lasted
half he night and il was midnight before it
raSed M 50 folks could get asleep. and they
hadn't been asleep more than half an hour
when they We're Weakened 10y something that
frightened EN- more than the thunder and
lightning had
- CIang- r)arg- clangr it broke on the night
lang -r!;lIR lIu1E. uiuuR. rlluE puuu
claug. clang!
II was Shnp iaggers's town clock, that
hadn't uttered II sound for three years. buum-
nE ont midnight fire. alarm enough 10 wake
~" dead md Then knock "m dead again with
fright The Who'll" town uuhlrd from bed
and rushed oul Of doors. Their" was fire.
sur" enough shop Jaggcrs'- building was n
, mad been ne striking of Shcr iagger-'s mid
ing by lightning; i hadn't strurk The tower;
th"r" being no lightning rod there, but had
clipped tn" building n til" other 'nu,
Mhnrn ihrrc MiIs a iirhimlnr ,nd with thrna