Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-10-24

slipped back peg and that the old
clock had adjusted itself to the change.
But the other inhabitants gave the
case barely thought. The old clock
said Z o'clock, therefore 1t was 7
o'clock, and life in Backville went on
as usual.
From my diary, In which recorded
the results Of my researches with my
watch, which l allowed to pursue its
headlong course down the grooves Of
time, l found that when it recorded
noon that day the town clock recorded
10 o'clock. The following morning,
Dec. 2, found that the town arose as
usual at o'clock. town clock time, 8
o'clock my time. Men went to their
work in the stores and mills at 8
o'clock, town clock time, and quit work
at o'clock. town clock time, o'clock,
my time. The next morning another
hour was lost somewhere. When my
watch recorded l o'clock, the morning
Of Dec. 4, the town clock recorded 10
o'clock, the night of Dec. 3. 1t was
plainly apparent that day was being
lost somewhere, and the next after
noon, when the town clock struck 5, 1t
was 8 o'clock by my watch.
when the townspeople saw that it
was dark at 5 o'clock, a great fear
came over the town, and public meet
ing was called. Explanations as to
what might be the matter were solicit
ed, and many theories were PROFOUND
ed. 1t was finally decided, however,
that a great change in the solar system
had occurred. This theory seemed
plausible. and it was adopted as being
the only solution of the phenomena.
You see, Backville impeached the sun,
but the town clock-that could not be
at fault. Thus time went on or rather
back, and things went from bad to
worse. Sometimes two hours were
lost in one hour. Backville celebrated
Christmas when, according to my
watch, she should have been celebrat-
ing Washington's birthday. Next year
Fourth of July was celebrated with
snow on the ground, while the Thanks
giving turkeys were eaten with the
thermometer at 90 degrees in the shade.
II began to see what the matter was
the town clock was at fault-but |
feared to reveal my thoughts to my
fellow townsmen. Meanwhile Back
vile, in its benighted faith in the town
clock, was being dragged back through
time, and l knew not where the end
would be. 1t got SO that no. one could
tell just when night was coming or
when it would be daylight. Sometimes
twilight was taken for early morning,
and vice versa. And the money spent
in adjusting clocks and watches
amounted to fortune in itself. Final
ly l resolved to tell all and die as q
martyr, IL necessary. for the salvation
of my townsmen.
Gentlemen said l one day in pub
lie meeting, you are all wrong. You
are Joined to your old idol. and in your
blindness you fail to see that the solar
system is not at fault; your watches
are not at fault. The town clock Is at !
fault. Pluck it out Of the steeple or
repair it; otherwise we will die in the
darkness Of the seventeeth century
while the rest of the world is living In |
the twentieth century,
"An hour later left town. did not |
depart as would like to have depart
ed, for | rode astride a rail borne by |
sundry fellow townsmen, and over my |
body was distributed a beautiful coat |
of tar and feathers. Since then, gen. !
tlemen, | have wandered about the |
earth pariah, a ruined man. My con-
stitution is weakened and my intellect |
shattered. l am now going back to |
Backville, which by this time is prob |
ably enveloped in the chaos of the ter
tiary period. If any pre-Adamites are
living there, will be killed for return
ing from Punishment, but with my dy-
ing breath shall whisper, The clock,
the town clock. was Slow"
eyes, the town clock was slow" said
the commuters, and the stranger fell
calmly and peacefully asleep. - New
York Evening Sun.