Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-06-07
A REMARKABLE TIMEPlEcE.
old-Fashioned Clock Plays a Different
Tune Each Day in the Week and
Has a Chime of 10 Bells.

Old-F ashloned CLOCK Plays a Different
Tune Each Day in the Week and
Has Chime of 10 Bells.
The Bethel Courier published in q
recent issue an interesting article nm
der the heading "A Wonderful old
Clock" concerning an ancient time
piece owned by w. c. Danforth of
Barnard a brother-in-law of A. v
Cox of Brattleboro. DR.. Gardner Cox
of Holyoke, Mass, who is mentioned
in the article, is a brother of A. V.
Cox. The article is as follows:
This piece of mechanism that must
have been wonder two centuries ago
is now owned by w. G. Danforth of
Barnard and occupies a prominent
position in his dining room. 1t stands
eight feet high in a solid mahogany
case, ornamented with inlaid pieces
of different kinds of colored wood
ebony, walnut, lime and maple-inter-
woven in designs of fans, diamonds.
circles, scrolls and bead work in elab-
crate profusion. 1t is trimmed with
brass and ivory. The works are
OF heavy brass, hand made, and pol
ished to mirror-like surface and to
this day have lost none of their ms
tire.
There is no date nor mark to indi.
cate when or where this grand old
clock was made, but well authenti-
Gated history will carry it back MANY
generations. 1t contains. what at
its birth is in hardly any other clock
a chime of thirteen bells.
Those bellsl Oh! those bells!
How many tale their music tells,
OF youth and home!"
The musical program consists of
seven tunes, one for each day of the
week, playing every four hours. at
four, eight and twelve and repeating
the tune three times. 1t changes it.
self in the night and comes out at
four o'clock with different music.
On Sunday, with a puritanical educa-
ton, it plays a sober psalm tune
called "Orpheus." Monday is
Green Mountain" Tuesday Duke of
Argyle" Wednesday "Mason's
March," Thursday "Quickstep." Fri
day Marquis of CRANKY" and Satur-
day Road to Montreal" On the dial
is hand that points to the tunes it
is playing.
Judge Elias Keyes, who lived in
Stockbridge, found this clock in Bos-
ton about 1880 owned by an old Ger
man by the name of Straus, who told
the judge he had owned it lifetime
and he in turn bought it of a German
who had had it great many years.
Mr.. Straus said at the time of Bunker
hill battle he lived in Charlestown
and for fear the city would be burned.
he threw out the heavy weights, took
the clock on his back and carried it
10
British left Boston. Then the lion
was taken from it's crown and re-
placed by brass eagle, which stands
there today.
Judge Keyes came home very much
elated with his purchase, which be-
came the wonder of all the people
around Stockbridge.
Time went on. Ill fortune failed
the judge in business and it was
when man could be imprisoned for
debt. He had too much sense to go to
Jail, but not enough cents to keep out
and, too cunning to lose the old clock,
he packed it with a few other Things
and left Stockbridge on a Saturday
night, arriving in New York state
Monday morning, where, with his fin
ger on his nose, he laughed at Yer
mont's law.
Fortunes smiles returning, the old
clock came back to it's former corner
where it measured out the mile stones
with solemn scores.
When intirmities of age came and
after many opportunities, fascinated
by fat price, Judge Keyes was Undue
ed to sell the faithful old clock, the
pride of his household, to, Judge ]. P
Danforth, an intimate friend of lorg
standing. How much he gave was
never known, for he always replied
that only two men knew and the other
man was dead 1t was again in good
hands and at a home in keeping with
its classic reputation.
More than so years ago Moses E.
Cheney, Vermont's most noted sing
ing master, then a young man, use
to stand in front of this clock with
his violin, and play an accompaniment
to the chimes of those bells.
in the fifties Judge Danforth moved
West. There, in the city Of Rock Is
land, the old clock was set Up in