Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-08
COURT HOUSE CLOCK
Chance for Some Capitalist to Per-
petuate His Name. q.
HAVE II SPOKEN EVERY HOUR

HAVE Ill SPOAEN EVERY Hulk
The Blank Stare Which Comes From
the Handles Faces in the Tower Is
Becoming Monotonous-The Phono-
graph Idea the Proper One.
The blank stare which comes from
the clock faces In the court house
tower is really annoying to Ottumwa
| people who have ideas of order and
correctness in things. : The idea that
the city and county should be the pos
SCISSOR OF 100000 court house which
has been left in an unfinished condi-
ton. is a revolving one to those who
ibelieve that completion of work I'M
dertaken means success. Nearly ev-
|.ery one agrees that the county or city,
Tor both, more properly, should get to
work at once and have time licked
daily from the court house tower.
1t is understood that the county
people have objections to the county's
paying the expense of putting in
lclock; and also that the city people do
mot care to stand the expense alone.
There is middle on the clock ques-
ton, and it looks to a man up tree as
if, all things considered, it is high
time To get together and to have the
clock put in. There is really no diff
ference between people when the mat
ter is looked at fairly and squarely
from all sides. The cost of first
class clock ought not to exceed $1,000
!, or 1,500, and when this cost is divid-
ed among the city and county taxpay-
ers. it is so small that no single per-
son will feel 1T.
No Public Timepiece Here.
Ottumwa has not tower clock to
Its name. There are many cities and
J towns turnout the country that pos,
sess from one to half dozen. One or
more tower clocks in the city changing
away the hours and the half hours
, and some of them the quarter hours
, give that place an air of progressive
ness that impresses visitors. AT the
same time the residents of that place
, are greatly benefited by the constant
D reminders that time is constantly
t speeding on The reminder begets
i diligence and diligence is the father
of success.
:, Soup Without oysters.
! 1t is really sad commentary on the
= progressiveness of Ottumwa, that i
has permitted SO many years to pas!
by without supplying the court house
e tower with a clock. What pride cal
+ there be in exhibiting the beautiful
o structure to visitors to the city ant
l. at the same time making excuses TO
the absence of clock from the splen
/, did tower which rises far above tn
N Iuplifted hand of brave Chief Wapello
" Think of exhibiting with pride a $50
T. watch case without works or hands
le a $1,000 diamond pin without the dis
W mond; locomotive without a stear
guage; a $500 sealsllin coat withou
% hooks, eyes or buttons; a pair of tror
|, sers minus pockets; suppose this mas
J. nificent city and county had no conr
!, house at all What is the clock towe
g for anyway; what was intended whe
. the clock faces were placed on tn
sides of the tower: it is wonder tha
Ottumwa people have allowed tn
'e condition to continue SO long as the
20 "a have.
Oh Chance to Perpetuate Name.
{. Nowadays when prominent peopl
=. are perpetuating their names thruor
~ the length and breadth of the land b
~ benevolent donations for monument
e public buildings, institutions of lear
~ ing, etc, 1t seems that some wealth
=. Ottumwan, land by the way there al
=; number of them) might at least civ
~ the $1,000 or $1,000 necessary to til
purchase and establishment of a cou
house clock. 1t might be arrange
- Of
clock might be printed in golden lie
TX tiers across the faces, so that as Ion
as people should continue to gaze u
10 wards at the time indicators the
to would be reminded of the person WI
It. relieved the tower from its presel
Ill barren and useless condition.
le "Smith Bought the Clock"
IL 1t has been suggested that phon
d graphic arrangement be made SO TIL
IT. the name of the giver of the clock
o. spoken several times during the d.
to and the night. The instrume
IN could be operated. of course, by Il
III same machinery which operates Il
Ill clock The monograph would net
IS to be built on large scale. The soul
Oh as it came from the rolls would net
o. Ito be magnified several thousand TO
h lin order that in trumpetlike tones, Il
st name of Smith. Brown, Jones, or VII
I'd ever else it might be-various nam
m. could be ggested-would be carri
ly to the confines of the city-yea in
no the townships. 1t could be arrang
er so that at the half hours the mocha
ou ism would be operated, and the phor
lis graph made to sing, to produce choi
to music, to deliver a brief address,
/ t. /