Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-17
INTRICATE PIECE OF WORK.
Checker B0nrd Containing 14,ooo
 Pieces of Wood

Pieces of Wood.
 One of the most unique and prettiest pieces of work that has been exhibited Ill this city has just been turned out
 Dy John F. Clarkin, an employe of the Waterbury Clock Company and living at Grove court. It is what the mak- CT calls an inlaid checker and back gammon board. The board is twenty nVe inches square and is as pictures que as 1t is unique. When you stop to consider that it took just two years and one half to complete it, and that he only tools used in the making of the
 board, was jack knife, saw and chis- els made out of old files, you can rea- llze Ill some measure just what the board is. Another very peculiar fea- ture III the completion of the work is that there is not a nail or a screw in the whole board. You can imagine more fully what this last statement means when it took just 14,OOO pieces or wood to complete the work. The wood is of various kinds and qualities and came from many parts of this and other countries. With some of the pieces there is a history which is inst as interesting as the board itself. Among the kinds of wood used. are black walnut, cheery, cocobola. rose-
 wood, white holly, white people. red
 cedar, satinwood, zebra, ebony and q number of other kinds that the maker cannot tell the names Tn the two years and one half spent in the mak- I ing of the board it was not steady WOrK of when MT Clarkin was not employed elsewhere he spent his time at his board. Holidays were utilized in the same way, and long after midnight he
 would be found digging away with
 jack knife and chiseI arranging each little piece in it's place.
 l As was told before not q nail or. screw was used in the completion of
 the board and each piece of the four teen thousand was placed in it's posi- ton With La Paige glue. Some of the woods came from various countries
 ana may pieces were donated by vari- ous parties who had become interested
 III the work and the worker The des-
 ign Of the board is original. and was
 thought out as the maker went along With his work. The center of the
 checker board side is divided with fine white lines inlaid with diamond
 shapes to mark the playing spaces. The border of this side is composed of varied patterns, some of the pieces of
 wood not measuring over one-eight of an inch square. In the corners fhere
 are fan designs composed of white hol- ly and ebony.
 The backgammon is designed total ly different from the other side The corners are inlaid with stars, a star
 within star, with the points split half white and half black, to give it shad- ing effect. These are made from white holly and dark rosewood, filed
 in with satinwood to form the circle.
 In the center there is scroll piece, the same as can be found on the best French clocks. The edge of this side is inlaid in a beautiful design of rope
 work with pieces of wood one six teenth of an inch in thickness. White and black woods are used for this eff feet. 1t is almost impossible to des- cribe the board in detail for it Is a handsome piece of work and every piece of wood is brought out distinctly in the polishing which was the last
 work to be done It Is highly polished and while the intrinsic value may not be very much as a work of cleyerness and workmanship and beauty it is worth much. The board may be put on exhibition as several parties have asked for it at fairs and festivals