The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-05-17
IT KEEPS GOOD TIME
Americas Oldest Clock Owned at Co.
Iumbus, ky,--lt Is Six Cen
turtles old.

F centuries uiCN NlU ~ NOUGtlDiQ UNlN
I is now sitting in a corner of a room
of one OF the best citizens OF Colan,
bus, ana is still performing that for
which it was made nearly Goo year.
ago. says a correspondent at Colum
bus, Ky. II is q clock and one fees
when standing before it, afraid &c
move for fear of disturbing those
Grand old ancienta whose last mo
ments were beat Ont upon the CORFU
gated edge of the escapemeat Whoe
al mechanism II licked away the
minutes ana hours ii the native coun
/ try of the victor. King Edward III, q
England, during the siege and fan d
/ Calais Its massive pendulum swung
while the matchlcsa Joan of Are lea
the almost defeated Charles vi. tC
Victory at Orleans and a crown Of
Rheims through the ranks Of the con
stcmated hosts Of Henry VI. the thcr
infant monarch occupying England
throne, with the duke OF Bedford al
| regent; the eyes OF anxious motao.
ana wives gazed upon lis honest dla
while almost breathiessly waiting coI
the return of husbands and sons wnc
/ had taken up arms with Henry VII
and Richard Plant2ganet, duke OF
York, in thelr struggle Tor p1ssess.or
Of the British throne, and which nav
ties are known to the world as the
War Of the Roses while Columbus
piled the broad ana foaming main in
search of the land he knew, in his
Gauntless heart existed, this faithful
old time-piece sounded the hours
day in and day out upon ita iron beii
which still hangs suspended under
rho quaint little hammer.
Four hundred years later in Boston
its rusty hands pointed out the time
to an anxious popuacc while the I'm.
mortal Washington fought and won
for his country. ANA the ambitious
Napoleon went down in ignominious
defeat before the onslaught of the
Duke of Wellington at Waterloo.
Throughout centuries its wheels have
constantly turned Governments have
been crumblel to the earth by armed
hosts and new ones have sprung into
baing since it's construction.
The clock is tho property Of Walter
Gayle. II was left him BY his father,
At the exact time Of whose death
twelve years ago, it stopped, hut be
San running again when che pendr
lum was given a slight swing Gaylc's
father bought it before the civil war
from Joe Taylor at Frankfort, Ky
Ir Taylor had owned it a number OF
years, the clock having been brought,
from Boston by his father II had
been in the lattcr'a family seventy.
five years prior to that time, There
Is no record Of how or why it was
brought to this country The name
OF the maker is almost positive PROOF
that its origin is English. Inscribed
In two places on highly polished brass
plates in the works are this name ana
ate John owen, August, 1924
Counting from that date, the clock
has been in existence $50 years, or
1853 years before the discovery of
America. The case. which is ten feet
tall, Is the style Of cabinet work prev.
alent in the early part Of the last
century. and was added at that time
TO take the place Of the old one which
rad become insecure from age. Be
sides the hours and minutes, days Of
the week and Of the month are ac
curately registered upon It's dial In
addition to this the changes of the
moon are faithfully told by the reyoly.
ing OF a disc, decorated with a land
scape and ocean scene. The pendu
lum. which measures eight inches
across and is supported by -four iron
rods. Is Of lead and brass. There are
two huge weights. striking and run
ming. The former is Of iron and the
latter Is Of brass The make Of the
ease gives il q more modern appear.
3nce. but an examination of The works
removes all doubt of It's claim to
Mr.. Gayle has receivM
several propositions To exhibit this
grim memento OF the past at the Lou.
isana Purchase exposition, but he val
aea il so highly that he has decided
not 10 accept them. Tie work of cen.
turtles does not seem to have affected
Us accuracy, as il is still ticking away
and points out minutes and hours vita
the precision Of an electric regulator.