Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26

the same time caused much merriment
among those who looked on
vided with belfry clock BY the
progressive motion of a large circular
plate on which were described several
concentric circles, this timepiece exhibited
various details of the calendar for over
one hundred years. Not only was the
day of the week and month shown, but
the hour of sunrise, the days of full
moons and the number of days inter
yening between Christmas and ShrOVe
Tuesday The dial also told OF all solar
and lunar eclipses visible at Lubbock Tor
fifty years. The unique feature of the
Lubbock timepiece was the performance
of its automatic figures upon the twelftn
stroke of the bell. Then the electors OF
and inaugurated the emperor seated upon
d throne in front. Another door opened
and d figure of Christ appeared. After
His benediction the whole company re-
tired amid the sounds of trumpetS by
choir Of angels.
Toward the end of the eighteenth CEN
fury Dros, mechanic of Geneva. con-
structed a clock which made his name
famous. Its mechanism was like other
timepieces OF it's day. but it's entertain
ment a little different This clock was
furnished with the figure of shepherd
and dog. When the clock struck the
shepherd played six airs on his flute. ana
then the dog approached and fawned upon
him. 1t is said that al one time Dros
exhibited this piece of his workmanship
to the King of Spain. At the request
of the clockmaker, the king took an
apple from the shepherds basket. At
this action the dog started up and barked
loudly that the kings dog lying In
the same room began to bark also.
In the fifteenth century clockmaking made
great progress, as more compact motors
were substituted for the cumbersome
weights. BY this arrangement smaller
timepieces could be made, hence portable
clocks were constructed. 1t was Peter
Henlein of Nuremberg who first used IL
long ribbon steel tightly cOiled around a
central spindle to maintain the motion of
the wheels. His portable timepeces,
called table clocks, were sought novel
ties by the fashionable circles of Europe.
At that time watches and clocks began to
be popular, but were so much alike that
it was difficult to distinguish which was
which. The Skull clock, in the Henry II
collection. is an example of the fantastic
creations of some of the early clock
makers. Jacques Jolly. manufacturer of
the contrivance set the works In skull
of silver gilt. On the forehead of the
skull was an engraving representing
Death, with his hour glass and scythe.
He stood between a palace and a cottage,
his feet being applied equally toward the
doors of both. On one side of the skull
was a representation of our first parents
in the Garden of Eden. and on the other
side of the skull was a picture represent
ing the crucifixion and the alteration by
the two Marys. Inside of the top of the
skull which is the lid of the clock. there
was a picture of the holy family around
the infant Jesus in the manager
In the corridor of Windsor Castle is the
now silent clock presented by Henry VIII
to Anne Boleyn on her wedding morn. This
little silver gilt wedding gift is four
inches square at the bottom and about
ten inches high. AT the top is the British
lion, holding the arms OF England. The
leaden weights incased. in copper and
gilt, are engraved. On one are the initial Is
of Henry and Anne. with true lovers
knots. On the other II. A." Engraved
on the top of each weight is "Dieu ct mon
droit.' and at the bottom. Most Happy
These love tokens remain the same
after three hundred years, but four years
after the clock was given to Anne she
died on the scaffold through the incon-
stancy of him who had professed such
love for her.
The people of Holland were the first