Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-28
ODD WAYS OF TELLING TIME

ODD WAYS OF TELLING TIME
u, ,e
Many Devices To Keep Track Ct the
Flight Of Time Before the Advent oi
the Clock.
Many were the devices for recording
the flight Of the hours before the COM
ing OF the clock. The most famous, OF
course, was the hour glass, which was
made Of various sizes and capable OF
recording, with tolerable accuracy al
most any given interval Of time. al
though seldom one greater than an
hour. la,c3 49, H
The burning Of candles was another
, favortte device. Lines were drawn at
different elevations for the fractional
divisions Of the period which the candle
recorded. There was also an ingenious
water clock which is even now occa-
sionally seen in museums. The sun dial.
for marking true time. was much In
use in early days. In our latitude 1t
would not be strictly accurate. except
on few days In the year, and Its ac-
curacy at other times would be OF a
varying quantity. sa -
A watch or a clock was as rare IN
Turkey az an aeropiane is IN some
countries today. Even at the present
time in the smaller cities and villages of
the Ottoman empire timepiece In the
house is a luxury indulged In by a few
of the wealthy class. Nature is the
clock OF that land, a clock tnat never
Stops OF 1aiis 70 serve its purpose, Inc
crow OF the COCK - the simplest tne
sun the most oependaDie ana cohveni-
ent ana, the cats eye tne most diinccuit llnic',1t
and, 10 orientals' the most humorous
OF timepieces' ~ ~ St
The cock crows regularly morning.
forenoon, afternoon and evening, and
serves the purpose OF the striking CLOCK
OF a belfry tower sometimes a COCK
crows at irregular intervals. In tna' n1t
case ne Is unfortunate IN turkey
since superstition demands IN tnat q ms =,
head be chopped on witnout delay ror
to tolerate an "ll-crowing" COCK would
be to court disaster! p G.f ~
Still another method OF teliins time
employed oy the IurKs ls TINS; iney
aoia their tnulnos loucnins y, one aso. o.ne. .e.
hoori1oii.aiy, iori'sp anu eou .e 30
pefpeHfuiee' 80
ehuiiio anu - e -
SIX paros' ho p ~
nano REPRESENTING tue iiiof 1''" a''u s.''
otner tne AFTERNOON. 50
Where the thumbs 'oin. HIS -
O'Clock the UP OF one Iorenheer req.
resenting . O'CLOCK IN tne morning ana iH
the UP Oh the other WIN poin' ~
correct time' as judged Dy .ne nouls
nomihaiiy ma inarAeu ~ l,n =. o
DIVISIONS may De oiViueo iii'o i'ii'i'1
al parts' as the quarter iiours RE
To tell the time py tne cars eye
seems an absurd proceeding. put tne
Turks DO II Tne average person ~
perhaps NOT aware that the sii0pe ~
the cats eye undergoes changes during
the day. In the morning the pupil Is
normally circular, but gradually " mar
rows until noon. when only Q narrow
streak is left AS the day progresses It
resumes its normal shape, becoming
oval at about 8 o'clock In the afternoon.
In Turkey It is common for the old
folks to call the cat to their sides In
order to ascertain the time. qse&
In Illustration Of the accuracy where
by time can be measured by the shadow
cast by the sun there may be cited
trial In Nebraska q year or two ago,
held in the month Of January. The de-
fendant was acquitted Of a charge of
murder by means Of the alibi establish
ed by the shadow CT church steeple
cast upon a photograph that contained
the two accusing witnesses. These wit