The Harrison times., 1915-10-30
Wealthy Retired Brooklyn Man
Has Rare Lot of Watches
and Clocks.
1,1OO TICK-TOCK TOGETHER
Members of Family Take Turns Wind.
ing Up the one-Year Family Clock
One Clock Upon Which Swiss
Spent His Entire Life.

The mansion, built by the late VIII
liam II. Hill, long has been one OF the
show places of the borough on ac.
count Of its hardwood panelings and
other decorations. Every room and
hall is treated differently, and many
OF the rarest foreign and American
woods have been employed One room
is finished in black birch, another in
hazel, third in mahogany, and so
on. Another of Mr.. Arthur's hob
bies' is cabinetmaking, and so the
Hill residence fell in precisely with
his fancy, and he bought it partly as
a museum for his timepeces, many of
which are enCased in the costliest of
woods, matching or contrasting with
the paneled walls and ceilings.
There are in the collection about
122 clocks and 1000 watches. The
clocks, of which Al are "grandfatLers,
are scattered throughout the entire
mansion, and 21-one in each room
are kept going constantly. The 9TH
ers are always ready to go.
Gases Also Notable.
Not included in the collection itself
are several massive hardwood cases
of African rosewood, marble wood,
etc, made by Mr. Arthur with his own
hands, and which stand there in ST.
lence awaiting the day when their
owner shall have designed or invented
special works for them that will reg
lister in some unusual way the flight
of time. He has never sold clock
or watch, nor has he ever given one
away except to his own children, for
their separate homes, when they
marry.
In the main parlor is the first COM
plete clock ever made by Mr., Arthur
made in 1897. 1t is ten-day time
piece, with two 40-pound weights, and
a compensating pendulum Of alumi.
mum and steel. One dial is in the case
and above it are three other dials,
ehowing the way in which the machin-
cry is arranged in a triangle tower
clock. The works as well as the case
are the personal handiwork Of Mr..
Arthur, and the actual cost is esti-
mated at over 81 200.
The "FamiIy Clock"
The Arthur family clock" also
made in every part by the head Of the
house, runs a year at one winding.
The works are in case Of dark ma
hogany The seven-inch spring is the
largest In the United States. and
the ticking arrangement, technically
known as "escapement," is of the as
Economical dead-beat pattern and is
jeweled with diamonds.
This family clock was started by
Mr.. Arthur In 1906, and has been
tremendously wound up once each
year ever since then, each time by a
different member of the family The
name of the winder each year and the
date are engraved by Mr. Arthur
from year to year on a brass plate
set in the case. The clock actually
will run thirteen months without re-
winding, he SAYS. Also, he adds,
It is contained in case within case,
and is so thoroughly protected from
the weather that it will last, uninl-
paired indefinitely.
Five hundred years from now
declared Mr. Arthur to New York
World reporter. this clock will run
Just as we'll as 1t does now"
The outer case is OF plain dark ma
hogany with dark oak panels,
A Glass Plate Clock.
One of the curiosities Of the collec.
ton is a glass plate clock" so called
because all the wheels-there are only
three in the whole mechanism-are
pivoted in a single heavy plate Of
glass. There ia no framework, The
instrument was made in France and
Is OF unknown age. There are only
two others like tone in London and
one at the Conservatoire des Arts ct
Meters in Paris. The large wheel has
300 teeth The day Of the week and
also Of the month are shown on the
dial, which is enameled on copper
Another clock has brass skeleton
frame in exact imitation Of the Gothic
monument to Sir Walter Scott In Ed
inburgh The movement Is Of the
chain.and fusee type, the wheel for
the chain being cone shaped, The
clock was built in Edinburgh many
years ago for a priest, who brought Il
TO the United States.
Unique Repeater.
Also in the collection is a tive.min.
ute repeater clock. designed and made
by Mr.. Arthur-machiIery OAK case
and all. A big bell rings the hours,
and II certain chain is pulled the bell
will ring the last preceding hour, and
smaller bell clinks once for each
nve.minute period since the last hour,
Thus, II II Is 1886 a. m, the big bell
gongs ten times and then the little
bell also rings eleven times, indcat'
ing that II is within five minutes OF