Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-14
ARTEs|A WEEPS;
VENERABLE CLOCK
HAS BEEN sM|PED
Relic of Transition Period of
Pecos Valley Town Carried
Away by Some SouIIeSs and
Desperate Criminal.

SPECIAL cosaespososses TO MORNING JOURNAL
Artesia, n. NJ, Feb. 13.--The long
series OF petty robberies in Artcsia
has at last ended in crime which
has aroused the entire population of
the city and if the culprit is caught
summary punishment may be meted
out to him. Some souless crook has
stolen the postoffice clock from the
green wall where it has rested undis
turbcd for these past ten years. Thurs
dav night, some time between the set
ting of the sun and the rising thereof
on Friday, the clock was removed
from the postoffce lobby. and while
il is reported upon competent author
.tv that City Marshal Zen Pate has Il
clue, the citizenship is heartbroken
and refuses to be eomforted believ-
ing that the cherished relic of Aries
las first plunge into citified ways is
gone forever.
This clock was not much of clock
for keeping time and ofttimes II was
subjected TO the pernicious meddllns
of postoffice clerks who desired to
escape from the scene Of their lhbors
few minute earlier in the evening
or to open up little later some
morning after spending the night tam
going to the seductive music of a
grafnola or sitting up with sick
man. IT had a disgusting habit of
giving one loud tick and one soft tick
for each second of lapsed time which
on quiet days nearly drove the force
insane. 1t frequently refused to run
nj all unless properly wound but 1t
gained merit through the years be-
cause it required no other attention,
and II never was oiled. 1t was not
the accuracy of the timepiece which
cndeared 1t to Artcsia people, but the
associations OF past and bygone gem
erations.
History of Timcpiecc.
When the postoffice was moved to
its present location, some ten years
ago, a travelling CRATER guaranteed
TO install a clock over the writing
desk if he could secure Il sufficient
number of advertisements from the
Artesia merchants. And thereby
hangs tale. Maybe it is true and
maybe il isn't. The town had no
jewccr at the time. and owing to a
fued between the officials of the rail
road and the business men the depOt
people refused to allow the town
folks to look at their clock. The itin-
Grant CRATER was hailed with delight
but n new problem presented itself
when the postmaster found, on read
ing the rules and regulations, that ad-
vertislng matter was not allowed in
the postoffice lobby. After consid-
cradle confabing around, the need OF
the clock overcome some conscien-
tious scruples on the part Of some OF
the weak sisters, and the clock and
its advertisements were ordered, and
in due time placed in the office. That
afternoon the assistant postmaster
took an axe and pried out the frames
Of the advertisements, leaving the
clock hanging on the wall, and the
merchants very properly refused to
pay for the space. When friend
CRATER appeared and tried to carry
off his clock he was dared to touch
any fixtures in the postoffice ON the
ground that what was once installed
became government property, ana SO
we got our town clock.
AS the years have passed and the
flyspecks multiplied across its vener-
able face the clock has become an
honored institution, marking, as it
did, an epoch in the history of the
town. Other things were made to-
conform with the conveniences of the
clock. When electric lights were first
installed the arc lamp on the postof-
flee corner was so placed that its rays
did not light the face of the town
clock when darkness had settled upon
the land so the poles were moved, al
considerable expense, and the lamp
properly placed. No one even con-
sidered moving the clock. Mayor
Fatherree, city Clerk L. Stephenson
and all the lesser town officials make
it a daily habit to set their timepiece
by the postoffice clock, and it is cur
rently reported that the custom is one
reason why Mir Fathcrree VIII not be /
. candidate for reelection. Strangers
are always advised tC set their |
watches by the postoffice clock, and /
the time for all badger fights Is set
by its reading. 1t has licked its way
into 'he hearts and lives Of the people !
of this town, like many others who
are gone, and there is sorrowing in
the Rose city, as there often is after
rho unheralded departure of some !
ticking individual
There ate those who affirm that
the clock was stolen by the advertis- !
ing man who first put it up, but this |
theory is secuted by the old-timers,
owing to the method by which the
former owner Of the clock left town
1t is more probable that some local
candidate has hooked our clock and |
is hiding it out until election day
when he will use it TO force the peo-
pie of Artesia to give him their votes.
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