Year: 1873

A CORRESPONDENT of the Philadelphia
Press, writing from Skamokin, Pa, gives
the following description of wonderful
clock constructed by a poor German
Pennsylvania miner:


Karl Ketter, a poor German miner OF
the Excelsior Colliery, which is situated
within few miles of this borough, has
exhibited clock here during the past
week of a most remarkable character
He has been three years constructing it
the first two years at intervals of time,
and the last year he worked at it day and
night, scarcely taking time enough to
! sleep and eat. He became almost mono
maniac on the subject The clock was in
his mind during his waking hours, and
in his dreams at night He occupied
alone a small wooden shanty, where he
worked slept, and cooked his food.
| Whatever sleeping and cooking he did,
however, was but little. 1t is thought he
would have nearly starved but for the
kindly interest which his neighbors took
in him and his clock. They took him
food, and encouraged him in his labors


The clock, which was made with no
other tools than two common jack-knives,
is eight feet high and four feet broad. Its
frame is of the gothic style of architec-
ture. 1t has sixteen sides, and is sur
mounted by a globe, on top of which is
attached small golden cross. On the
front of the clock there are four dial
plates; one shows the day of the week,
another shows the day of the month, an
other shows the minutes and fractions of
a minute, and another the hour of the
! day. These dials are carved in a most
| unique manner, having emblematic fig
ures upon them and around them of al.
most every imaginable description.
Above the dial-plates is a semi-circular
gallery, extending around about half the
width of the framework of the clock
Immediately in front, in the center of
this semi-circular gallery, is the carved
wooden figure of our Saviour At
the ends Of the gallery, on either
side, there is a small door, open
ing into the body of the
clock. Over the door on the right hand
side of the clock, as you stand facing it, is
an eagle Over the door on the left hand
side, is chicken cock. Twice day, that
is, at 12 :05 in the day and at 10 :05 at night,
a sweet chime of bells begin to play, the
small door on the right hand side opens,
and the small wooden figures, admirably
carved, of the twelve Apostles, appear and
walk out slowly and gravely in process
sion, Peter in the lead. Advancing along
the gallery until they get opposite the fig
ure of Jesus, each in turn, except Judas,
slowly turns around and bows his head to
the Master, then RECEIVERS his former posi-
ton; as Peter does this the cock crows
They continue to advance to the other
side of the gallery, and enter the small
door on the left. AS Judas (who is in the
rear, with his right hand shielding his
face, and the left hand clasping the bag
which is supposed to contain the thirty
pieces of silver, comes in full view of
the cock, the cock crows again. By sim
pie arrangement this procession can be
made to come out and pass around the
gallery at any time desired. On pedestals,
at the extreme corners at the front of the
clock, are carved wooden statues of Moses
and Elias. In the rear are two obelisks of
the Egyptian style, upon which are carved
hieroglyphic characters to represent the
ancient period of the worlds history The
clock will run thirty-two hours without
winding. Mr.. Ketter, who is native of
Frieburg, in Baden, is very proud of his
workmanship. He can scarcely bear to
be away from it long enough to eat his
meals. He has been offered $4,000 for it
by a party from New York, but he refus-
ed it.


Mr.. Ketter says he had often heard of
the celebrated clock in Strasburg, Ger
many, but he never saw it, and he has no
knowledge Of how it was constructed,
neither has he ever had any instruction
in mechanics of any kind,