Christopher and the Clockmakers

t he had clews but apparently they were tangled tracks reaching too far away to bring immediate results; neither would he confide

ton, his partner, and Christopher himself, but to th

t to Holland or Siam, and dispose of their loot. I can't see what the police are thinking of not to round them up quick

now what they are about," Christopher said, making

"I hope so." Nevertheless, there w

her diversion that he welcomed any sort of companionship with disproportionate appreciation. He could not read, he could not write, he could go neither to the theater nor the movies. And while he thus halted

d he was not a little proud to class in the latter group both Mr. Rhinehart and the Scotchman, McPhearson. Mr. Rhinehart not on

out to him. He lived alone in dingy bachelor quarters, where, save for his books and his flute, he had few companions. Therefo

greeting when Christopher made his

y's fa

ming with me? Would yo

't care. Where

ve to look at a clock t

re you

a second or two to see if y

y good of you. I

ter ask yo

He'll think it

rather you

asier in your mind, I will

only to return breathles

u. And he told me to tell you we needn't r

extended a f

n. "We'll not need that. I've money enoug

ter. Da

s bag of tools and cutting short further discussion. "I

street where amid surging crowds they hai

ocks, could it?" commented Christopher, as he loo

lectures; people going for trains and cars. You may be reasonably certain it is the clock that is spurring them forward. Earlier in the day the throngs would have been denser than this, for then we should have seen the workers who pour into the city every mor

time for play," suggested

st a waste of time and with life short as it is, to fool time away has become little short of a sin. Certainly to

eem to consider themselves t

in these days. If a man keeps me waiting or talks my time away, he robs me of five or te

in consternation. "At that rat

aughed at th

e, which puts quite a different phase on the matter; and when I cannot both work and talk, why I stop talking. But if I wer

ur

verything they wanted. Clothing was made by hand and it took a long time to make it. Even the cloth was spun at home after the day's work was finished, and there was nothing else to do. When you traveled, roads were poor and the stage-coaches obliged to halt at intervals for fresh horses. In the meantime you stopped at an inn and hung about, waiting not only for

ver expect to get anywher

s of the period, it was considered a very comfortable era, and people were well content with it. Fortunately nobody wished to travel very extensively, for as knowledge o

eral times as many retainers as there were duties. Therefore it was unavoidable that many men were idle the greater part of the day. Indeed they had not resources enough to be anything else, for scarce a one of them had any education. They could neit

nted, hung about the court, loitered at the inn or rowed on the river. For such an existence as that one did not need to slice his time up into very fine pi

to escape running over an

him," said Christopher, when onc

take a chance like that. But, alas, we have got into the habit of thinking we cannot stop for anything. From morning to night w

ing to repair th

onsequence," retorted the Scotchman quickly. "No, no! It is better to be perched up h

ld clock you mention?

or lives there all alone with enough servants to man a warship. You may be sure our shoe leather will n

elers descended into the st

t mind my coming with you?" murmured

e touch his clocks. If he is at home, he will probably be proud as a peacock to show you

er, it proved that Mr.

the colored butler. "And sorry enough he'll be to miss you to

is it this ti

nute late, chiming away on her own hook, all independent like, as if she was runnin' the world. You know what that means. Mr. Hawley, sir, he won't stand for no nonsense like that-not for a second. If there's any str

ve a loo

the stairway, you

ugh I don't believe I coul

clocks frontways an' backways," answered Eben

ind them n

e of pride. "Mr. Hawley's been a long time comin' to it,

dee

say, 'I reckon you'll have to take on the windin' up. My hand is gettin' shaky.' Well, sir, had he given me the management of a railroad I coul

son smiled. "Very likely she'

o-I do in

Scotchman ascended the stairs until they cam

et tall-an exact repli

grandfather's clock as th

ake," McPhearson explained. "Many of them w

ks are like

e by John Bailey of Hanover, a small town on Cap

hundred year

, it has earned the right to a little independence?" M

zer shook

no matter how old she is," Ebenezer asserted, without hin

ed the door and

wrong, sir?" queried t

to make a more th

man for clocks as you in all my born days; an' the master, he say the same. 'Mr. McPhearso

ristopher had peep

great lead weigh

when the clock was wound and gradually dropped as the clock ran dow

s and pendulums?" gasp

Huygens, a Dutch mathematician, opened up no end of complications for the early clockmakers. In the first place they could not decide where to put this new article. Some placed the pendulum at the fr

Pisa, and had written a scientific treatise on it. But to get an idea is one thing and to apply it is quite another. Pendulums were very complicated mechanisms. In the first place the length of the pendulum decides, you see, the rate of the clock's vibration; a short one resulting in a quick, nervous tick; and a long one in a slow, quiet one. Therefore pendulums meant

tick slower," put in

cise

uld go slower some

rew placed near the bob. Nevertheless the variation is there. A common wire pendulum will vary approximately a minute a week; a brass rod will, on the o

they discovered, made the most trouble, were replaced by those of iron or lead which, being of softer material, expanded and contracted more readily. In our day you will

wo of them a

e! For the moment I

obs and pendulums, did the people have to keep on running to th

t was a very accurate timekeeper. Nevertheless it gave a fair idea of the hour, which wa

clocks were th

fair from four to five inches square, and named because its shape suggested a cage for birds. I spoke of it before. Then there was th

ulums or things?" question

howing the pendulum idea in its crudest form. Not until the long-case (or grandfather) clock made its advent into England did the pendulum,

rsons'!" interrupted Ch

ple size. It had works of iron, one hand, and no crystal, and was, to be sure, both thick and clumsy, but it boasted one amazing feature. Since it was too small to depend on weights, it contained a coiled mainspring-something entirely new to the clockmaking world. Now this article fashioned by Peter Henlien cannot be termed a w

acksmith-or rather a lo

e best clockmakers belonging to the Clockmakers'

. "And did everybody start making watches after t

e for owning one? Nevertheless horologers themselves were not discouraged. They kept right on trying to turn out something better, and in 1525 Jacob Zech, a Swiss mechanic from Prague, hit on

hat wa

fus

help me much," was Chri

coiled the cord from the fusee, making it turn and as soon as it turned, the wheels had to turn too, and the watch began to go. Since from the very start the cord unwound from the small end of the cone where the leverage was least, and as the force of the mainspring decreased it, the leverage of the cord strengthened in the same proportion. So you see, the power which turned the wheels was constantly th

from his bag a sm

rpolated the butler, who had b

won't hu

ng with h

She just needed a little rea

Then you're mos

tty

Hawley won't get bac

ot gon

cPhearson," declared the darky hurriedly. "No, i

were listeni

listenin'! My two ears was

ker flushed

dunno what-" continued the butler, "but I'm lettin'

oined Christop

the Scotchman returned drily; "and having once started, I suppose I may as wel

arger and more staunch ships were now to be had, lured persons previously shy of the sea to voyages of discovery. On every hand new ideas were coming to light. In the clock world somebody began making screws to replace the primitive little pins and rivets hitherto employed to fasten wheels and dials in place; glass came into more general use, and by 1600 crystals began to be quite generally in evidence; and the appearance of the minute hand gave evid

se. Those who could afford it frequently owned several, wearing them around their necks on c

g-shaped watches heavy an

beautifully made by hand. There were flowers with watches concealed in their centers; baskets of tiny fruits, hearts, animals, death's-heads-every form that was novel or original. Some cases had on their covers miniatures set in jewels; and there were cas

ridiculous!" exclaimed

rologers were not. Patiently they continued the struggle to make timepieces better; and to prove that all this nonsense about pretty watches was not without value, I will tell you that it

ut some gain, is it?" smile

e pendulum, now becoming less of a puzzle, was coming into vogue. Makers had, however, been convinced by this time that pendulums did not look well hanging down acr

off his working glasses, substituted for them

will find Seventeen will do better after this. D

returned the butler with a broad s

you say, ar

otherin' for a while, but she's catchin' up now. I wouldn't dare h

Give my respects to M

d the butler let