Christopher and the Clockmakers

entered the shop the next morning it was to find himself quite

s Sherlock H

ing any more bandit

t service yet, Ma

ried to accept the banter cheerfully, perceiving that it was kindly intentioned. But the glory of it paled at

lock with the chimes that he did no more than glance

y bit of work yesterday

was darn stupid. I had the chan

so downstairs," was the c

hearson. I just happened along at the right time-or, perhap

rved the old man, continuing to file with extrem

iring the speed and skil

long?" ventured he a

the catch on the door, for even Richard Parsons cannot c

sigh from th

the boy mischievously. A second later, however, he regrett

know she is going where she will be appreciated. The woman that owns her

on some dumbbell, isn't it?" declared Chri

maker, the date when they were made, the place, and all. I like to handle clocks for people like that. It shows they are intelligent and care. Some folks do not know one thing about their clocks. They won't even take the trouble to w

ed agreement wit

y right to keep them cleaned and help them to do the best they can, even at that. All clocks can't be Tompions

locks, don't you?" medi

ey have finer traits. They go quietly ahead and do their work without bluster or complaint. When they don't it is usually because something's the matter with them.

g without clocks," returned Christopher comfo

to live in a fortunate age, young man, and do not half appreciate your ble

n earth did people manag

us creature thought out the sundial whereby the hour could be gauged by a shadow; also marks were ma

suppose ther

sundial at best was none too correct. In different latitudes, too, different markings were needed. Moreover, a su

h good as a fan would be in G

as these sunless hours

r thought of t

of us

as why people beg

aped from sundials to clocks, do you?"

," conceded the boy with easy unconcern

ng way off from s

t did co

ld be carried from place to place. Sometimes this was combined with a compass; sometimes it was made in the form of a ring. It was an awkward substitute for the watch, but it was, nevertheless, great-great-great-grandfather

ind

e to narrow it down to any very fine point, for at that period of history one day was very like another, and he was a leisurely being with little to do but eat, sleep, fight or hunt. Notwithstanding this, however, he did want to know when it was noon; when it would be day. King Alfred, one of the English

a clever

fter night. But there were, alas, many unfortunates who couldn't. Accordingly the obs

?" demanded Christ

time by

ter! B

take a jar, make a tiny hole in the bottom of it, fill it with water, and let the water drip slow

t was certa

ariation in the regularity of the dripping. This water clock was called a clepsydra, the name being taken from two Greek words meaning 'thief of water.' Well, as you may imagine, the populace were delighted with this contrivance. It seemed as if now they certainly had the prize for which they had been

ent, isn't it?"

making speeches and arguing and became so fascinated by hearing themselves talk that they forgot to stop. Now here was something that would put a check on them. When a case came up for a hearing, the accuser was allowed the first jar of water, the accuse

me!" Christop

re was none of the thing the Athenians termed 'babbling.' Men guarded their w

continue to use

drip much faster than when there was not much in it. This they had not considered before, and the discovery forced them to attempt to improve it. This they did by concocting a sort

best

d to do for himself, which is the aim of all machinery. In just that proportion he moved toward a civilization where artificial methods relieved him of his labor. Thus he advanced quite a distance from that

h those three stages," ejaculated Christopher with pleasure; "

stories, if you fasten them together. Scattered, unrelated information is both dry and worthle

belong," observed the lad soberly. "It's like fitting pieces i

raps of knowledge in his possession. Many an older person has wondered what part his learning had in the gigantic total of the ages. World history is

Christopher. "And so the Greeks managed to fix up t

slower; moreover, you must consider what happened in cold weather, for not only were these water clocks in unheated buildings, but you will recall they were set up in the market place or public square so the villagers mig

roze-that probably was the next

nodded M

h better than the old sundial,"

tage about two thousand years, and then I am sure you wil

hat wa

sand

rglass,

the European world, and you cannot but agree it was a far more practical article than was the clepsydra for it neither froze nor had to be replenished. Moreover, it was lighter, less bulky, and could be carried about, and the old water cl

at home to p

as this, however, did not take place in ancient times. At that period people seldom attempted fine measurements of the day. The problem of hours, minutes, seconds, and fractions of them was something they scarcely dreamed of. Nor did they need to cut their time up into such small parts. Life, as I before remarked, was not very rushing.

doesn't it?" Chri

ted, books written, and people, hearing of other lands, began to travel. In consequence life became busier and time more valuable. Moreover, with the spread of Christianity, monasteries and convents were everywhere erected, and attached to these religious orders were specified intervals for work, prayer and various

that a clock at all,"

ry language means 'bell.' The French was cloche, the Saxon clugga. Thus it came about that later on the works of more modern clocks frequently had two distinct mechanisms: the bell portion that chimed or struck the

"And who was it that evolved this m

so often, bethought himself of a scheme whereby the bell could be made to ring without him. History tells us that William, Abbott of Hirschau, who died toward the end of the eleventh century, invented a horologium mod

ts. Now who invented such an affair as that we do not know. It must, however, have been some ingenious Saracen who certainly could have heard nothing about the Abbott of Hirschau and his striking bells. Indeed, when one considers the superstition o

ous!" scoffe

rified at a thing they cannot fathom and these persons were as yet little more. Well, at any rate, clocks began to make their appearance. By 1286 one of these

just chimed

oden figures beat out the hour on a series of bells. All these were

u don't suppose that word has anything to do

d deal," McPhearson ret

ll, well! Old C?sar, Esquire, isn't so bad, after all. Hora! I nev

o do with what you learn is

ore," confided the lad frankly. "Gee, but it mak

an could not but chuckle at his

ing-up idea just when I can't do any more

long, son; and if you go back more ea

so worse. Miss Alden, my Latin teacher, would fall in a faint if she heard me rolling out these Latin derivatives, I'll bet. I'm not often