802 Transactions of the American Institute. 



I think you are rested by this time, and we will continue our 

 tour. I very much regret I have not one German clock to show 

 you. There was one in the post-office, and may be there yet, for 

 aught I know. Some time since I asked permission to go up and 

 see it, and was answered with a growl that it was taken out long 

 ago. There is one out in New Brunswick like it, but not having 

 seen cannot describe, and all I know is that they only had one hand 

 that gave the hours. The next clock we come to is Yankee. Not 

 very pure breed, perhaps, but still Yankee. 



Old St. George's was made by Simeon Willard, Roxbury, Mass. 

 There is no date, but as the church was burned in 1814, and rebuilt 

 in 1815, we may infer about fifty years since. It is smaller than 

 the others, the frame being five feet long, two wide, and three and 

 a half high. The main wheels are twenty inches, and all the other 

 parts thrown in between them and ciu-iously mixed up. The scape 

 wheel is seven and a half inches, toothed and recoil pallats. The 

 pendulum is simply an iron rod, five feet long, with a spherical iron 

 ball, of about fifty pounds. There is no attempt at compensation, 

 and yet no clock in the city more than ten years built has gained 

 such a reputation for time-keeping. Twenty years since a person 

 who had not St. George's time was supposed to have no time 

 at all. It has a good motion, recoils largely, is very steady in its 

 gait, and no doubt runs as well as in its palmiest days. I think 

 its great reputation was gained before people were so exacting in 

 regard to time as now. It is the first to strike from the main wheel. 

 As the old is soon to be pulled down, no care is taken Avith it inside 

 or out, and the dials arie so obliterated that the time can only be 

 guessed at. If you are not in too much of a hurry, we Avill get the 

 inscription on the bell: "Presented by Thomas H. Smith, Esq., 

 to the Corporation of St. George's Church, New York. T. Mears, 

 of London, Fecit, 1818." 



At the City Hall we find the first really good clock. The frame 

 stands seven feet long, two feet three inches wide, and five and a half 

 high. The main wheels are twenty-eight inches. Like the othei"S 

 we have seen, it has four wheels in the train. The scape wheel is 

 very small — four and a half inches, and has fifteen pins. The 

 pallats are jeweled with agate. The pendulum is fifteen feet, 

 vibrating in two seconds. Joined at the top, and running down on 

 each side, are rods of seven-eighths inch iron. These are spread 

 to thirty inches at the bottom, and have each a stirrup at the 

 end. A bar of one inch brass, and one-half inch steel, is laid in 



