Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 252, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1915 — Primitive “Timepieces.” [ARTICLE]

Primitive “Timepieces.”

One of the most primitive time-re cording devices employed by the Chinese and Japanese was a knotted wiok about two feet in length which smoldered without breaking into flame, and indicated the passage of an hour by the time consumed in burning two knots. King Alfred is credited with having established a system whereby twelve-inch wax candles were divided into equal distances; relatively a third of an hour being required to burn an inch. A candle of this type but only ten Inches in length. Is es hibited in the collection in the Waefc ington museum.