Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1899 — THAT $2,300.00 CLOCK. [ARTICLE]

THAT $2,300.00 CLOCK.

The citizens of Rensselaer were startled Wednesday evening by an of late unusual sound being borne to their ears on the balmy breeze of the evening. The sound had a dimly familiar air, and as everyone rushed pellmel to tho door to discover the cause and from whence came the musical vibrations, it was discovered that the court house tower was brilliantly illuminated and “Honest Abe’s” twenty-three-hundred-dol-lf*r“Waterbury” was chiming forth the hour of six. No wonder the people were startled! For 10, these many moons this expensive article of court house furniture had been in a state of total collapse, and they had ceased to think of it except to cuss the shortsightedness and bullheadedness of a board of commissioners who wilfully disregarded the advice of prominent citizens and the experience of others with these same conglomerations of uselessness in purchasing same, and many had gone to the jeweler and bought themselves a timepiece that could be depended on. For a whole week no effort had been made to resuscitate this groggy monumentof foolhardiness, but the weather having moderated considerably and the tired “experts” having recovered from the exhaustion of previous labors in its behalf, an attempt was again m ade Monday evening. The clock “run” all right all the night long, and the spirits of “Honest AbeV* coherts rose accordingly. The bright rays of Old Sol shone forth Tuesday morning and telephonic messages of congratulation, are supposed to have been prepared to send up in the benighted township of Keener, to the hero of the trip to Milwaukee. But, lo! One more glance at the clock and their spirits again drooped—the “thing” had stopped at 7:35, and messages of condolence were once more in order. At 10 o’clock the crank, which had already done such good service, was again brought forth and put where it would do the most good. The hands were turned around to X, and they continued to move along swimingly, the mercury at this time being I somewhere in the neighborhood of j more the spirits of the coherts of the man from Keener rose. But they were again doomed to disapj pointinent, at 2:45 "it"’ stopped short and remained “dead” until 10 a. m., Wednesday when the machinery was again started up, and at this writing “she” is pumping a long at a gait which promises !to keep “Honest Abe” busy if he i out-sessions it. *