Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1876 — The Clock of St. Mary’s Church, Subeck. [ARTICLE]

The Clock of St. Mary’s Church, Subeck.

Strolling through the streets I happened to pass St. Mary’s Church near the hour of noon, and 'entered to see the famous clock perform its little tricks, which it has repeated day by day for over 300 years. This ancient piece of mechanical skill is placed near the main altar, and has a huge and bewilderingly complicated dial, showing the second, minute, hour, day, month, year and relative position of moon and planets all at once. On a miniature semicircular gallery above the dial is the figure of Christ seated on a throne. With the last stroke of twelve, melodious chimes play a verse of some hymn, and at the same time a little door on the right of the gallery opens and a figure in apcstolic garb appears, advancing slowly until it reaches the throne, when it turns and bows before the Savior, and then roes on again, disappearing through a door on the left. Eleven Apostles pass through in this manner, but ttfe twelfth, who is said to be Judas, only shows his face, when the door is shut on him. I could not help pitying the poor little wooden apostle, who has been subjected to this mortifying treatment for 300 years. St. Peter comes in for his share of rebuke in the shape of a cock which makes an effort to crow three times, but though he flops his wings as lively as ever his voice was Injured by a cold caught in the severe winter of 1724, from which he never fully recovered, and I suspect St. Peter laughs in his sleeve at the bird’s attempt to remind him of his temporary defection over 1800 years ago. —Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.