AN HISTORIC CLOCK

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 265, 3 August 1921, Page 6

AN HISTORIC CLOCK

A LINK WITH THE PAST WHEN WELLINGTON WAS YOUNG An historic relic of old Wellington is in the possession of Mr. James Wall, jun., of Te Kuiti, in the shape of an nW grandfather clock- Many years ago it was the official timepiece of the city. Chatting with a DOMIMON representative yesterday, Mr. Wall told how it come to be put to this use. A family heirloom, the clock was brought out to New Zealand by the late Mt. Anthony Wall, lather of Mr. James Wall, of Porirua (now in his eighty-third year), and grandfather of Mr. James Wall, jun. The late Mr. Wall arrived in Wellington in 1841 by the Lord William Bcntlck. and one of his first acts was to construct a new case of rimu for his muchtreasured clock. Later. Mr. Anthony Wall and family removed to I’orirua, but the clock remained behind in th© care of the late Mr. James Nicol—Wellington's leading watchmaker of the day—until the dawn of more peaceful flays. The Maoris at this time wore ve.y troublesome in the Porirua district, azid whenever danger, loomed large on tne horizon Mr. James Wall, being the youngest member of the family, was <llspatched post-haste to Wellington. Being another one of the family’s treasured po'sessiono, Mr. Wall was also entrusted to the care of Mr. Nicol —a. .shipmate of Mr. Anthony Wall. Mr. Nicol used to keep the official time for all Wellington, which time was announced by the firing of a gun at noon. Therefore, it not Infrequently happened that at about 11.30 a.m. Mr. Nicol would fill a big "billy” with black powder and wend his way Vu the beach, where the eld cannon stood. Arrived at the old firing-piece, Mr. would pour the powder down the muzzle, ram home some old newspapers, and then stand with the touch-stick in his hand. Meanwhile young “Jimmie” Mall would be standing tn the doorway of the watchmaker's establishment, with one eye vit the old grandfather’s clock and the other on the man behind the gun. waiting for the fateful hour. Immediately the hands pointed to twelve o’clock, the hoy would drop his hand, and in a flash Mr. Nicol would apply the touch-stick. The resultant boom proclaimed the hour, arid, incidentally, occasionally accounted for a few window-panes. Eventually the clock came into the possession of Mr. James Wall, jun., as the eldest son, and to-day it still accurately records the flight of time. Some years ago the owner left it with a local watchmaker for "thorough overhaul and repair.” The job completed, Mr. Wall asked for the bill. “It will bo 55.” remarked the watchmaker. “Five shillings,” exclaimed Mr. Wall- "Why, I asked you to thoroughly repair it.” "Certainly,” was the reply, “and I gave it all it needed —a little drop of oil! I his small sum is all that has been, within the recollection of Mr. Wall, expended in keeping the old clock in repair, and it still keeps absolutely correct time.