JOHN MUIR'S CLOCK.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 193, 21 July 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

JOHN MUIR'S CLOCK.

IT WOKE HIM AND DUMPED HIM OUT OF BED.

Tiie famous clock ol the late John Mu'r, the noted American naturalist and exp'orcr. which not em'y woke inm up in the morning but dumped him out of bed; which delivered h:s hooks to him in regu'ar sequence when he was studying, and which lighted li s fire in the morning, has recently been presented to the Wisconsin State Historical Society's Museum at Madison by the Wisconsin Alumni Association ol Northern Californ a. . The clock was u-ed by Muir during his school days at \\i-e ; »isin Iniversity in the carlv Because of his de-ire to work lie kept late hours and found it hard to get np. First lie tried tying a string to his toe and having the janitor pull it at r..m. This worked until some of the students almost pu'lul him out of bed. Then iie built a c'oek which would do the work for him. He built a bed of pine boards, with '.line letrs. two at tiie head and one at tiie foot The leg at the foot was in two sections and operated on an elbow. This elbow was held by a peg, so that if the peg was released the bed would diop to an angle of 4o degrees A strong cord, fast, tied to the peg, led to tne clock; on the cnd of :!io cord near the do-k wa> a large stone. Before retiring the cord was attached to t'oe e'ock, and at •"> a.m. the clock wou'/l do iUi deadlv work. Ihe noise of John fat ing out of bed, and the falling stone, awakened every one in the buiidin;; While teaching in a country schoolhouse he u-o;l his clock to start a fire before he arrived at the school. The clock upset a tube or sulphuric acid into a mixture of chlorate or potash and sugar, placed under the kindling and wood the night before. Instant cobbustion took place. He a'so ued the eli -k to open and shut his books when he wished to dy. Bv arranging nis book- in a sin ill car which operated i n i:is study table, tliey arranged themselves Hi a certain order and were placed before him at a stated tinu by the movement ot the clock.