Troublous Time
Hillsboro's old clock has liad a
rough lime of it in its 200 years.
By ALLEN LLOYD
Ocher lime pieces may have licked
oui more history, bul none has had a
more troublous career lhan lhal of the
old clock which today looks benignly
down upon the village of Hillsboro
from its perch in the courthouse.
The clock, made in Birmingham.
England, about 1 760. was presented to
the town by George III in 1766. It is
said to be a facsimile of the first clock
in the tower of Independence Hall.
Philadelphia. The Philadelphia clock,
however, was replaced in 1835 by one
of American make.
In Two Wars
Hillsboro's clock fought in two wars
and came in for more than its share of
abuse. When the Tories McNeill and
Fanning raided the town in 1781. the
clock was thrown into the river which
runs through the town. There it re¬
mained for several months before
being recovered and reconditioned
and put back in the courthouse.
It almost lost its life when David
Fanning, the register of deeds despised
by the Regulators, hid it in his pantry.
A band of Regulators pillaged the
Fanning home, believing it to be built
from money ruthlessly taken from the
people. They found the old clock and
fell upon it with axes and hammers, so
that the bell had to be recast in Phila¬
delphia. But once more the clock was
put on duty.
It was a prisoner of war and
perhaps reluctantly kept time for
Cornwallis. The British general's head¬
quarters were directly under the clock,
and no doubt it regulated the day's
work for his camp.
The old clock's travels matched its
travails. The first courthouse over
which it kept watch in Colonial days
was sold to the colored Methodist of
Hillsboro and it now serves them as a
house of worship. The clock then was
moved to the tower of the Presbyte¬
rian Church where it worked for several
months, thence it traveled to the Mar¬
ket House and remained there until
1X20 when this building was de¬
Hillsboro's old clock still looks down
on its town and gives good lime. —
(Photo by Charlie Cooper).
stroyed. Around 1847. it was repaired
with the addition of two new dials and
installed in the cupola of the present
courthouse.
It has kept reliable time throughout
its long and adventurous life, and to
Hillsboro it wears a fair, honest, and
revered face.
IVE KE
РШ1
HEALTHY
The University News Letter says the
death rate per 1.000 in North Caro¬
lina was 7.7 persons, from all causes,
with only Utah's rate being lower with
7.3.
The highest death rate was in New
Hampshire, with 11.7 per thousand.
The national rate was 9.7.
In 1950 there were 106.359 births
in North Carolina, an increase from
71.931 in 1914. While births have in¬
creased. deaths have not. In 1950 there
were 31,232 deaths, and in 1915
there were 3 1 .324.
There has been an enormous drop
in deaths from all diseases in the past
35 years in the state, with one ex¬
ception. While deaths from typhoid
have dropped front 702 to six and
diphtheria from 410 to 28 a year, the
number of fatalities from heart dis¬
ease has jumped front 2.372 annual¬
ly up to 8,016.
HOW MANY CAN
YOU AYSWER?
Miss Nora L. King of Warrenton
says that she enjoyed very much the
"rock quiz" lhal we ran a few weeks
ago. She suggests that wc follow it up
with an "age quiz," and sends in sev¬
eral suggestions which wc have sup¬
plemented with some words of our
own to complete the list.
Every word, suggested by the fol¬
lowing definitions, ends with age. If
you get 17. 18. 19 or all of them cor¬
rect. give yourself a grade of excellent
If you get 14. 15 or 16 right, you're
good. If you gel II. 12 or 13 right,
you're entitled to a grade of fair.
Remember — every word has to end
with age.
1. An ancient proverb or pithy say¬
ing.
2. A banding for a wound.
3. Fortitude: valor.
4. Refuse: waste.
5. To conduct or operate.
6. Anger.
7. A small community.
T<. Deference: allegiance: honor.
9, An ancient city founded by the
Phoenicians.
10. Birthright: patrimony.
11. One distinguished for wisdom:
a profound philosopher.
12, To spoil: to loot.
>13, A youth employed for carrying
messages or running errands.
14, Extravagant or violent misdo¬
ing: wrong done to persons or things.
15, A vehicle.
16, Jacob, in the Bible, gave up
something valuable for this mess.
1 7, A type of dwelling.
18, To be held in custody, pending
the fulfilment of a demand or agree¬
ment.
. 19, Connubial bliss.
20. Violent, riotous or reckless ac¬
tion or behavior: to go on a tear.
(Answers on page 24)
THE STATE. FEBRUARY 2. 1952
