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“Welcome to Maine, where
friends are strange, the moose are good-looking, and foreigners from New
Hampshire and elsewhere are always welcome.” Thirty-four members and guests arrived at the Brunswick Atrium
in downtown Brunswick, Maine beneath clear “wintah” skies. There’s still a chill in the air, and we
hope spring is just around the corner.
Newcomers aren’t strangers for
long, for Chapter 89 is known for good hospitality. Everyone had an opportunity to ponder
over the growing display of auction, and we all enjoyed a whiff of “what’s
cookin” from the buffet.
The 171st meeting and 38th
year of Maine Chapter 89 got underway at 11:00 a.m. with some NEW faces in
the crowd. During the Welcome Hour,
we caught up on the latest news.
The Business Meeting started around
1:00 PM, led by President Nan Vance.
She welcomed members and guests during her opening introduction and
asked for folks to make a “self introduction”.
OLD BUSINESS: President Vance
rendered a reading of the Minutes of the Meeting for our November 2006
meeting. Treasurer Tom Vance
rendered the Treasurer’s report.
The membership accepted both reports.
NEW BUSINESS:
Saturday,
February 10, 2007 - Clock Repair Workshop F101-6 at Norlands in
Livermore. Jim Bryant will lead off
this workshop. Those interested
should RSVP Ern Grover at 324-8994.
Luncheon fee is $10.00 payable at Norlands. Luncheon is included. Topics covered: Repair Click Components, Clutch
Mechanism, Governor (fly), Hammer Pad, Verge and Crutch, Suspension Spring
Saturday, March 10, 2007 – Clock Repair Workshop F101-7 at Midcoast Senior Health Center,
Brunswick. Topics covered: Loose
Wheels on Arbors, Levers and Lifters, Instructor to Demonstrate Reversing a
Worn Wheel on Arbor, Count Time Train Teeth, Final Movement
Assembly
No
cost. RSVP Ern Grover
324-8994. All members welcome
regardless of level of experience.
Tutorial training is available.
Call Ern Grover to arrange remedial for missed classes.
Saturday,
March 17, 2007 – Regular Meeting at Winner’s Sport Grill
Our
featured speaker will be Ern Grover.
His presentation is entitled “Oops in the Workshop”
For more info about upcoming events, visit the web site, refer
to your newsletter or see one of the Officers.
Anything else?
show
& tell: Jim Lea
brought in a gong he had made for an English circa 1770 double fusee
movement. He made the gong using
heavy music wire using #25 or #26 (thereabouts), the largest he could
order. He found instructions to make it in the NAWCC archives that
referred him to a 1972 article. Jim Lea
showed a lathe-mounted jig in aluminum for winding a new gong, based on an
article in the NAWCC bulletin. The index of articles is now
searchable online at the NAWCC website, and Jim encouraged its use.
Alex Cummings showed us a stylish
Tiffany Art Deco (square case) clock that had a 8-day 15-jewel Concorde
watch movement and was curious about the value of it. Tiffany
desk clock in a square case.
Tom Vance brought in an unusual
antique German Painting Clock that also had a cuckoo.
Raffle
drawing: 1st
Winner was Chris Wilkie and 2nd Winner was Charlie
Fairbrother. Congratulations!
silent auction: Clocks
and watches and parts and literature and tools, oh my! What an auction! Chapter 89 members enjoyed a fast, paced
and fun filled auction thanks to Auctioneer Jim Lea’s able leadership and
helpers Warner Vaughan and Sam Ogilvie.
presentation: A motion to adjourn the meeting was made and seconded, and the members
turned their attention to the presentation, “James Cary the “Brunswick
Maker”. In his typical upbeat
form, Cal Morgan prefaced his presentation with a comment. “When I was approached with the idea of
speaking at this symposium about one of our Maine Clockmakers I was
naturally at odds with the multitude of makers to choose from. After much thought I decided to speak
about two. In my opinion the most
prolific one was James Cary of Brunswick and the least publicized one was
Robert Wentworth of Buxton-- my choices thus made, I will first speak about
James Cary.
James Cary Jr. was born to James
Cary, the first Brunswick Gunsmith and his wife Mary on July 22, 1790 in
Brunswick, Maine. After
apprenticing with other clockmakers, he eventually conducted business in
1806 still known as Eastman & Cary.
His main interest was in producing
tall case clocks with all brass movements. These clocks were all handmade
from plaited sand cast brass and set up in Roxbury style cases manufactured
by others. (These cases varied from 90-110 inches tall) The movement
carried a seconds hand, moon phase, and calendar. One documented sale was
for $80.00 to a Mrs. J. D. Lamb in 1806 and was reportedly functioning
excellently in year 1889 having only new cords for the weights twice. Cary’s clock movements were a product of
his own hand. He signed his dials" JAMES CARY" while some of his
movements were signed "J. CARY".
Cal indicated he was privileged to have cared for
a number of his tall clocks, and examples of his New Hampshire Mirror
clocks as well as a number of his embellished imported watches. As was reported in 1889 his clocks
continue to need a minimum of repair beyond cleaning and replacement of the
"weight cords", as they were called in those days. Were James Cary here today he could
certainly be proud of his accomplishments.
Robert Wentworth deserves mention
as one of Maine’s multi-talented clockmakers. He was born in Buxton, Maine during the year 1786 and
produced his first clock around 1810, made of wood of the wag on the wall
type. Wentworth produced perhaps more than 15 Tall clocks of brass and iron
before his clockmaking activity was terminated by an unfortunate
accident. Wentworth was self-taught
inheriting skills from his father who was a farmer, blacksmith, shoemaker,
and manufacturer of potash.
His clock plates are of iron with
brass bushings while the rest of the movement is orthodox. Wentworth later
operated a thriving brass foundry.
It was thought the Iron plates were used because it may have been
easier, even in 1816, to acquire pig iron and hammering them down at a
forge rather than melting old scrap brass, casting, and planishing for a
week until hard enough to use, and file and file to a reasonable thickness!
Some say Wentworth was known to make some of his gears from hammering down
large copper pennies.
Wentworth built a home next to a
tavern owned and operated by his father in 1816 to house his bride. It was
here his unfortunate accident occurred. During the digging of the well it
became necessary to use a strong gunpowder charge of the strongest
gunpowder available. Wentworth went
to the bottom of the well, set the charge and before he could climb out the
charge exploded. The explosion tore off his left arm and smashed the side
of his face.
Wentworth survived but his
clockmaking days were over. The accident occurred between 1818 and 1820.
Robert Wentworth was a Maine clockmaker for 8-10 years. The remainder of
his late of some 50 years was spent firing wells.
Invitation: Come
join us at a future meeting. We’d
love to show you some Maine hospitality.
Ern Grover, Chapter 89 Secretary
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