November 6, 2018
You are reading “Our Past Is Present”
from the Geary County Historical Society.
Joe and
Sheila Markley, who are currently the Co-Directors at the C.L. Hoover Opera
House, have been working on digitalizing the clock in the clock tower of that
building. Well… today’s story is about
the “Town Clock Custodian,” Walter Starcke, who in 1927 had held that position
for 43 years. The information was taken
from the “Junction City Union” written in May of 1927. The author wrote that: “Almost every person
in town looks at the town clock every day, but few of them stop to wonder how
it is kept in running order. Walter
Starcke has been the custodian of that clock ever since it was installed in the
tower of the city hall in 1883. Actually A. Vogler, who had a jewelry store on
East Seventh Street was designated to take charge of it. However, Mr. Vogler in turn employed Walter
to be the custodian of the clock.
Mr. Starcke
continued to wind, regulate, oil and take care of the old clock until it was
destroyed when the building caught fire in 1898. When it was rebuilt, another clock, which differed
only in a few minor details from the first one was installed. It was a Seth Thomas clock.
The clock
mechanism was two stories below the dials of the clock. It was reached by a series of 63 steps in
four flights, including stairs and ladders.
The clock was operated by two large weights hung on steel cables and those
cables must be wound weekly.
Mr. Starcke
estimated that he averaged 150 trips a year into the clock tower. On occasion, he had to crawl out on the roof
and be lowered over the sides with a rope in order to reach the dials. Mary Bradford, night chief of police, always
officiated at the other end of the rope on those occasions.
For many
years, Mr. Starcke received only $15.00 a year for acting as the Clock
Custodian. However, in 1927 his compensation was raised to a dollar a week."
And… that’s
today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical
Society.
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