y that this altruistic arrangement be promoted were those who never
had any brilliant ideas of their own. As for the inventors
themselves--they were as a rule too intent on the thing they were
producing to pay any great heed to the money end of the project. Eli
Terry was a man of this character. Therefore it came about that when
others copied the circular saw he installed and made off with the other
fruits of his brain he raised no protest."

"Did he never make any more clocks with wooden works?" inquired
Christopher.

"Oh, yes, indeed! By 1814 he had worked out a fresh model of a wooden
clock that he liked much better than his first. This one vibrated
half-seconds and accordingly could be made with a pendulum short enough
for the timepiece to be placed on a shelf as the former one had been. It
was, however, of an entirely new design, having a dial in the upper
half, painted glass in the door and an ornamental pillar at each side of
the case. On top was a decorative scroll of wood and altogether it was a
product so novel and well suited to the home that immediately the public
greeted it with delight."

"And I suppose all the other clockmakers promptly began to copy it,"
interposed Christopher.

"Precisely!" smiled the Scotchman. "The old wag-on-the-wall, and in many
instances even the grandfather clock was consigned to the ash heap, and
the pillar clock became the only clock worth having. It was,
fortunately, within range of the most modest purse, costing only fifteen
dollars. Mr. Terry now had more business than he could handle and he
took in his two sons, Henry and Eli, Junior, to learn the trade and help
him. Of course this wonderful commodity could not be imported because
if taken to sea the dampness would swell its wooden wheels and ruin it.
Nevertheless Terry did not care. He had all the trade he could manage
right here at home. For twenty-five years his wooden clocks remained in
vogue, a long period to hold the favor of the fickle public. Great
credit is due Mr. Terry, too, for bringing such a clock into being, for
a timepiece with wooden works meant the making of an entirely different
set of tools, since it was impossible to use the same implements that
were required in the making of clocks with works of brass."

"I suppose it was a change in fashion that finally caused the downfall
of the wooden-wheeled clock," was Christopher's comment.

He ventured the remark with some pride.

"No, in this particular