Tick Tock Tick Tock
Island residents brought 44 wind-up clocks, watches, and music boxes to the workshop so that Edgar could diagnose, treat, and fix them. He charged a basic fee of $10, or $75 for a house call, and donated it all to the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department. Dick and Janey Jacoby helped organize the event, scheduling the clock patients and collecting the money. Janey said the fire department was "just thrilled" with the response and they really appreciate Edgar's donation of his time and expertise.
I watched one clock being diagnosed with "isochronus error," which is clockmaker talk for "it runs fast when it's wound tight, and runs slow as it winds down." Most wind-up clocks have this trouble, and it can be tricky to crank them just enough and not too much. Edgar prescribed more and tighter winding for this one.
Edgar and Naomi Hume visited Ocracoke for the first time last year, and met the Philip Howard, whom Edgar calls "the island's ambassador." (He talked them into going to the Ocrafolk Opry, which they loved.) When Philip learned that Edgar owns a clock shop back home in Lexington, Kentucky, he was eager to show off his antique clock to a professional who would appreciate it.
"Philip told me that a clockmaker on Ocracoke is a rare thing," Edgar said. "It got me thinking about working on clocks here. I wanted to support the island a little, so I decided to do this for the benefit of the OVFD."
The Humes wanted to do something nice for Ocracoke, Naomi said, because "People were so nice to us last year."
They had visited Kill Devil Hills for the past fours years, after their nephew told them about the Outer Banks. The first time they drove south on Highway 12, they only went as far as Pea Island.
"We were trying to figure out how far the road went," Naomi said. "But we chickened out and turned around there. But the next time we were prepared to go all the way to Ocracoke."
Like many visitors who come down for a day trip, the Humes decided that Ocracoke was too good for just one day, and now they stay on the island. This year they booked two weeks, and say that Ocracoke keeps getting better.
Ocracoke inspired this fundraiser, and got the Humes working together for the community's benefit. Naomi just retired from twenty-two years as a human resource manager for a non-profit, and said this was the first time she's sat with Edgar and helped him work. She looked like a pro, handing over tools or holding the flashlight for him, but she was learning as much about the clocks as their owners.
Edgar has worked in his clock shop fulltime in the same location for 30 years. He fixes old clocks, grandfather clocks, music boxes, pocket watches, and even wind-up toys, and says there's always enough work to keep him busy. He doesn't bother with anything that has a cord or batteries.
On Ocracoke, he saw a ship's clock salvaged from the wreck of the Victoria S, which went down in 1925. The clock made its way into Kay Riddick's possession, and she brought it to Edgar for a tune-up.
The Humes enjoyed meeting everyone who came to the workshop.
"We met a lot of nice Ocracoke people and heard some old Ocracoke stories," Naomi said.
I brought in a ship's clock, too, and although it's not an antique and has no particular story, we did have a lively discussion about the chimes. Ship's clocks chime in a way that makes no sense at all, unless you are a sleep-deprived, grog-filled old salt waiting for your turn to tuck into your bunk belowdecks.
Even Edgar doesn't have the chime schedule memorized. ("I just make sure it chimes once at 12:30," he said.) It also rings once at 4:30am, 8:30am, 12:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, and 8:30pm. It chimes twice at 1:00 am, 5:00 am, 9:00 am, 1:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:00pm, and 9:00pm. Got that? I like the way Wikipedia puts it: "Unlike civil clock bells, the strikes of the bell do not accord to the number of the hour." That's right; the ship's clock is uncivil, and confusing, and requires an explanation every time a guest says, "Your clock's wrong.". But it makes Rob happy, so it was worth the $10 donation to a good cause to have my living room clock ring out 8 times every day at noon.
