Věstník (West, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 31, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 31, 1957 Page: 27 of 32
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Wednesday, Juty 31, 1957
VĚSTNÍK — WEST, TEXAS
Strana 27
The Astronomical
If you are a lover of antiquity, you
wíll be interested in reading obout the
intrícate mechanism of the three-story
high cloek, built in 1490 and placed in
the tower of the old “Town Halí” of
Prague, Czechoslovakia, This building
was ereeted in 1270 and sluce that tlme
has suffered daraages sat dhíerent times
in its hiutory. The last punishment it
tcck was in 1.945, when it was burned
down by the invading hordes of the
German army. There are many stories
about the tower and ehapel dabing from
the 14th century, but the most remark-
able object in the whole building i.s the
cloek 11 šelf. It hes never failed to at-
tract a group of onlookers who waited
íor the hour to strike, and now that it
has been rebuilt with the Town Halí, it
is one of the main a.ttractions.
The astronomical cloek strikes every
hour on the hour. T.t begins every 24
hour.s at sundown, and goes to 24 o’-
cloek the next sundown. When it chimes
on the hour, an artistically arranged
figuře of a skeleton portraying Death,
pulls and nods his head with each stroke
of the chimes, while at the side. the
Priest and other exquisitely carved fig-
ures, slowly turn their lieads.
Death waves to the Miser on the other
side, who stancl.s holding money in his
liands. Then two Windows above open
and the Twelve -Apcstles appear, one
following the other in a procession
which holds one’s rapt attention.
Each one of the figures Umis toward
the public for a brici moment and then
wallcs away. The whole mechanism is
timed to a1 preci.se second. At the last
stroke of the cloek fhe Gock crows and
the little Windows close.
The clock was built by a liumbJe but
clever locksmith, named. Hanuš of Rose,
and the people believed that the clock
has strange pov/ers, and that whenever
it stopped it was an omen that some-
tiung would. bappen in the city.
The clock is alsc an astronomical reg-
irter and accnrately keeps the ca len dur
of the day, month and year, the chang-
es of the moon, stars, etc.
The pitiful entíing of the locksmith is
recorcled which is not widely known.
Hanuš made the clock and dedicated all
the cleverness his bradn could muster-in
making it not only ri'v(al, but surpass
all other astronomical clocks in Eu-
rope, which were very popular at that
time. The mechanism was so intricate,
accumulated specks of dust would stop
some of the delicate, olmost minuté
parta, and Hanuš was entrusted with
the care of the clock, which he dici with
/^1 i f 1957 LOOKS LIKE RECORD YEAR FOR
Lloek OÍ rrague | LIFE Insurance
ioving care, spending virtually all of j First Haif Buying Has been One-
his time in the tower. | Fourth Larger Than Last Year
The wondrous work won such wide it looks like another record year for
praise and fame, that soon the lock- nre insurance in 1957, the Institute of
smith řece v ie cl an offer by amother coun- Life Insurance reporte,
try to bud cl tliem a similar c-ock The in the first half of the year, tlíc
King of Bohemia to whom this matter buying of new life insurance has been
wos reported by the Prague counsellors, n-early 30 percent larger than a year agu
íeared that the astronomical clock and if the present páce continues, 1957
would be surpassed, so he ordered the may see a total of $70.000,000,000 in pur-
in ven tor taken to the prison where he chases of new life insurance.
was blinded, so that Ire could never j Purchases in the first six months
duplicate the work of art.
were an estimiated. $33,000,000,000, about
i Hanuš was in love with the astrono- $8,000,000,000 more than a year ago, The
mical clock wliich took him a number greater part of the rise wa.s accounted
1 of yeurs to make, and one day he per-, for by ordinary life insurance policies,
suaded the Prague Councillors to be tak- ' the purchases of which were ugmsome
en to the loft and permitted to just $5,000,000,000 in the half year.
. to uch the cloek. This privilege was i _
i granted him after miuch consideration | Hdlion
rud the blind genius was taken to the > -^sa result, life Insurance outstanding
! clock. For a long time he st-ood silently, iin tho country .at midyear is estimated
his head cockeci to one side, listening to $437,000,000,000, up $24,000,000,000
the h.um and soft whirling of the smáli s*nce January 1 and $45,000,000,000 more
wheels. Then suddenly he reached out, i than twelve months ago.
and touched a part of the mechanism, ' - * T-iese hug.e life insurance gains in
rmbedy knew later just where. The .slight 57 shonld n/ean the best 4>rogress in
touch of the master had immediate re- many years in widening the margin of
suits. Instantly the clock stopped, and family financial protection over the in-
i the inventor wept and shook his head ťlationary cost of lnijng, Holgar J.
negatively when he was ordered to make Johnson, Institute president, said. “Life
it run tagain. insurance per family should pass the
i Thus Hanuš of Rose, had his revenge, $^,000 level this year, which would be
upon those who took his sight, in order we^ over 100 percent more than 10
that they might retain that which years a-°- Thc cost of livinB has «sen
brougbt dištinction to their city and ,some “5 percent in these years.
won der to tlie pilgrim’s eyes.
No body knows what ultimately became
of the clockmaker.
Rig Gain in Bencfits
“As life insurance ownership has
spread, the payment of bencfits to poli-
j Tbere are some citizens of Prague who I cyholders and beneficiaries has growir
: say their fatliers were handed down! proportionately, and in the first six
1 legend, th,at each day at sundown, an months of 1957 are estimated to be ap-
j old man leaning heavily on his cane,' proximately $3,325,000,000. This is $400,-
■ would hobble up until he was directly 000,000 more than in the corresponding
j under the clock of the Town Halí and period of last year. This inerease is
wstwnd there for many long minutes, totally accounted for by the greater
. head cockeci to one side, as if relying ownership, as the death rate among
i on his ears more than his eyes, listen- | policyholders is reported to be at or
i ing for an inclication that the clock was J near last year’s record low level.”
■ running:; and then satisfying himself i
that it was silent, obedient to iťs mas-
ter, would disappear down the winding
i streets with a1 chuckle of triumph and
I Victory intermingled. Was it .really Ha-
j nus? Perhaps it wia.s. A pilgrimage of a
■ master, to his shrine where he paid
; ho máge to the greatest work he achiev-
! ed during his life, and realizing also
j that it was more or less — his epitaph.
j It was' many years from that moment
that an expert was found that could
make the complicated clock run.
----—) ♦ * ♦ (—--
Remem ber our Rest Home for
Aged!
the
Rise in New Capital
As a by-product of the accumuiation
of reserves back of tliis growing total
of insurance. the total assets of the
1,200 U. S. life eompanies rose to an es-
timated $98,300,000,000 at micl-year. This
was an inc ease of nearly $2,500-000,000
since January 1, representing approxU
mately that amount of new Capital
made available from life insurance foí
the national economy. The new invest--^
rnents made by the iiíe eompanies from
tiie.se funds in the first six months ol
the year were .about evenly divided be-
tween reál estate morigages, corporate
securities and all other investments,
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Hošek, Ludva O. Věstník (West, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 31, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 31, 1957, newspaper, July 31, 1957; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth625090/m1/27/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Slovanska Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas.