From the July, 1934 issue of Moderm Mechanix:

Educated Clock Sings, Talks, and Plays the Pipe Organ

A CRIPPLED inventor of Akron, Ohio, has recently completed what he believes is the world’s most wonderful clock. The remarkable instrument gives the comparative time in 27 different cities. In addition, it sings, talks and plays a reedless pipe organ every hour.

Every day the clock commemorates the death of America’s martyrs. At the hour of Lincoln’s funeral it recites the Gettysburg address. The time of President McKinley’s burial is marked by a playing of the old hymn, “Lead, Kindly Light.” At the hour of President Garfield’s interment, the remarkable timepiece plays “Gates Ajar.”

Valued at $50,000, the educated clock was built by 70-year-old Marvin Shearer after ten years of painstaking work. The clock contains 5000 pieces of wood, a mass of electrical control wires several miles in length, and is twice the height of an ordinary man.

The inventor’s granddaughter made two comments on the original page; I have reproduced them here in slightly edited form.

There were actually TWO clocks.

Marvin Shearer was my grandfather. I have searched everywhere for one of his clocks. I did trace the “Electric Wonder” to the Hotel Lobby of the Ritz in New York City but when it was remodeled, they got rid of the clock. No one there has been there long enough to know what happened to it. If anyone ever locates one of them PLEASE e-mail me at donnaleecotter16 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Here is what I know of his works:

Marvin carved a clock that was eight feet wide and thirteen feet high. It was called the ELECTRIC WONDER. He started this clock in 1927,  and completed it in 1931. He also carved a second smaller clock, and perhaps a third.

There is an article in “The New York Times” dated April 7, 1909, about a “Wonderful Clock Made by Cripple”.

Another article I found was in The “Omaha World Herald” dated November 15, 1903, titled, “Queer Clock That Tells Many Things an Ohio Man Works on for Three and a Half Years”.

The Electric Wonder

This exhibit took 15 months to design. It contains 7172 pieces of wood from 32 different countries, from all parts of the world.

It has nearly 1½ miles of electric wire, 17 clock dials, and gives time in all parts of the world.

It shows important events of United States History from 1492 to 1934.

Our Navy of 47 ships pass by according to their classification.

It tells the weather conditions 24 hours in advance. It plays a reedless pipe organ, the only one of its kind in the world.

It shows and gives the Funeral Marches of our assassinated Presidents.

It shows the goddess of Liberty or eternal light in memory of American soldiers who lost their lives while in service for their country. It has chimes, harps, electrical cascade, electrical railway, an airship and a dirigible. Also, Indian history and arrowheads of the lone Indians from the battlefield of Custer’s Last Fight.

The Electric Wonder is 13 feet high, weighs 3800 lbs. has 168 electric lights and took 19,000 hours or nearly 7 years to build.

It has been endorsed by leading electricians and engineers of today. It is a merit to its maker as well as mankind.

I repeat the plea of the inventor’s granddaughter – if anyone has any clue as to the ultimate fate of this or other of Shearer’s works, please contact her. This is an astonishing achievement.

The Old Wolf has spoken.