Thermostat wiring

CRP

I just wired a boiler with a new heat limiting thermostat. The stat is a White/Rogers with a Jackson System limiter. When I removed the old thermostat there were 4 wires.Two red and two white. One set was connected to "Clock Terminals", the othe to R and W terminals on the plate. I traced the clock wires to a separate transformer in the basement.  The other red and white went to the furnance. I connected the new stat in the following manner: red to RH and white to W. The thermostat did not light up. Further reading I found it needed it's own power (no battery model). I used the red wire from the transformer and connected it to the stat C. Nothing happened until I connected the White (from the transformer) to W. Everything worked, when I raised the temp setting the furnance came on, when lowered it shut down. I know there has to be a better way than using the clock transformer. Any suggestion? Is the way I wired it OK?

Thanks Ken