The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-07-02
Tho Indenen,lenoe ReIl.

it of research both stimulated and was
stimulated by the growing taste of odd
styles in furniture and dress and arehitcc-
ture. Blue China and Blue Blood were
found, or fancied, TO have strong Atm
ity for each other. The quaint attire and
antique rooms of the Revolutionary heroes
suggested the names and deeds of the
heroes themselves. John Alden desks
and Priscilla kerchiefs, the swords and the
perukes of Washington and Hancock,
great grand fathers notes of hand, and
great grand-molhers spinning. wheels,
set many lad and manga lassie to think
ing and reading about the times and trials
of those old times people. - y
The National Reunion at Philadelphia,
to which "lhe tribes went up" from
every State, in real pilgrim spirit was
The grand conception Of true patriotism:
and that gathering of the clans, at the
historic centre of the Great Republic did
more than perhaps any other possible
measure could have done, to smooth the
asperities of the recent Civil War, and
strengthen the felt force of the National
oneness.
The magnificent Bazaar of the world S
production did not receive all the atten-
tion and homage of the millions who flock
ed to Philadelphia. The Fairmount Park
Exposition had a competitor on Chest
nut street and the warmest homage of
the Nations heart was poured forth at
that modest civic pile called of old, "The
State House, but esteemed chiefly be-
cause one of its chambers was the meeting
place of the Continental Congress, the
world famed INDEPENDENCE HALL,
where was adopted and signed that State
paper, tho "Declaration, under which
the American Colonies of Great Britain
became Free and Independent States,-
That Independence Hall, in the time of
the writer's boyhood, had little recbgni-
ton or resort.
Sometimes, it was the showroom of a
great picture, ora collection ofpaintings
Vests largest canvas, death on the
Pale Horse" was long on exhibition
there. There, too, were many models of
the Washington Monument, that never
grew beyond the Dimensions OF the corner
stone, planted in Washington Square,
February 2s, 1882.
The hall was kept only decently clean !
About election days, it was far from that;
for the voting of the city was done at its
many windows, and the chamber of his
toric dignity was disiigurcd and disgraced
by all that then belonged to the hustle
and the quarrels of very i'll managed
elections. AT other times of tho year,
the hall was in the custody of equity
old janitor sharp yet good natured to us
school boys, who made the stair cases
and lobbes our Saturday afternoon hid
ing places, in many good game of hide
and go. seek We seldom failed before
the afternoon was over, to have silent
peep through the cautiously opened door,
Al
inside and gaze round upon the very few
inscriptions and trophies that then told
what the room was.
The appropriate furniture that now
fills the hall had not then been gathered,
and the opposite room, where is now the
National Museum, was then the Court
Of Common Pleas-dark, hot, offensive
with the fumes of tobacco and rum, and
with the still worse odors of low vice and
yulgarity, in the prisoners dock and on
the benches of the idle lockers, on. Over
head was the moro dignifled u. s. Su
preme Court Room, into which We were
permitted, now and then, to look: while
still higher up, reached by winding stair
cases and dark passages, were the Under
pendence Bell, the great clock with its
long, slow ticking pendulum of red cedar,
and finally, the clock bell, surrounded by
the open air walk. Many climbed up, to
enjoy the panoramic view of the city,
from what was then its loftiest lookout.
Visitors to the city must not fail to Ego to
the State House stcepc." Very few were
taken to see Independence Hall; and few
or still had the grace TO doff hat aud
think, FOR moment, what unequalled
place that liza Il occupied, among the noted
historic rooms of the world. Happily,
all that is changed, now; and even the
ab aan net int Inn 10, lao Ind
and in the homes of our millions. -
The old Independence Bell was our
greatest admiration,, then; and the only
really naughty thing wo ever did, in those
Saturday afternoon frolies, was to move
the clapper, with fearful Joy, slowly,
slowly, till it neared the resounding
metal, then with sudden stroke ill the
air with vibrations of the old '7G music,
and dart off to hide ourselves from the en-
ragged pursuing janitor!
The boil hung in an unlighted landing,
q little off from the crazy staircase by
which we mounted to the promenade
Only on the brightest days, as the sun
cleaned through chihk in the timbers,
could we make out the inscription at the
top of the bell. We did not need so much
sunlight, to trace out, with our fingers,
the course of that mysterious crack, that
is now SO familiar though countless pho
tographs. We thought many wise child
ish thoughts, and had many childish won