Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-03
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
What n Single Energetic spInster Did for
Nearby Town--shs Built Church and
Collected Tin Cans for the Bell-Thnt

What Single Energetic spInster Did for
n Nearby Town--she Built Church and
Collected Tin Cans for the BeIl-ThnE
Bells Awful Tone.
| ONE energetic woman can accomplish good
deal, but never heard of one lone spinster in
moderate circumstances building church, al
most with her own hands and entirely by her
| own endeavors. Yet that 10 exactly what oc-
| CURED In little town that may almost be
! called a suburb of Pittsburg not more than five
| years ago.
1t was the upshot Of church quarrel, be-
lieve this church building. The energetic spin
ster I've spoken of left the church she had be-
longed to for years and started out to build an
other one for herself and her friends in the
controversy to worship in. Leaving her sister
| to look after the house-they were two spin
sters living alone-she went out to raise money
for her new church. She obtained start from
| the church erection fund of the Presbyterian
church, and she followed this up by getting
donations from all the churches of that sect In
Pittsburg and its neighborhood. She made
q house to house canvass in many places, often
obtaining goods and building material of one
sort and another where she could not get
money. For instance, she actually carried
home as many boards as her arms would hold
from a sawmin one day, and she was known in
she saw it. What help she had from those
who sympathized with her cause did not
amount to much. A not over-friendly OBJ
server of her labor tells me that there is no
doubt but that that church rose under the i'm
pulse of one woman's indomitable will, cour-
age and devotion.
1t is a structure of modest sort, and you
can see it for yourself any day you choose.
Any doubting Thomas who refuses to credit
the town where the church stands of me for
the asking.
BUT when the church was completed, the roof
on, and minister more or less regularly en-
gagged to preach from its unostentatious pulpit
was the founder, the builder, the inspiring
spirit of the sanctuary satisfied? Not she.
She wanted bell; a bell to summon the little
1oek TO their spiritual fold. All the money she
had raised was gone. Not cent was in the
young church's treasury. She was not to be
daunted or discouraged. She went to a bell
foundry IN Pittsburg and told someone there of
the plight she was in. Whether for a joke or
because he thought il handy way to get rid of
an importunate woman, the founder told her
that if she would collect goodly number of
tin cans he would cast them into bell for the
church's belfry for nothing.
She took the proposal seriously and again
secured the whole county for tin cans In
many nelghborhood the goats had to starve
while this wonderful woPzan was collecting the
material for her bell. Finally she had the re-
quired number of tomato. sardine and other
tin cans, and true to his word the Pittsburg
founder made them into bell.
They say the tone of the bell was indescriba-
BILE. 1t created great sensation, and it must
be said a good deal Of goddess murmuring.
After it had changed for Sunday or two,
bold, bad man climbed into the belfry and cut
the rope off close to the bell. Since then it has
not been rung regularly.
THEY tell another story about the bell. One
day a Pittsburger went down to the town in
question to see the energetic spinster on some
matter of business. She was not at home, and,
after searching high and low for her. the Pitts
burger was about to go home when a church
member advised him to Chamber up into the
belfry Of the church and ring the bell.
"Thatn fetch the old lady, sure, " the deacon
said.
After hesitating awhile the Pittsbdrger fol-
lowed the deacon's directions. and, with some
difficulty, reached the bell. He swung the
clapper to and fro once or twice, and came near
fainting at the excruciating sound it emitted.
But before he had reached the ground the wo-
man he had searched in vain for was inqulring
in sharp tones who was tampering with the bell.