Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
THE STORY OF A BELL.
The Origin and Vicissitudes of a Relic Of
Bygone Period.

On top of the little hotel at Gilmore
small village north of Findlav- Ohio
- oell with a peculiar and Interesting
history. 1t is the property of D. B.
Day the proprietor of the house, who
takes pride IN reciting the origin and
subsequent tribulations of this relic of
a bygone period. In 1882. Jarvis Spaf-
1ofd quilt a tavern in Perrysburg. once
the site of old Fort Meigs, of the wal
OF 1872 fame. In those DAYS a hotel
was not complete without bell swuno
on the top to call the guests to their
meals. Bell foundries were not plent;-
ful IN those times, but after considera-
pie inquiry Mr.. Spatford heard of man
IN Detroit who cast bells.
Detroit, then in the Territory OF
Michigan, was quite remote point. as
distance was then calculated. but Spaf-
ford had to have a bell. and he finally
made his way thither to have it cast.
Inc bell man was found and the lob
undertaken, but when the foundry en-
deaVored to make the cast, it was dis
covered that there was not enough
metal for the purpose. Here was q
dilemma, but Spafford was equal to the
emergency. He threw thirty-six Span
lsh dollars into the molten mass. and
the bell was cast.
with his treasure, almost worth its
weight in gold, Spafford returned to
ferrysburg, and hung the bell up in a
tree IN his yard, so that it might be
investigated by the curious. The In.
dlans, who were then quite plentiful in
ana about Perrysburg, were caught by
the novel attraction. They went crazy
over the bell, and climbed the tree to
keep it ringing all the time
At all hours of the day and night the
bell was ringing until it became an in
tolerable nuisance, and Spafford had
about concluded to take it down, when
the Indians relieved him by stealing If
and carrying it away.
The act made Spafford furious. and
he determined to recover the bell If If
cost MIN his life. Securing the services
OF Sam Brady, an old scout who had
Killed score or more of Indians. and
frank McCallister, the first white man
who had settled at Perrvsburg, they
started toward Upper Sandusky. They
travelled three DAYS and nioht and On
the morning of the fourth day, while
they were eating their breakfast thew
heard the bell in the distance. Hastily
nnlshlng their meal, they hurried in the
direction whence the sound came. and
soon beheld sight that was laughable.
The Indians had tied the bell around
the neck of pony, and the whole
tribe, bucks, squaws, and Youngsters.
armed with hickory switches, were
running the poor animal around an
open space at the very top of its speed
and yelling like demons, as an accom-
panlment to the furious ringing of the
bell.
Spafford and his companions made a
charge on the crowd, and succeeded in
driving the pony away from the village
where they could secure the bell with
out trouble, which they did, and got
safely home without being pursued or
molested. The bell was taken back to
ferrysburg, where it remained for
many years, performing the mission for
which it was cast. When Mr.. Spaf-
ford died his daughter, now Mrs.
Day, claimed the treasure, and it is
still doing duty as hotel bell on her
husbands house in Elmore.-iSt Louis
Globe-Democr0t.