Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-14
TIE BELL NAPOLEON STOLE.


Children 80 Their studj@s.
When Napoleon III behalf Of France
carried war 10 Switzerland he found
Ia one Of the cautons there an ancient
convent. During the course Of the war
this convent was destroyed, and the
bell that hung ia its tower was carried
of as trophy by the conqueror. The
bell WAS at that time reputed to be sew
eral hundred years old. 1t WAS cast Of
topper and silver. The silver, according
TO the custom of the times, was contrib
uted by the peasants Of fhe canton, who
believed that their prayers and prospects
concerning worldly and heavenly affairs
would be improved in accordance with
their sacrifices.
Napoleon carried the bell with him to
France, and retained it as priced curl
osity until hisdownfall and banishrnent to
st. Helena, when he gave it to his broth
err, Joseph Bonaparte, who likewise be-
ing banished brought the old relic to
America and hung it in q belfry at his
home in Bordentown.
There it remained serving as dinner
bell ON the farm. its history remaining un-
known until Joseph's recall from exile.
! Then it was lost sight of and for years
forgotten until one day some curiosity
seekers rummaging about in one Of the
subterranean passages that honeycombed
the place came from all sections to visit
the 80 called catacombs and see the
historic bell. At that time the Cam
den and Amboy railroad had just been
built, and the old bell was sold to the
company, who placed il in their depot
at Bordentown to tell the arrival and
departure Of trains 1t hung there for
years, but finally, through some channel
or other, it fell into the hands Of the
Paterson and Hudson River Railroad
company, and was destined to another
period Of obscurity. At that time the
company operated its road by horses,
and the bell was hing in the Jersey City
station at the foot of Bergen Hill to an
swer the same pupose that it did at Bor-
dentown.
When the great railroad revolution
took place and steam cars were substi-
| tuted for the old horse cars the bell was
brought to this city. In those days the
terminus of the road was where st.
| Johns church now stands. Two trains
were run each way daily. A small
branch manipulated by horse power
| however. ran from the main depot on
| Market street at its conjunction with
| Main street. Here the old bell was hung
ON a post, and its duty was to ring fol
half an hour before the departure Of
each train Passengers could board tbs
horse cars without extra expense ani
ride to the main depot, whence they
could take the train for New York. A.
time went on, however, improvement.
developed in the railway service. The
| Market street Gt was then Congress:
street) branch was abandoned and ths
old post on which the bell hung rottet
| and fell down.
| But Paterson was also beginning t.
make great strides forward. Then tn,
only educational facilities were privat,
institutions and subscription schools
The public spirited townsmen finally
concluded to erect public school ant
selected the site. Here a building wa
constructed and The old bell WAS place.
in its tower. In years gone by some o
OUR oiutf citiZeHs IeincHiucr tHe IcdiS "
that bell. Then the pupils grew in mum
bers and the old school grew too small
Another and more improved building
NOW known as school No. u was erected
and the ancient bell, whose mellow peal
echoing from the walls of the dizzy Alp
seven centuries ago called the humbl,
peasant to worship, now startles tn,
youths of Paterson from their morning
beds. Napoleon's voice may have mad,
the whole world tremble, but the voic,
of the little Swiss bell rings further thar
his.-Paterson IN. j. Call