Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-16
THE BELL NAPOLEON STOLE.
After n Varied Career 1t Calls Peterson
Cbildren to Their Studies.

fer Varied Career lt Calls Patterson
Children to Their Studies.
When Napoleon I in behalf of France
.,rr;ed war to Switzerland he found
IN one of the cantons there an ancient
convent During the course of the war
tbis convent was destroyed, and the
bell that hung in its tower was carried
off as ttophy by the conqueror. The
he'll was at that time reputed to be sew
eral hundred years old. 1t was cast OF
conner and silver. The silver, according
IN the custom of the times, was contrib
uted bv the peasants of the canton, who
believed that their prayers and prospects
concerning worldly and heavenly ahalrs
would be improved in accordance with
their sacrifices.
Nauoleon carried the bell with him to
France, and retained it as priced curl
osity until his downfall and Punishment to
st. Helena, when he gave it to his BROTH
er, Joseph Bonaparte, who likewise be-
ing banished brought the old relic to
America and hung it in 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 so 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 it in their depot
at Bordentown to tell the arrival and
departure of trains 1t hung there fol
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 hung 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 for
half an hour before the departure of
each train. Passengers could board the
horse cars without extra expense and
ride to the m&n depot, whence they
could take the train for New York. As
time went on, however, improvements
developed in the railway service. The
Market street Gt was then Congress
street, branch was abandoned and the
old post on which the bell hung rotted
and fell down.
But Paterson was also beginning to
make great strides forward. Then the
only educational facilities were private
institutions and subscription schools
The public spirited townsnen finally
CouCluuCu w OlCOo a PuUhO oShOOi erhu
selected the site. Here building was
constructed and the old bell was placed
in its tower. In years gone by some OF
our older citizens remember the peals OF
that bell. Then the pupils grew in num-
bers and the old school grew too small
Another and more improved building
(now known as school No. y was erected,
and the ancient bell, whose mellow peals
echoing from the walls of the dizzy Alps
seven centuries ago called the humble
peasant to worship, now startles the
youths of Paterson from their morning
beds. Napoleon's voice may have made
the whole world tremble, but the voice
of the little Swiss bell rings further than
his.-Paterson N. J.) Call.