The Princeton union., 1892-05-26
a HISTORIC BELL.
aA.y.. =, ------Ef57 I4 F3Etl=
stolen From q Swiss Convent by the Great
Napoleon.

E I
Napoleon.
a famous old bell with history is
mat which now does duty in calling
me school children of school No. 1 at
PATERSON. n. j. The bell was said to
nave been several hundred years old
when it was stolen from a convent in
z canton OF Switzerland by Napoleon /.
during the progress of the war which
ne had carried into that country. The
convent was destroyed by the CON
queror and the bell, which was the
pride OF the people, was retained by
Napoleon as a trophy of his triumphs.
Ihe custom of the times was to exact
from the peasants contributions which
they could i'll afford for religious in
stitutions; and the bell was cast of
silver; alloyed with copper, which
the simple- minded people had thus
contributed.
Napoleon. retaining the bell as a
priced curiosity and souvenir carried
it with him to France When, on his
downfall. he was banished to st.
Helena he presented it to his brother,
Joseph Bonaparte. who likewise ban
lsned. brought the old relic to Amer
lea. 1t was hung in the beliry of his
nome at Bordentown. N. j., and for
years served as dinner bell to call
the workers on the farm to their
meals When Joseph was recalled
from exile the bell was lost sight Of
and lay forgotten among some old
rubbish in one of the subterranean
passages that honeycombed the place
until 1t was brought to light by a
party OF curiosity seekers. When it
became known that the historic bell
had been unearthed people came from
all sections of the surrounding coun-
try to the So called catacombs to see.
Subsequently the bell was sold to the
Camden and Amboy railroad company,
which. had just completed its line.
The bell was placed in the station at
| Bordentown to announce the arrival
and departure of trains This service
1t did for years. but through some
channel or other. it fell into the hands
OF the Paterson and Hudson River
railway company. a road then ope-
rated by horses. The old bell was
hung in the Jersey City station, at
the foot of Bergen Hill where it an
swered the same purpose that it did at
| Bordentown.
After some time locomotives were
substituted for horses, and the ter
| minus of the road was then where
St Johns church now stands and
| two trains were run each way dailv.
small branch. however. was worked
by horse power to the main station on
Market street at the junction OF Main
street. On part of this spot the old
bell was hung. and for half an hour
before the departure of each train it
rang. Without extra expense passen-
gers might board the horse cars and
ride to the main station. whence they
could take the New York train. As
improvements in railway service were
developed the Market street Gt was
then Congress street) branch was
abandoned. and the old post on which
the bell hung rotted and tumbled to
| the ground.
But public spirit was developed in
Paterson. says the New York Post
and great strides forward were being
made. Private institutions and sub
scription schools had been her only
educational facilities The townsmen
awoke to the necessity of a public
school, one was built and in its tower
the old bell was hung. In years gone
by some of the present Oldest men,
bers remember the peals of that bell.
Then the pupils grew in numbers the
old school became too small, and the
improved building now known as
school No. l was built on its site. The
bell was rehung and now swings daily
to and fro in its tower