The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-04-07
COLUMBIAN LIBERTY BELL.

Historic heirloOms of value and in great
variety that have been preserved for gen.
erations on account of their associations
are daily being received to be melted into
the Columbian Liberty bell that is to be
cast in this city. The collection of the
Sc, 800 that will be Necessary to pay the
expenses of the casting has been pro-
crossing with degree of success that is
surprising even to the promoters of this
laudable undertaking, which is in charge
of board of lady managers, with repre-
resentatives in every state and territory
in the Union. To represent New York
State, Mrs. Schuyler Hamilton, Jr., has
been appointed and for her secretary she
has selected Mrs. Donald Mclean.
To-day it was made known that Mrs.
Grover Cleveland had consented to take
an interest in the movement and her CO.
operation, it is anticipated, will be of In
calculable assistance.
During the Worlds Fair the bell will
be located in the city of Chicago and will
be rung daily at sunrise and sunset, and
at 8 O'clock in the morning on important
anniversaries. The bell will be perfect
counterpart of the one cast for the cen
tennial at Philadelphia. The weight will
be 1900 pounds, the height six feet and
six inches, and across the mouth the bell
will measure seven feet and six inches.
The top will be encircled with the works {;
proclaim liberty throughout all the
land, to all the inhabitants thereof" and
near the bottom will be inscribed: "Glory
to God in the highest and on earth
peace, good will toward men," Between
these two inscriptions there will be a
third, appropriate for the Columbian
celebration.
Besides the metal ordinarily used in
the manufacture of bells there will be
cast with this one contributed articles in
gold, silver, copper, tin bronze and
nickel. the following have already been
forwarded: From Mrs. l.. Bradford
Prince of New Mexico, and old sword
worn by an American officer during the
Mexican war, and on old kettle made
from native copper; from Mrs. A. E.
Boothby of Maine, spoon over 100
years old, originally belonging to the
grandmother of Gertrude Stevens Leavitt
of Portland, Me-, and wh) was a daugh-
ter of Revolutionary soldier; two gold
pens used by Mrs. l.. NJ. N. Stevens in
her correspondence in reference to sup
pressing the liquor traffic; silver eye
glasses belonging to Hon. Daniel j. Mer-
rill, chairman of the executive commit
tee of the centennial celebration at Phil
adelphia in 1876 from Miss Minnie f.
Mickey of Philadelphia, regent of Cen
eral Chapter of Daughters of American
Revolution and secretary of general COM
mittee, silver shutters, silver spoons,
swords, ores, rings, and many other arti-
cles very old and historic; from M. A. G.
of Minneapolis, Mimi, a wedding ring:
from friends of liberty in Idaho, rare
Chinese coins and old silver spoons
from Hattie Felix Harris, Boise City,
Idaho, piece of silver valued at $50; from
G. H. Robinson, Marysville, Montana,
crude silver bullion, containing gold also
from the Olin family of Rochester,
Mimi, gold pencils, rare coins, old silver
beth Cantrell, Little Rock, Ark, ores
from different mines.
The mines of Michigan are expected to
furnish copper Of different brands for
use in the bell, while the coal compan-
les of Pennsylvania will send carloads of
coal to Troy that will be sold and the
proceeds used to buy tin and copper.
The government will provide two cannon
OhO OhNo Niu SClNlOO bLO OHlOu anu btlC
othor for the Confederacy during the re-
bellion. The cannon will be selected
from those now at the Waterveliet arsen-
al. Mementoes of Washington, Franklin,
jefferson, Hamilton and other distin-
guished Americans will also be include
in the list of contributions.
Besides these promiscuous ingredients
the bell will be composed of seventy
eight parts Lake Superior copper and
twenty-five parts American tin. It's COM
composition, it will therefore be seen,
will be entirely American and thereby
the better serve in keeping alive the love
o. liberty in this great land. The bell
will be cast early in May and will be set
up in Chicago before July 4th. AS the
casting is very delicate and difficult
work it is probable that it will not be at
tended by any public ceremonies.
The committee has decided to present
to every school, church, society, family
or other organization whose contribu-
tons shall aggregate SO bell of suita-
BILE size for school or family use, made of
the same material as the Columbian Lib
erty bell, and as near as possible a copy
of it.
The four. large express companies have
agreed to forward free of charge contri-
buttons that do not exceed ten pounds in
weight.-Troy Press.