The Helena independent., 1893-07-02
Madge Morris Will Press the Magic
Button at the Fair on
Tuesday
From Ocean to Ocean the Peals
for Independence Will
Sound.
Feature Of This Fourth OF July--Romance
In the Casting Of tho New
Liberty He'll.

greatest day Of the entire six months at tho
fair will be the Fourth of July. day which
will SEQ q celebration second TO none ever |
held; day when II il expected 10OO.0 coo
people will be in attendance. The Ameri-
can eagle will spread its wings on that dav |
MS 1t never did before. Madge Morris. now
a resident OF san Diego. will rres. the but
ton which will set the bells ringing in
America from Maine 10 California. How
she came to fall heir TO this honor il .
pretty romance and ons which deserves TO
40 down as the leading feature of this his
torical occasion.
Some ton years ago MadRe Harris WAS one
Of California's most popular writer's. She
was resident OF San Francisco then, and
her poems and short stories wers road in
the best magazines published on tho coast.
II was In those days that she penned lit
Vie poem which she called 1.-The Now Lib
erty Bell" In it she told the story Of
bell whioh soma Gay would be born to ring
only in times Of freedom. The poem was
not very long, but every line was gem.
and II attracted no little attention. In
what form 1t was publishsd ID not realized.
II gained circulation. however, and copy
Of the poem drifted cast and eventually
fell into ths hands Of some one who was
then visiting in philadelphia. This visitor
was of patriotic turn. and so taken was
he with the verses that he tore them out
and in Independence hall tackled them up
alongside of the liberty bell.
II was not long after that that William
G. Mcdowell visited the historic hall for
the purpose of viewing the old bell. The
verses also caught his eye and ho read them
over two or three times. The more he read
them the more impressed he became with
the sentiments expressed in them. The au-
thor's name was absent strangely from the
clipping, but Mcdowell copied off the
verses with the hope that some day he
might discover the writer. He had another
object In securing the little poem. II had
given him q patriotic inspiration-sn inplr-
alton to carry out the very dream pictured
and he felt that the versea should be pre-
ser ved lest they become 1885.
Il was early in Presiden Arthus's admin
istration that the little incident occurred.
and the result Of it was that Mcdowell be-
gan at that time to collect relics for the
new liberty bell. He continued the work
until but short time ago when 25.0O0 his
moulded into the tell at Troy n. Y. This
bell will be the central figure in jackson
park on July next.
At high nooon in the day Of the Fourtt
this bell will be rung for the first time il
Jackson park. At the same time every bel
in Chicago and throughout the countr,
will ring in unison. Madge Morris of {
few yea. ago. bus now Mrs. Madas Morris
Wagner. will press the button to start thes'
bells ringing. Preceding this Mrs. Morris
little dau2htor will lead the poem which
inspired the making Of the bell.
Arrangements for the Fourth of jul!
Of July celebration are nearly completed
II was thought there would be no parade
as the ceremonies committee had practi
cally decided not to admit the state niliti
or other organizations free. On hearing
this Gov. Altaeld teleer aphed from Spring
field to Director General Davis that tn
.nrst brigade, Illinois national guard. ha
volunteered TO participate in the psrad
without pay, but il each soldier had TO pa.
SO cents admission, there would be n
troops. Director General Davis roplie'
this afternoon that the troops would be ad
mitted free, and the sdiutans general ha
ordered Gen. Wheeler. commanding th
frat brigade, to have his troops participate