The evening world., 1894-02-10
HERE'S A BELL FROM CHINA.
1t May Be 200 Years Old or 1000
and Weighs 1000 Pounds.
Brought Here for Some Mysterious
Use by u Ncwburg Man.

A mysterious bell has just arrived here
from china. II was brought by the
steamer Fouhng Suey. CAPT. Mahoney.
which left Hong Kong with the bell
aboard last Sept. !, and Is now In the
United States bonded warehouse at JEFF
fcrson and Front streets.
While II was sti,l on the pier, before
its removal to the warehouse, crowds
gathered and admired it's workmanship.
In the crowd were several Chimes"
Swans who have laid aside the dignity
of cruditiOn In this COUNTRY and are
running laundries In Water street; one
Of these. Wah Sing. n typical Chinese
philosopher In appearance, w"nr,nS even
the traditional "goggic8,' made u most
English. like thnt of his crnfr"res, was
scarcely adequate to Convcy the discON-
cries which he made. His Information,
however. such as 1t was, seemed, to be
authoritative as 1t was obtained from
muititudinOus Chinese letters that were
scattered here and there over the body OF
tho bell, AZ near as one OF ne ny-
World" reporter that he understood Wan
Sings attempt at English, could mak"
out, that learned Celrptiars dissertation
on the bell was somewhat as follows;
This bell said Wah sing, or rather,
the selr-cpnstituted Interpreter for him,
carries us back in mind to a time long
before the dawn of western ciyilizhtion.
II " tN cast nun I'l III Nv ~ " 80
Emperor who lived centuries before Con
fucius. And when this great sag" was
still II hoy IL Is not too Violent u stretch
of the Imagination to believe TINT 1t often
rang him To school. 1t also served an
other purpose, however, as some OF the
characters upon 1t indicate, II vas used
to toll tn" death OF those condemned to
execution by the sword. And, from some
extremely obscure sentences, ! also CLEAN
that II called the deVout Ia worship In n
temple"
The aged Chinaman, after delivering
himself thus. once more fell to feasting
his eyes on the venerable relic, Iatted Il
with his hand. sounded II with his
knucklc, and then walked cpntempla-
lively away to resume his work of polish
ing the shirts of some berry Hill dude.
The reporter then called .uron j. :.
Blydenhurgh a CO., OF 81 Front street,
AGENTS for Shrwan Il Co. of Hong Kong.
eral cargo of tn" FOOhng Suey had been
consigned. but MIR. Blydenburgh knew
nothing about tn" bell.
FOOhnG Suey, says the bell Is 600 years
old. ana made out II eight sections. IT
has no tongue said he, Xix" other bells,
open, 80 that ypl can stick your hand
in. The bell loop bH which II swings, Is
In th- shapr of q dragon"
Al the Office Of Trecarten a. Turner,
~stevrdprrs, = South street, the reDJrtrr
found CAPT MnhGney. who said all he
knew about the bell was that h. brought
1t over freight free for Mr.. W. VI. Forbes,
Of Ncwburs. y. y, who was formerly
a mrmbr of the firm Of Russell X CO..
Of Hong Kong,
"Rut whether he wants It for II church.
"A factory or "A dinner bell" concluded
the captain, ''shtrer my t!mh"rs II
know"
The hr,l weighs about 100 pounds,
and from other sources quite as authuri-
lativ" ~ Mr.. Nah Sing, was finally
cinlmeI to b." only 200 years old,
~ the chinese tuusul's house, % West
Niuth street. Mr. Wing, the Nicr-Cun-
sui. SAID he knew nothing about the bell,
bu, n" laughed az the idea OF its being
as oil as Wah sim claimed.
"If 1t wcr" a. old "a the time Of Con-
GInius,' h. said, "yuu "a depend upon II
the bell would never hay" left the
chinese shore, We are too pruui OF
cur ancient relies to surrender them 50
easily"