The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-16
Our Special COntributOrS===ISO5.
AMERICAN BELLS.
Curious and Interesting Facts Concerning Them.
By CALDWELL JOHNSON.

WHILE the subject of bells is
favorite and familiar topic in poetry
and prose, and much has been writ
ten concerning the notable bells OF
other lands, such as the famous one
at Moscow, Russia, comparatively
little is known of the notable bells OF
our own country. 1t was Oscar Wilde
who found fault because there are mo
ruins in America" and it is true that
we have no such ancient relics in the
form of bells as may be found in all
parts of the Old World, but still there
are not few of these messengers OF
the upper air" in America, concerning
which many interesting facts may be
related. An old bell placed with
other treasured relics in the Washing
ton Headquarters at Newburg, has a
history worth telling. 1t is small,
weighing barely twenty-five pounds,
exceedingly sweet-toned, and was
made, as Latin inscription informs
us. at Amsterdam in the year 17l6.
In 1719 it was presented by Queen
Anne to the settlers of Newburg.
They had no church edifce at the
time, and it was lent to the Lutheran
church at New York, where it hung
for some time, calling the Knicker-
bockers to worship, ringing in their
weddings and knelling at their fun
erals, until, in 1913, the pioneers built
church, and the bell was removed
to Newburg. 1t was the first one
ever hung in that region. Its later
career was one of vicisstude. In pro-
cess of time its original owners died
or Joined their brethren in the more
fertile valley of the Genesee. Eng
lish people supplied their places, and
the bells then came into possession of
the Church of England, which sue
ceeded the Lutheran or the State
church of the former Dutch colony.
But by 1776 the English church had
fallen into bad odor in the colonies,
and about that time the bell was taken
from it's tower and hidden in
swamp, it is said, to prevent its fall
ing into the hands of the Wings.
After the peace of 1888 it resumed
duty in the church. In 1898 it was
hung in the Academy and rang the
village children to school, and also
did duty as court bell. From 1884
to 1873 it was used as signal bell
for the stables of one of the city
hotels. and in 1874 became the pro-
perty of a lady residing in New burg
who has recently given it othe trus-
tees of the Washington Headquarters,
to be preserved with the other treas
ures of that historic building.
There is an resting bit of bis
tory connected with the old bell that
is now doing faithful duty in the
Reformed church at the corner of
Fifth avenue and Forty-eighth street,
New York. 1t was cast in Holland in
1871, expressly for the Old Middle
Dutch church on Nassau street, and
presented to it in accordance with
the provisions of will left by Colonel
Abraham De Peyster, prominent
citizen of those early days.
During the occupation of the city
by the British in the War of the Rev
olution, the Middle church was con-
verted into riding school for His
Majesty's dragons, and, to prevent
it's Dissertation, the bell was taken
down and hidden in a secure place,
where it remained until after the
Evacuation. The church was then
re-opened and the bell restored to its
place. A number of years ago an
antiquarian, in examining the belfry
of the Old Middle church, observed
a series of rudely carved dates with
accompanying initials, on the panel
ing between the balustraded arches.
These memorials were traced through
the coats of paint and We're found to
be inscriptions made by old bell
ringers of the church, on the occas-
ions when they were required to ring
a merry peal at the public rejoicings
in the city. Among them were the
following: July 8, A. D. 1776," and
"July 4, A. D. 1890" These two
dates explain themselves; the first
one being that of the time when the
Declaration of Independence was
read at the head of Washington's
army, which was then stationed in
the city, the other denoting the day
of the reopening of the church for d.
vine service after the war. The bell
continued in service on the Nassau
street church until 1874, when the
building was sold and converted in
to a Post Office. 1t was then re-
moved to the church in Ninth street.