The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-16

England, when st. MlchaelS was
built, about one hundred and thirty
years ago. When the war of the Rev
oluton came, the bells were sent to
England for safe-keeping. After the
treaty of peace had been consummat-
ed, negotiations were opened in Lon
don for the return of the bells by the
first American Minister to Great Bri
tain. He succeeded, and the bells were
sent to Charleston, and upon, their
arrival were received with triumphant
ovations, and escorted by a larg pro-
cession to the church, in the belfry
of which they were replaced. During
the late Civil War the citizens of
Charleston were DESTROYS of protect
ing the bells from danger, and as the
steeple of st. Michael's was made the
target for the cannon of the besiegers,
the bells were taken down and sent
to Columbia for safe keeping. When
Sheridan's army took Columbia, the
sheds in the yard of the State House,
in which the bells had been placed,
and which also contained the marble
friezes and other sculptures intended
for the decoration of the capitol, were
broken in and the sculptures and bells
were smashed into fragments and the
sheds were then set on fire. At the
conclusion of the war the pieces of
the bells were carefully gathered to-
gether, boxed and shipped to COM
mercial house in Liverpool, toe ether
with extracts from the records of St.
Michael's, showing where the bells
were cast, and the proportions of the
metals forming their component
parts. Upon inquiry it was found
that there was still in existence in
England the firm of bell founders,
unchanged in name, and consisting
of the descendants of the proprietors
at the time the bells were made. The
records of this firm contained des-
criptions of the bells, and the pro-
portions there given were found to
correspond with those furnished from
Charleston. The bells were made
anew, therefore, of the same metal,
and for the fifth time they were
carried across the Atlantic, and ar
rived safely at Charleston. Their re-
turn was made the occasion of great
rejoicing in the city.
Besides the famous Liberty Bell,
there was on exhibition at the New
Orleans Exposition year ago, an
other relic of the same order with an
interesting history. 1t was the old
Slave Bell that for many years sum-
moned the slaves to work on the Fon-
tainebleau sugar plantation, one Of
the princely domains of the old days
in Louisiana The original proprie-
tor of the plantation was M. de
Marigny. The bell was cast in 1925,
and the story goes that M. Marigny,
standing over the large caldron filled
with molten metal, dropped one
thousand Spanish silver dollars to
give the bell clear and silvery tone.
Three French inscriptions are on it,
specifying the time and place of
founding. This bell has assure on
it's side, concerning which pretty
story is related. The bell stood in
the center of the plantation, and was
rung to summon the slaves to and
from their work. Early in the morn
ing its changing reused the tenants of
the quarters to their daily tasks, and
at eventide its silvery notes were
borne to the most distant corners of
the plantation calling them home.
It's daily duties were performed
cheerfully and without hint of
change until the morning when
President Lincoln issued the procla-
nation that freed forever the South
ern slaves. On that morning the bell
fell from its lofty pedestal, and the
assure was opened in its side.
Whether the bells heart was broken
from excess of joy the legend does
not say. 1t will be remembered that
the old Independence Bell was broken
when it rang the peal announcing to
all the world that America was hence
forth to be the land of liberty.
History of Pioneer Bell
There is bell now hanging over
private school house of a Mormon
prophet, in Salt Lake City, which has
curious and somewhat amusing
history. 1t was the first church bell
that ever rang out over the plains of
Iowa, having been erected in the
tower of the First Presbyterian
church of Iowa City. A few years
after its installation, trouble arose
between the pastor and the people
over the question of salary, which re-