The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-30

! Adler's store, and who rings the bells on
/ Sundays purely for accommodation, aud
4 the interest he has in it, He Is paid noth-
ing for this work, nor does he ask any
thing in reeompense. He is proud Of the
| task, and is very ambitious in his WORK
/ The chimes were formerly played by Mr..
! Clark who left Savannah 10 go to Call
fornia When he went away the rector
| announced the fact in church one norm
/ ing, and asked for some volunteer to ring
the chimes. Mr. Roberts was eager for
the chance He had never rung chimes
before, except now and then, when,
through curiosity he went up in the tow
eT. 1t was always his ambition 10 be
chime ringer. Even when he was a child
he looked forward to the time when he
could be the one to climb the tower of
some church and send out a laundering
flood of bell music for miles around.
There was a fascination about it that
completely overcame him. and when he
heard the preacher say he wanted some
body 10 volunteer to ring the bells, he de-
termined that his name would be on the
list of volunteers and the only fear was
that there would be a hundred after the
job In this, however, he was agreeably
surprised, for when he offered his services
he was astouished to learn that he was
the only one who had done so. He made
some bad biunders with the chimes the
first few Sundays, but finally mastered
them sufficiently to play a few simple
airs. The trouble was he was not al
lowed to practice. IF he failed in his notes
and murdered a tune the much abused
public did not have Mr.. Roberts to blame
for he had to go ahead with the tune right
Off from the shoulder without ever run
ming 1t over" on the rude, pump-like keys
Mr. Roberts can now play great num-
Der OF airs, and selects them at his own
Will. OF course, there are certain airs
TO be played at certain seasons. There is
the Christmas carol, which is played at
midnight Christmas eve to usher in the
day, and the New Years hymn played at
midnight to usher in the new year and
bid adieu to the old. Then at weddings
he has to strike the chimes to the tune
of one of the wedding marches but there
has been little Ginning lately on occa-
sfons of weddings in the church for some
unknown reason.
Among the airs most frequently heard
on the chimes are "Greenland's ley Noun
tains," Jesus Lover of My Soul" Just
as ! Am" Holy, Holy, Holy" 20, Come
When the Morning. almost Persuaded"
Bright is the Morning. Night Watch
ers. "Hark, Hank, My Soul" Joyous
Bells" Work for the Night is Coming"
etc.
one of Mr.. Roberts favortes is the
familiar old air. known most generally,
perhaps, for being the tune "Juanita."
The public has not heard this lately from
the tower of st. Johns, but it is not Mr.
Roberts fault, for it is one of his favo-
rites. The reason it has not been played
is simply because some lady, who is a
member OF the church, asked that it be
left off the repertoire. She gave as her
reason that whenever the chimes played
it the children around her house began to
sing aloud "Juanita," and she thought the
chimes might be engaged to inspire the
children with something more sacred than
the words of this old love song. In point
of fact, the air does not belong strictly to
the verses "Juanita." Many religious
songs in years gone by were sung to this
tune
1t is but fair to say that the chimes of
ST. Johns are badly in need of repairs,
or attention. If they were turned the mu-
sic would be far sweeter, and If the clap
pers were replaced and put in proper loca-
ton the notes would be truer
If two more bells could be put in there
would be still greater improvement in the
chimes, and the number of airs that could
be played would be greatly enlarged, and
the manner in which they are played be
improved. Chime bells are cheaper now
than they were when these were purchas-
ed, cluster such as this one being valued
now at not more than SO 900 perhaps, while
it cost far more than that in the early
days.