The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-27
OLD BELLRINGER OF BOSTON
BEGAN AT ELEYEN YEARS OF 1GE
 HALF 4 CENTURY AGO.
How and When the Bells Are Rung- Fight With Bats In the Tower of Old North Church.

North Church.
 On New Years night, in the tower oi
 the Old North Church., Frederick M
 Jewell played the chimes that usheret
 hair now, but the blue eyes are as
 bright and the cheeks as ruddy as they
 were on that New Years night fifty
 years ago, when, as boy of eleven, he
 made his debut as a bell-ringer and
 played his first selection entitled "Haste
 the Winter" That was a memorable
 occasion for the boy, and when he let
 go the rope his big brother slapped him
 ton the back and cried, That's good
 Bob!" Bob was what they all called
 him in the family. Next day, everybody
 had merry word of greeting for the
 boy.
 Bob was born within the sound of the
 bells, and his earliest memories are as-
 socated With them. His brother was
 the bell-ringer, and when he grew old
 enough he used to go and watch him
 pull the ropes until at last he associated
 with each rope the tone of the bell.
 There was no play in the street that was
 fascinating enough to keep him away
 when those bells began to swing. For
 sixteen years his brother had charge of the bell-ringng, and then Bob rang
 them faithfully for years and years. In
 all the fifty years the only time of any
 length when he has been away from them was during the four years when he
 went to war. Now he rarely rings the
 bells except on New Years Day and
 holidays. Still there are times when the memories of other days are upon him, and once again on the Sabbath he takes the roes and chimes out tunes that are as dear to him as the faces that
 smiled on him in childhood.
 When MT Jewell was boy, it was the custom in, the church, introduced by his brother, to have on New Years night what was called ''set down." A subscription had been taken up and in the vestry, open to all, were spread upon the tables. This custom was con- tinued until MT. Jewell went to war. Upon his return it was never taken up again Many a person to-day can recall drinking coffee at a "set down" in the ancient church. It was the one function by which the young people could go dur ing the year and not have curtain lectures upon their home comlng-for there were few midnight entertainments in those days.
 One night MT. Jewell came near meet ing his death in that Old North Church tower. As usual he had played the chimes and at the close went up to where the bells hung. He was about to descend when shadowy figures suddenly and he was beaten blind then ! struch in the breast with force enough to make him lose his footing. In an in- stant more he would have fallen thirty feet below, but fortunately he reached but as he fell, and his hand closed on ! rope. There he hung for his life with thirty feet of blackness below, while ,ut on the air clashed sudden peal that i startled all who heard it.
 When the bell chimer reached his nome he was greeted with: Why, how pale you are!"
 T have had a fight for my life with he tower bats tonight" he said. Then n answer to the fast-following quee- ions he told how the bats swooped [ town upon him, and one, striking him 'ull in the chest, had so upset him that le had lost his footing. That tower is he home of bats.
 Many lover of English pealng limbs up into this tower just to see the lrst peal of bells brought to this coun- ry. They were cast in England by Abel 2udhall of Gloucester, who died short V after. and In sweetness and purity of ones they are not likely to be rivalled, Iince his secret of blending bell metal lied when he did. They were purchased " subscription, costing e560. The com- lined weight is 6,432 pounds, the small st weighing 620 and the largest 1,545 bounds. Each bell has an inscription round the crown telling it's own story. The bell-ringer of fifty years service .nows each bell by it's number as a hild is known by it's name.
 No. l. "Thie peal of eight bells is the lift of a number of generous persons 0 Christ Church in Boston, New Eng and, Anno 1744, A. R."
 No. 2. "This church was founded In he year 1723 Rev. Timothy Cutler the rst rector, Anno 1744, A. R." "No. 8. "We are the first ring of bells aet for ye British Empire in North Anno 1744, A. R. No. A. God preserve the Church of l ,ngland, Anno 1744 A. R." ( No. 5. William Shirley Esq, Gov , rnor of Massachusetts Bay in New 1 'ngland, Anno 1744, A. :" ( No. 6. ''The subscriptions for these , els were begun by John Hammock nd Robert Temple, Church Wardens, '43, and completed by Robert Jenkins C nd Jno Gould, Church Wardens, 1744, I {. R." No. '. "Snce generosity has opened F 1T mouths, cur tongues shall ring aloud $ praise, 1744, A. R. t No. 8. Abel Rudhall of Gloucester t ,st us all in England, Anno 1744." When these bells were first hung they V ere British bells, and according to b ritfsh customs they were pealed. To O sal a bell such tug must be given e lat it will swing and to every bell r ere must be a man. So in those early l. lye. when the bells were pealed, eight ? ,od men and true stood around in q W rcle in the tower and the business of Il aling was interspersed with gossip of Il e town Later, pealing was abandon n
 and the bells were chimed as they W e new Ginning necessitated a re- u of the ropes. They were e 1t in a frame on the landing the first n ,or in and now the chimes are rllng 2