The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-12-10
AN Gid CHURCH BELL
IT CANE FROM LISBON AND HANGS
IN A NANTUCKET CHURCH.

Beneath the outlook in Nantucket
church is the belfry, in which swings
the "old Spanish bell. knowing that
this is now Unitarian church. the vls-
ltor will be surprised to see a Catholic
cross on the bell. IL he could read Por.
tuguese and had not previously ac-
quainted himself with the history Of
she bell he would be still more sur
prised at tEs Inscription on it. The
translation OF this Inscription is as fol-
lows: To the Good Jesus Of the Noun
tain the devotees of Lisbon direct their
prayers. Offering Him one complete set
Of six bells. to call the people to adore
him In his sanctuary. Jose Domingos
Dacossa has made 1t In Lisbon IN the
year 1910" or course the bell must
have an interesting history to account
for this Inscription. That history Is
briefly as follows
plague was raging in Lisbon and
certain people in that city prayed to
the Virgin Mary for the cessation Of
the plague and vowed to place a set Of
six bells In the Church of the Good
Jesus Of the Mountain If their prayers
were heard. "The Mountain is the
name Of a certain district in the city
OF I.s5On in which there is a very ven.
erable church called as above. Shortly
after this the plague ceased, and, ac-
cepting this as the answer to their
prayers, these devotees Of Lisbon pro
ceeded to fulfill their vows. The work
of casting these six bells was intrusted
to Jose Domingos Dacosta, the best
bell founder in Lisbon
The six bells had been cast. the mas
ters labors had been crowned with
success, when Captain Clasby of the
Nantucket whaling feet CHANGED to
visit Lisbon. He had long wished to
buy a bell for use in bis native town.
In company with Captain Cary he
visited the bell foundry Of Jose Do
mingos Dacosta. Captain Cary. II
seems, was a connoisseur in bells. Da-
costa applied the lever to one bell after
another as he struck each to ascertain
It's peculiar tone or tone quality, but
each time Captain Cary said, THAT
will not do"
At last Dacosta raised and struck
the bell whose history we are describ.
ing. Captain Cary was delighted with
the result "Ah, CLASSIFY" he said
you need look no further. That's the
bell you want She is a beauty. She
sounds on b."
"Well, sir" remarked Dacosta, 1--WE
consider that to be the finest bell thet
we have in our foundry"
At first Dacosta Gemurred and could
not see his way clear to selling the
bell, since It belonged to the set OF
chimes designed for the Church OF the
Good Jesus Of the Mountain and was
appropriately inscribed and all, but
Captain Clasby would have no other
Finally Dacosta decided, since the bel
had not yet been consecrated and since
he could cast another to take its place
that it would bA all right to sell.
SO Captain Clasby bought the bell
and It was brought to Nantucket by
Captain Cary, whose vessel was going
home first. In Lisbon, just before he
set sail, Captain Cary heard Of the dec
iaratlon of war with Great Britain,
for It was now the year 1912. On the
way over they were spoken by Brit
ish sloop Of war. Fortunately the Brit
isher hSd been at sea for some time
and had not yet heard of the declara
tior of war. "The commander asked
Captain Cary the news, but Captain
Cary Gays he took especial pains not
to tell all he knew. If he had told our
precious bell would probably never
have seen Nantucket II might now be
either at the bottom of the sea or IT
might be swinging in the tower Of
some English church.
The bell was landed in Nantucket
and placed ia the store cellar of Sam
uel Cary, where 1t remained until 1915,
when 1t was purchased and placed in
the tower where 1t now hangs. About
$500 was given for the bell--the society
paid about $3.50 and the rest was raised
by subscriptions Even some Friends
oc Quakers subscribed.
After the bell had been In use little
while the agents Of the historic old
South church IN Boston heard OF 1t, and
they sent letter to the agents OF the
South church In Nantucket, saying that
they had a very good clock in their
tower, but no bell; that they had heard
that the South church in Nantucket
had a very fine bell, and they would
like to know for how much the bell
could be bought.
The Nanucketers replied that they
had very fine bell in their tower, but
no clock: that they had heard that the
Old South church had a very fine tower
clock, and that they would like to
know the price Of the clock
The agents offered 10 pay 81 a pound
for the bell. Since the bell weighs
1875 pounds, this would have made
the price 81 .575, making a net profit Of
1913 above the price paid for the bell
and 81 .225 above the amount contrib.
uted by the society. II seems that the