The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-23
CHANGE TO SEE
THE LIBERTY BELL
TITS LIKELY TO BE TAKEN TO ST
LOUIS EXPO.
Suggestion That 1t Be Brought to Min
neapolis While 1t Is in the West
Something About the History of the
Most Revered Relic of the Republic.

/ . q s { J
The school children Of st. Louis are
responsible for a movement to bring
the liberty bell west from Philadel-
phia to the Louisiana Purchase expo.
sition. If the bell is brought west,
there will be other places than st.
Louis that will want to see it. Already
such sentiment has been expressed in
Minneapolis, and there is hope that
the famous relic may be seen here.
Report says that there is little doubt
that the bell will be taken to st. Louis.
This means that Minneapolis must be-
stir herself if the bell is to come this
way.
This revered relic was originally
| cast in England "by Order of the AS
sembly Of the Province of Pennsylya-
| MIA for the State House in the City Of
Philadelphia, 1852" as the inscription
| upon it reads, and it also had moulded
| just below the crown the imperishable
| legend, Proclaim liberty turnout
| all the land to all the inhabitants
thereof Leviticus XIV, 10. The bell
was found to be defective and was re-
cast in Philadelphia, with the same
legends, and little did the solons OF
that day dream Of the prophecy con-
tanned in that excerpt from Holy
| Script.
1t was hung in the belfry of the
state house about 1855 and performed
the duty usual to a bell, such as ring
Ing for fire, tolling for disaster and
pealing nerrily upon festive days.
More than twenty years after the
certain July 4, Its, the old watch
| man stood holding the rope which
controlled it, awaiting breathlessly the
| verdict that was being reached in the
| assembly hall upon the most moment
Gus event in the history of the world.
| The leading men of the thirteen colo
| ME ha in hat a
the result was the production of that
1 great writing, the Declaration of In
1 dependence. AS the intrepid dele
| gates concluded their debate and each
rose and affixed his signature to the
i famous document, the fact that the
declaration was being signed was con-
veyed to the masses of patriots who
were congregated around the building
A tremendous roar went up from the
thousands of lusty Threats and, pierc.
ing the volume, was the shrill treble
a of the watchman's grandson, crying
ring! Grandpa! Ring!"
The old man threw his weight upor
the rope and the great bell swung
: upon its yoke. Forth from its brazer
mouth rang out the glad tidings, and
it truly made the prophecy good
proclaim liberty turnout all the lant
to all the inhabitants thereof"
For years afterwards did the ole
bell sound alarms, toll knells, and
chime forth joyous peals. In 1885
while tolling for the death Of Chic
/, Justice John Marshall, it cracked. Eff
forts were made to restore its tone
The irregular crack was reamed out
{ but its silver tongue was still, only {
hoarse, weird sound being emitted
Since then it has remained voiceless
but venerated, and as each succeed
ing year rolls by, the reverence for tn
herald of liberty deepens in the heart
of all true Americans.
: Very properly the old bell is 11ouset
in its original home, the state house
as it was known, but now the cher
) ished independence Hall. Remover
from the belfry it rests in rich glas
= case in the very room in which tn
r declaration was signed. 1t is guarde.
day and night, and the case in which
it rests is mounted upon wheels s.
that if fire occurs it can be quickl
rolled from the building.