Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-05-06
OLDEST BELL
IN AMERICA
1t Will Be Part of the New Mex
leo Exhibit at the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition.
CAST IN A. D. 1855
Taken From One of the Seven Cities Of
Cibolla to Gran Quiyera, Thence to
AIgodones

The oldest bell in the United States
has just been acquired by Governor
NJ A. Otero and will be exhibited in
the New Mexico building at st. Louis.
The bell arrived here yesterday from
Algodones and will be shipped tomor-
row or on next Monday to the Exposi.
ton City. The history of the bell is
very unique, the data being furnished
by Father Coudert of Bernalillo. 1t
was brought over from Spain by one of
the first expeditions to Mexico and by
Father Juan de Padilla, one of the
franciscan Fathers who accompanied
Coronado, to New Mexico, it being first
hung in one of the mission churches
established in one of the seven cities
to Gran Quivera where it was hung
in the church of which the ruins are
still visible. From Gran Quivera it
was taken to Algodones, where it has
hung in the parish church ever since.
Father Padilla was killed by his guides
while on the way from Gran Quivera
to Algodones.
The bell weighs exactly 1873 pounds.
1t was baptized Maria Josefa 1t was
cast in the year A. D., 1856, according
to the inscription which is cast in the
bell. The "F'' in the word Josefa is
inverted and the letters IS" and "E'
are transposed, the mistake having
evidently been made in the mold The
bell is supposed to contain consider.
able gold and silver as it was the Gus
tom in olden times for the devout to
cast gold and silver ornaments into the
bell metal just as it was poured into
the mold. Naturally, bell 545 years
old, or antedating the discovery of
America by 1877 years is quite curl
osity and will attract more attention
at the Worlds Fair than prob sDly anv
Iother onJect exhibited.
The bell is one year older than the
famous Old bell in San Miguel Church
in this city, which was brought to the
western continent from Spain by the
Spaniards in the same expedition prob
ably that brought the Algodones bell.
This latter bell is being kept in the
basement of the store of Seligman
Brothers on the south side of the plaza
until shipped.
=. =. =: =. =. =. =: =. =: :ss.
est Reserve. Townships IL. u, 13, IA
and Is south and the north one-third
of township 16 south, range 8 west, of
the New Mexico meridian for the rea.
son that the herds of goats and sheep
grazed upon said townships are de-
stroying the brush and underground
and greatly injuring the watersheds of
the Cuchillo, Palomas, Seco and Las
Animas Creeks. Along these streams
are situated the larger portion of the
farming lands of Sierra County. The
reserve now includes the west slope of
the Black Range and extends over a
short distance of the eastern slope. II
the designated townships are included
in the reserve, the heavy timber on the
entire east slope will be included and
it's protection and preservation would
help to conserve the water supply
which is so essential to the farmers Of
that district.
The strip of land sought to be in.
cluded in the Gila River Forest Reserve
as detailed in the petition would be
little over 80 miles long and six miles
wide. On the lower courses of the
four streams mentioned there are many
farming communities and fine farms.
Most of this section was settled be-
tween 80 and 35 years ago, one or two
of the towns as Palomas and Cuchillo
are about 40 years old. Hence the
prior rights to the waters of these
streams certainly belong to these farm
ing communities Mr.. Hopewell be-
lieves that the greatest good for the
greatest number would be secured by
the addition of the townships named
to the Gila Forest Reserve