Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-03
RING THE BELL AND RUN.
An Old Thine Sport of Youth That Un-
der New Conditions is Fading Away.

An old-Time Sport of Youth That I'm
der New Conditions is Fading Away.
From the New York Sun. ....-
''It just occurs to me-" said Mr.. Nodfast
that ringing the he'll and running. one OF
the old time sports of youth, has now, with
changed conditions. fallen somewhat into
abeyence, if indeed II Is not now threatened
with total extinction. -..
in old times when everybody lived In
houses everybody had a door bell with Q
bell pull at the front door on the street.
These bells were universally bells of the
Jingle type. with tongue in them. the bell
being attached to the end of coled wire
secured to the wall somewhere in the hall
and from which ran a wire through the
door lamb and to the bellpull knob with
out.
the bell hanging attached to the end of the
sensitive coiled WIRE The sport OF ringing
the bell and running consisted in running
or sneaking up the front steps of house
and pulling the bell and then running away.
Not all boys actually engaged in this
sport. Out of two or three boys, or a bigger
bunch of youngsters. there was always one
holder or more daring than the rest who
crept up the steps and did the actual pull
ing while the rest stood around at the foot
of the steps the sidewalk. the more
timid the farther away. and al ready TO
run when the bell W. pulled and the puller
came scampering down to Join them-
Wherein they were like grown-up men who
may lack the nerve to do a thing which
they may apple; I'D secretly enjoy.
THE object of ringing the bell and run
ming was of course, for the fun of making
somebody come to the door to ind nobody
there. Putting people to inconvenience ana
ANNOYANCE for the fun of the thing might
ika
OF the humorous; but there are older people
who seem to have no more sense.
Sometimes persons who had been per-
sistently annoyed in this manner would ST.
lently station themselves in immediate ad-
jacency to the front door. on the inside. all
ready, and when the youngster pulled the
bell they would open the door suddenly and
pounce upon him before he could get away.
Then. IL he were small enough, they would
spank him soundly; or II he were too big
for that they would shake him vigorously
and send him back to his fellows discom-
flied
but despite such occasional repressve.
or. more likely. only Oppressive. Incidents as
these the sport of ringing the bell and rum
ming continued to flourish until the intro
duction of the electric bell. which was really
the first blow to it. For the electric bell
had no handle to yank. but simply little
push button. which could be moved but a
fraction Of an inch.
There was no such fun In pushing this
button as there was in yanking bell ham
the old bell jump and dance and Jangle.
There was action In all that.
Certainly there wasn't so much fun In
ringing an electric bell and running. and so
with the introduction OF electric door bells
this sport began. at least in some measure.
to decline. 1t was the widespread building
Of apartment dwelling houses. however. that
gave this ancient sport its hardest blow.
OBVIOUSLY II q boy is going to ring the
bell and run he must have some place to
run to and 30. practically. he can pull only
such bells as are on the street But now
there are thousands Of people whose front
door bells so to speak. are not on the street
at all, hut inside another building and may
be up two or three flights OF stairs. and
these bells are all electric.
THUS opportunity Is less frequent than 1t
was and such opportunity as presents IT.
self il less alluring. especially with the
elevator boy waiting to nab US in the hall
below.
$50 the ancient and once universal sport
of ringing the bell and running no longer
fourishes as once 1t did. II Is now In =
state of at least partial atrophy. il not de-
cay. or If not yet quite in the sere and yell
low, 1t IL, let u hope. now tending that
v4G."