The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
RINGING THE6ELL AND RUNNING.
An Old Time sport Of Youth That
New Condition. Is Fading AWAY.

1T just occurs TO me" said Mr.. Nodfast,
that ringing the bell and running, one
or the old time sports Of youth, has now,
with changed conditions, fallen somewhat
into allegiance, IL indeed IL il not now
threatened with total extinction.
In old times when everybody lived in
houses everybody had a IGOR bell with a
bell pull at the front door on he street.
These bells were universally bells Of the
jingle type, with a tongue in them. the
bell being attached to the end OF a coied
wire secured TO the wall somewhere in the
hall and from which ran a wire through
the door jamb and to the bellpull knob
without.
When you pulled the bell wire it jingled
the bell hanging attached to the end of the
sensitive coiled wire. The sport Of ring
ing the bell and running consisted in run
ming or sneaking mp the front steps of a
house and pulling the bell and then running
away.
Not al boys actually engaged in this
sport. Out OF two or three boys, or q
bigger bunch of youngsters, there was al
way one holder or more daring than the
rest who crept UP the steps and did the,
actual pulling while the rest stood around,
at the foot of the steps on the sidewalk
the more timid the further away, and ain
ready TO run when the bell was 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 applaud or secretly enjoy.
The object OF ringing the bell and rum
ming was, OF course, for the fun OF making
somebody come TO the door to find nobody
there. Putting people to inconvenience and
annoyance for the fun Of the thing might
aou IEa 1tGVla ~ n nm thar nWrNdn nnfSAnN
of the humorous; but there are older people
who seem TO have no more sense. 1
Sometimes persons who had been PERI,
sistently annoyed in this manner would
silently station themselves in Immediate
adjacency to the front door; on the inside.1
all ready, and when the youngster pulled the
bell they would open the door suddenly anf
pounce upon him before he could get away =
Then, II he were small enough, they wOuldl
spank him soundly; or il he were tool
big for that they would shake him vigor-:
ously and send him back to his fellows dis
comflted.
But despite such occasional repressivey
or more likely, only Oppressive, incidents 60
these the sport Of ringing the bell and run
ming continued TO flourish until the intro
duction Of the electric bell, which was really
the first blow TO il. For the electric bel
had no handle TO yank, but simply q little
push button, which could be moved but q
fraction Of an inch. -ov.
There was no such fun in pushing this
button az there was in yanking q bell
handle out as far as IL would 60 and bearing
the old bell jump and lance 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. al least in some
measure. to decline. 1t was the Widespread
building Of apartment dwelling houses.
however, that gave his ancient sport it's
ha rdest blow.
Obviously IL a boy IL going TO ring the
bell and run he must have some place 90
run TO and So, 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. but inside another building and may
be up two or three flights Of stairs, and
these bells are all ele ctric.
Thus opportunity IL less frequent than
IL was and such opportunity as presents
itself 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
fiourishes az once IL did. II Ia now in a
state OF at least partial agophy. IL not de-
cay, or II not yet quite iHthe sere and yell
low II IL, let us hope, now tending that way