Gilpin observer., 1908-09-10
ARMY RINGS BELLS
PRODUCING CHIMES IS SACRED
MEXICAN VOCATION.
Two Thousand Men In Mexico City
Alone Are Regularly Employed
No Need to Carry Time
piece There.

1t takes great army of men to keep
the church bells going in Mexico. 1t
Is estimated that in Mexico City alone
there are more than 1000 bell ringers.
This is the number regularly EN-.
ployed On days of religious celebra.
tions the number is augmented, as the
ringing of the bells must be kept up
almost constantly through the day and
night on such occasions. One of the
most striking features of Mexican life
to the casual visitor is the noise of
the church bells. Every little hamlet
and many of the ranches in the coun-
try have one or more Catholic
churches, and each is equipped with
one or more bell towers. The great
cathedral which stands near the Ma
tional Palace in Mexico City has 16 Of
these towers.
In some towns the constant ringing
OF the church bells is prohibited by
the local authorities. The sounding Of
the bells is permitted once or twice
every hour. Some churches toll the
quarter hours and others toll every
five minutes. Most of the churches in
Mexico City toll the quarter, half and
hours.
The profession of bell ringing ia
looked on by the lower classes as be-
ing honorable and distinguished. The
bell ringers are reverenced as being
an adjunct Of the clergy. The bell
ringers themselves are usually proud
of their work. In many cases this
place In a church Is handed down from
father to son through generation after
generation.
The towers of the large cathedrals
are spacious, and are frequently fitted
with rooms which are occupied by the
bell ringers and their families. Here,
far above the noise of the traffic of
the streets below, the faithful toilers
of the bells live peaceful life, seem
ingly unmindful of the crashing noise
which constantly resounds about theis
very heads. They are away from the
other noises Of the city, but are in the
midst of the bell clangings, which go
on all through the days and nights.
How can you sleep, with all this
noise about you?" was recently asked
the wife of a bell ringer in one of the
cathedral towers.
1T is not the noise of the bells that
l mind" she replied. Il hear their
ringing without knowing It, but 1t is
the changing of the street car gongs
in the street below that disturbs my
slumbers."
All of the church bell ringing in
Mexico is done by hand. Some of the
bells are OF ponderous size and great
weight. To operate them requires the
exercise of powerful muscles and
much bodily strength. The use of
clockwork or electrical machinery to
operate the many bells in the great
cathedral in Mexico City has been
considered from time to time, but the
preponderance of sentiment of the
church authorities has been against
such an innovation.
The bell ringers are divided into
day and night shifts. They are re-
quired to toll the hours with preci-
sion. 1t is not necessary to carry
watch in Mexico unless one is travel.
ing in the country out of sound OF the
church bells. At any hour. day or
night. person can learn the time by
HsteHinS W the toililB oI tHe DeilS.
Many of the bells which hang in the
church towers Of Mexico were brought
from Spain in the early days of Span
ish rule. Some of them contain large
amounts of precious metals. which
give them a clear, rich tone. The
bell ringers take great pride in their
bells, and much care and attention are
given to keeping them well FURNISHED
and their parts oiled and always in
state of good repair.