The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-11-25
LEST WE FORGET.
The Old Academy BeIl-TraditiOn or
Fact?
SEVENTH ARTICLE.

old Honesdale Academy, incidentally
mentioning Mrs. Chas. S. Minor, (who
is still living within speaking distance of
the institution to which so many of
Honesdale's business and professional
men are indebted for at least good
share of their education who, as Miss
Nancy p. Brown, was one of its early in
structors under the principalship OF i.
b. Smith. The article particularly
specifies the fall term of 1917 as the be-
ginning of Miss Browns engagement,
and mentions, as not the least exacting
of the duties which devolved upon her,
the ringing eight times day of the
Academy bell, the very same bell which
has assembled the succeeding genera
tions of Honesdale school boys and
girls from that day to this. Later in
the story appears this paragraph in ref
erence to the bell. "It has done duty
here for three score and ten years, hav-
ing been brought to Honesdale in 1S48,
before which date it was in use as
steamboat bell on the Hudson river"
In last Fridays issue of the Wayne
County Herald, r. NJ. Stocker, histori-
an ofthe Honesdale Presbyterian church,
and regarded as an authority on local
matters of early date generally, supple
ments the LEST we Forget" article with
very entertaining account the bells
relation to the churches OF the borough's S
babyhood; and, while treating THE
CITIZEN "reminiscences very courteously,
takes occasion to question the accuracy
of our dates as connected with the bell =,
and pronounces our statement that it
had been i'll use on steamboat as $50
improbable as not to ned discuss ion."
Why so improbable? Mr.. Stocker's S
appeal to his own book as authority does
not justify his conclusion as to the alb
surdity of what he is pleased TO term
''the tradition" regarding the bell. Mrs.
Minor came to Honesdale in 1917, only
fourteen years after it was cast, and
while the first trustees of the Academy
who bought #, and broughtit here, were
inthe prime of life. 1t gave voice from
her hands many times a day for year,
and it is altogether likely that she soon
became reliably posted by her employers
as to its history. Is it presumable that
the account given her was traditional!
Does Mr.. Stocker imagine that Col
Seely, or John Torrey, or any other OF
the trustees, or the principal, B. b
Smith, would have told her an apocry
phal story about it?
1t is safe to say that there is not an
other person living so likely to know the
real history of the old Academy bell az
Mrs. Minor, and it is to that estimablt
lady's own lips that the writer of these
articles was indebted for the information
which has elected the Herald's hyper
critical comments.
But Mr.. Stocker insists that the bel
was too fresh from the foundry when i
came here to have done duty elsewhere
and again invokes his Church History a
proof that he is right But the bool
asserts that the bell was cast in 1888 anC
brought here in 1884. Surely year o
two afforded ample time for the steam
boat people to find out that part o
their outfit was too large or too small
or otherwise unsuited to their purpose
and to discard it, or transfer it to othe
. hands.
1t is of course delicate matter t.
question the accuracy of an author VIII
appeals to his own statement as proof
of the reliability of his assertions, bu
on one point the "History of the Homes
dale Presbyterian Church" is not cite
as an authority, and we may with pre-
priety turn to other sources OF informa
ton for facts. Mr.. Stocker, to show tn
. absurdity OF the idea that the Academ
r bell could ever have been used on
{ steamboat says; GAS applying steal
= to boats was in its infancy in 1888
l something of that kind (the alleged tra
dition) might have impressed itself upo
the pioneers of Ilonesdah."
= II MI, ClOCktI Will w us tllc luNOI |
call at THE CITIZEN sancmm, we wi
;, be pleased to show him copy of Pou
9 sons American and Daily Advertise
i printed in Philadelphia on Frday morl
II ing, July %, 1913, containing pictul
of fine sidewheel steamboat, wit
dense smoke issuing from its funne
N and underneath it, the following adve
l. tisement
v "The Accommodating Steamboi
Il Twins will commence running June 2
e 1913, from William Poole's wharf, uppt
n Market street Ferry across the Delawal
a to James Springers Kerry. The boi
! being conveniently constructed and a
: lowed by judges TO be tho. best adaptc
for the convenience of Passengers al
Carriages of any hitherto constructc
!. for crossing the Delaware, Gentlemt
e and Ladies can be accommodated
q the most agreeable manner, without b
a ing exposed to the Inconvenience hit
n erto SO disagreeable.
WILLIAM POOLE,
JAMES SPRINGER.