Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-18
Silver Bells
of Old Mexico

TT TAKES a great army of men to
keep the church bells going In
- Mexico. 1t is estimated that in
the city alone there are more than
1000 bell ringers regularly employed.
On days of religious celebrations the
number is augmented, as the ringing
of the bells must be kept up almost
constantly through the day and night
for such occasions.
The most striking feature of Mexi-
can life to the casual visitor to Mexico
Is the noise of the church bells. Every
little hamlet and many of the ranches
in the country have one or more Cath
Ollie churches, and each edifice Is
equipped with one or more bell towers,
The great cathedral which stands near
the national palace in Mexico City has
sixteen of these towers.
In some towns the constant ringing
of the church bells is prohibited by
the local authorities, though their
sounding is permitted once or twice
every hour. Some churches toll the
quarter hours and others toll every
five minutes. Most of the churches
toll the quarter. half and full hours.
The profession of bell ringing is
looked upon by the lower classes as
bell ringers are reverenced as being
an adjunct to the clergy. The bell
ringers themselves are usually very
proud of their vocation. In many cases
this position in a church Is handed
down from father to son through gen.
Grafton after generation.
The towers OF the large cathedrals
are spacious and are frequently fitted
with rooms, which are occupied by
ha han F.fn
Here, far above the noise of the traffic
of the streets below, the faithful toll
ers of the bells live peaceful life,
seemingly unmindful of the crashing
noise which constantly resounds about
their very heads. They are away from
| the other noises of the city, but are
| in the midst of the bell ciangings,
| which go on all through the days and
nights.
How can you sleep with all this
noise about your" was recently asked
| the wife of bell ringer Is one of the
cathedral towers.
"It is not the noise of the bells that I
mind" she replied. "I hear their ring
| ing without knowing it; but it is the
changing OF the street car gongs in the
street below that disturbs my slum-
bers."
All of the church bell ringing in
| Mexico is done by hand, and as 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 matter OF
installing clockwork or electrical ma
chinery with which to operate the many
bells in the great cathedral in this city
has been considered from time to time
but the preponderance of sentiment OF
the church authorities has been against
the proposed innovation.
The bell ringers are divided into day
and night shifts. They are required to
toll the hours with precision. 1t is not
necessary to carry q watch in Mexico
unless one is travelling in the country
out OF sound of the church bells. At
any hour, day or night, person can
learn the time by listening to the toll
ing of the bells.
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
gives them a tone full of richness and
clear sounding. The bell ringers take
great pride. in their bells, and much
care and attention is given to keeping
them we'll FURNISHED and their parts
oiled and always in a state of good re-
lpair.-Philadelphia Record.