The Cairo bulletin., 1909-07-27
BELLS NEVER SILENT
TONGUES OF GONGS CONSTANT.
LY GOING IN MEXICO.
Army Of Men Employed in the Work
and the Profession Is Consid.
cred One of the Most
Honorable.

1t takes a great army of men to
keen the church bells going in Mexico.
1t is estimated that in Mexico City
alone there are more than 1000 bell
ringers regularly employed. On days
of religious celebration the number Is
augmented, as the ringing of the bells
must be kept through the day and
night almost constantly on such occa-
siOns.
The most striking feature of Next
can life to the casual visitor 10 Mex
leo is the noise of the church bells.
Every little hamlet and many of the
ranches in the country have one or
more Catholic churches. and each edi-
fee is equipped with one or more bell
towers The great cathedral which
stands near the national palace In
Mexico City has 6 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 ever five
minutes. Most of the churches in this
city toll the quarter, half and full
hours.
The profession of bell ringing is
looked upon by the lower classes as
being honorable and distinguished and
bellringers are reverenced as being an
adjunct to the clergy The bellring-
ers themselves are usually very proud
of their vocation. In many cases this
position 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 tho
bellrlngers and their families. Here,
far above the noise Of the traffic of the
streets below, the faithful toilers of
the bells live peaceful life seeming
ly 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 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 bellringer in one OF the
cathedral towers.
1T is not the noise OF the bells that
mind" she replied 81 hear their
ringing without knowing 1t; but 1t is
the changing of the streetcar gongs
in the street below that disturbs my
slumbers."
All OF the churchbell 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 limo
walton
and night shifts. They are required
TO toll the hours with precision. II is
not necessary to carry watch in
Mexico unless one is travelling In the |
country, out of sound of the church |
bells. At any hour, day or night. a |
person can learn the tim~ by listening |
TO the tolling of the bells
Many of the bells which hang in |
the church towers of Mexico were |
brought from Spain in the early days
of Spanish rule. Some of them con |
tain large amounts of precious metals, |
which give to them a tone full OF rich.
ness and clear sounding, The bellring-
ers take great pride in their bells and |
much care and attention is given to
keeping them well Furnished and their
parts oiled and always in state of
good repair.