Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21
HHTY YEARS At The CHIMES
Trinity's Old Ringer, Albert Meisl-
han, Gives Interesting Talk
TALES FROM CHURCH sTEEPLE
Ola sexton Retires After Having
Long Helped New York 10 CeIe-
brnte and 20 Mourn
Changes in City.
TALES FROM CHURCH sTEEPLE

patriotic songs as well as hymns Of praise.
New York was happy that day"
And when the news OF Lincoln's death
came-did you help to ring the chimes
hat day?'
1--WE id not play Ttinlty's chimes that
day. We only tolled. l helped toll. New
York was sad that day"
The reporter was talking with Albert
Meislhan, for thirty years official ringer Of
the chimes Of Trinity and for many years
before his official work there began an
enthusiastic unpaid helper. Mr.. Meislhan,
stlll a sturdy specimen Of a New York boy,
although he admits being somewhere be-
tween IS and 20 years young. retired from
his work I'm Trinity's belfry on the first
Of last June-he had retired from all other
work several years beforehand now in
dulges the expensive delights Of an anna
teur farmer on his pretty nve-acre place
near Madison, N. j. He can afford the
luxury because he made himself a COM
Portable fortune, and Inherited another.
THE two earliest sounds I remember
the old chlme ringer said one day re-
Gently, sitting on the veranda Of his farm
house after satisfactorily selling a load Of
fodder to a dairyman, are my mothers
voice and the chimes OF Trinity. / could
not well help hearing those chimes.
Il was born In a house which stood
where Trinity school now stands. at the
corner Of Trinity place and Thames street.
The morning sun moved the shadow Of
Trinity steeple across the window Of my
bedroom and the sound Of the chimes
Sunday mornings and afternoons, saints
days, holidays and celebration days came
In at my bedroom window, and got to
love the music.
Prosperous, but Not Rich.
My father was not a rich man, even
as riches we're counted then. but he was
a prosperous mana grocer-and besides
the schooling l got in the public school
In Washington street. a little below where
we lived, l also received lessons i'm music.
! guess l didn't play hockey from those
music lessons because had a notion that
they would help me become chimer Of
Trinity, and to become that / made up
my mind, / guess, about as soon as I had
a mind to make up.
We'll, one day / thought it was time for
me to make my first try to prepare my
self for that job. So | went over to the
church when / knew Mr.. Aeyliffe was IN
the belfry-and | know him, of course, for
he was the greatest man in New York to
me-and / climbed the eighty-eight steps
up to the belfry and said to the ringer that
] wanted to learn how to ring the chimes.
An right, Al, my boy said he. Now
III number this piece of music and num-
Der the levers, and I'll show you how
so, proud Of my learning. / said | could
read notes and didn't need the numbers.
That pleased him. A chime ringer hear
ing another ringing can tell whether he is
ringing by numbers or by note. There is
accent and phrasing in ringing chimes as
well as playing a plano, and the ringer who
can read notes plays better, OF course, than
the one who plays by numbers.
81 was only a schoolboy at the time. but
] soon got to know the chimes well enough
to help Mr.. Aeyliffe, and did help him
when he had a strong program to play. He
was a fine musician. He was a first violin
In the orchestra which accompanied Jenny
Lind the first time she sang in what was
then Castle Garden theater. It's the
Aquarium now. He was in Barnum's or
chestra, and It was Barnum who brought
Jenny Lind here,
The first celebration for which I can re-
member helping Mr., Aeyliffe to play the
chimes was when the prince Of Wales
he's now king of England-visited New
York. I think you'l find that was in
about 1870. All the great folks OF New
York were interested In that. There was a
holiday parade for the prince. II | remem-
Der. Anyway, it was right that Trinity
should ring chimes for him because that
church, another building. though, was
0nce called the English church.
The Death Of Lincoln.
Then there was the fall Of Richmond
and the death Of Lincoln we were speak
ing OF. Those times were long before I
was official ringer, but had got to know
A.. .lF.-- .-.rn -L. ~. - AZ -.
life would let me help.
lie died in 1879, but I did not apply to
the vestry for his job. He had a nephew
he had told me he hoped would follow
him, so / did not apply. The nephew got
the office, but the poor fellow died only
q month or so after that. When he was
buried / went TO Or. DiN-he was only a
vicar or curate then. not rector-and said
! would like TO apply to become ringer.
"'Well, Albert said he. you are rot so
spry about applying as some others, We
had applications before that poor follow
was underground
II don't know what Dr. Dix said to the
Vestry, but ! was appointed. | applied on
a Friday In August and was appointed on
the 18th. Two unlucky days eh2 Wen,
for thirty years ] never missed a minute
Of my work in the belfry,
4 was a NlNlh Ut ANN hNI mana lltllCAn
bank, and could get off for my duties as
q ringer and make up my work afterward.
But the ringer must ring on time. Three
times on Sunday II soon became, on saints
days and for marriages funerals and cele-
b%rations.
II got rather stout as you see, and my
heart bothered me at times. but / never
missed the climb up the belfry stairs once
IN thirty years. I loved the work, l.
wanted to resign last April, hut the ves-
try said II was announcement to make a
change then, so ] said | would keep on
two months more, although l had to get
up here at 8 I'm the morning to be at the
church for sunday morning service.
There was "A lot to make a man think
EEp there in the belfry above Broadway
Wall street You might not suppose
SO. but some things were funny, and III
tell you one Of these while lbs Ia my mind.
although It is not in order Of what 1 did
In an those years.
First Big Crash.
In The panic Of 1907 It happened that
the first big crash on the Exchange came
on a saints day, I'd been out Of business
for years then and was not taking much
notice OF things in the street. / made up