Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-06-25

the most famous ed1ce in America They may
not know that it begun in 1929 and finished
in 1874 and that in those days the plan of it
was considered so palatially ambitious that its
building bitterly opposed by those who, like
John Gipin's wife, were of a frugal mind. The
cost was $16,250 and the wings that were added
FIVE years afterward brought the total amount to
S28,000 Doubtless there were many who dubious
ly shook their heads at the extravaganza. What
would they have thought of a city hall occupying
several acres and costing $24, 600?
Although in the Immediately preRevolutionary
days the purpose to which Independence hall
put was serious enough, the long gallery
upstairs had often been the scene of "revelry
by night" before those times that tried mems
souls. In 1876 the mayor, William Allen invited
most of Philadelphia to feast; in 1856 the as
sembly gave Governor Denny most pretentious
banquet and again, In 1857, Lord Loudon. COM
manderin-chief of his majestys forces in Amer
ica was lavishIy entertained and the unlimited
grumbled at the outlay
When the first congress met in Philadelphia,
in 1774 there a "sumptuous collation. In
the State house. attended by 500 persons, and
as they drank their toasts cannon were fired, as
happened in the of Hamlet's unamiable
father The same hall that the scene of
these elaborate banquets became the prison of
the American officers captured in the battle of
Germantown and after the bloody field of Brandy
wine il a hospital.
1t was in this building that Washington de-
livered his memorable farewell address; Lafay-
cite was the guest of honor here at reception
in 1924; and here the bodies of John Adams and
Abraham Lincoln lay in state
Thus it will be seen that the social and historic
associations of the edifce innumerable, leav-
ing out Of the reckoning what happened there on
the Fourth of July. 1776.
The signers of the Declaration came near not
having a bell to announce their epoch-making
resolution to the world. AS soon as the building
completed, in 1874 it was planned to buy
bell commensurate with the dignity of the new
State house. Then the advocates of economy
or parsimOny-arose in their might and fought
the project tooth and nail, representing that the
great cost of the State house had imposed
heavy tax upon the citizens and further expendi-
ture was useless" After several years of
or less acrimonious debate it decided to have
bell: and it was then discovered that there was
not a foundry in the colonies capable of fashion
ing 1t. the repressive policy of parliament hav-
ing wellnigh destroyed manufacturing enterprise
in the world. So the colonists had to send
TO London for bell, giving specific directions
to the dimensions-the weight 1880
pounds.
When at last ii arrived in 1852. it was more
than a nine days wonder; the Pennsylvania farm
ers focked to the wharf from far inland to ac-
claim its arrival 1t proved all that any reason
able mortal could want in the way of a tintinnab-
ulum It's tones were far-carrying and sweet
II musical and all trueborn Philadelphians Tin
Guiding those who had opposed the expense)
were proud of it. Alas! it was being trans
ported with festaI ceremony from the waters
edge to the intended site in the belfry some ner-
vous weakling gave way beneath his corner Of
the ton of metal and the bell fell to the ground
and was mortalIy injured. 1t had to be recast,
and Isaac Norris who superintendent the opera
ton, announced with pride that the result was
"a good bell, which pleases me much that we
should first venture upon and succeed in the
greatest bell, for aught l know, in English Amer
ica-surpassing, too, the imported one, which was
too high and brittle
The great occasion in the life of the Liberty
Bell not due TO arrive until "a years after
ward It was on the 18th of May, 1776, that the
general assembly gave instructions to its dele