The Elbert County tribune., 1914-07-03


the most famous edihce in America They may
not know that 1t begun in 1929 and finished
in 1874, and that in those days the plan of it
was considered palatially ambitious that it's
building bitterly opposed by those who. like
John Gilpin's wife. of a frugal mind. The
cost was $16.250 and the wings that added
five years afterward brought the total amount to
$2S,000. Doubtless there many who dubious
ly shook their heads at the extravaganza. What
would they have thought of a city hall occupying
several acres and costing s24000.000?
Although in the Immediately pre-Revolutionary
days the purpose to which Independence hall
was tit 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 a FEAST in 1856 the as
sAmbly gave Governor Denny most pretentious
banquet; and again. in 1857 Lord Loudon
manderin-chief OF his majesty's forces in Amer
ica lavishly entertained. and the unlimited
grumbled at the outlay
When the first congress met in Philadelphia,
in 1774 there 'sumptuous collation." in
the State house, attended by 500 persons and
they drank their toasts cannon were fired,
happened in the of Hamlets unamiable
father. The hall that the 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 1t vas hospital
1t was in this building that Washington de-
livered his memorable farewell address, Lafay
ette was the guest of honor here at a reception
In 1924: and here the bodies of John Adams and
Abraham Lincoln lay in state
Thus 1t will be that the social and historic
associations of the edihce innumerable. leav-
ing out OF the reckoning wnat happened there on
the Fourth of July. 1776.
The signers OF the Declaration came near not
having bell to announce their epoch-makng
resolution to the world. AS scon the building
was 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 expend-
ture useless" After several years OF more
or less acrimonious debate 1t decided to have
a bell; dnd 1t was then discovered that there
not foundry in the colonies capable of fashion
ing It, the repressive policy of parliament hav-
ing wel-nigh destroyed manufacturing enterprise
in the new world So the colonists had to send
to London for a bell. giving specific directions
as to the dimensons-the weight 2030
pounds
When at last It arrived in 1852 It was more
than nine days wonder the Pennsylvania farm
ers focked to the wharf from far inland to
claim its arrival II proved all that any reason
able mortal could want in the way of tintinnab-
ulum Its tones were far-carrying and sweet
ly musical. and all trueborn Philadelphians lin
cluding those who had opposed the expense)
proud of IT, Alas, as II was being trans
ported with festal 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 mortally injured. 1t had to be recast
and Isaac Norris who superintended the opera
tion announced with pride that the result was
"a good bell. which peases much that we
should first venture upon and succeed in the
greatest bell, for aught know. in English Amer
a-surpassng, 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
o he
general assembly gave instructions to its dele