Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-07-17
Marjorie Bates Saw the
Liberty Bell on Its
Journey West

Dear Juniors:
The Liberty Bell was made in an
English foundry in London, 1852.
certain Robert Charles ordered the
bell to be made for some friends of his
across the sea and the inscription upon
the surface of the bell was as follows:
by order Of the assembly of the prov
fences of Pennsylvania for the State
House in the City of Philadelphia,
1882"
proclaim liberty throughout all the
land unto all the inhabitents thereof
The bell was shipped to Philadelphia
on Captain Budden's ship Myrtilla.
The first man to view the bell on the
shore in America was Isaac Norris and
some other men of the committee who
were to secure bell for the state
house. They were well pleased with the
bell. 1t was then moved to the state
house and placed upon place provided
for 1t.
Time came when the bell should give
forth it's first peal but alas, instead or
a pretty ringing sound it gave forth
dismal tone 1t was then the first crack
was found in the bell, 1853, and it was
then decided to send it back to England
bit as Captain Budden had no room for
it on his ship it was kept here and was
| remeted and tested twice in the city OF
Philadelphia.
The two men who worked upon II
| were Pass and Snow and their names
are engraved upon it.
Another bell was sent to America
from England to see If 1T was any pet
| ter, but after being tried it gave no
| better sound than the Liberty Bell, so
! the first one was kept.
| The bell was first rung on August 81,
! 1853 to summon the Pennsylvania as
sembly, and members of that body to-
gether to talk about the affairs of the
province After that the bell was rung
on other occasions, such as calling to-
gether congregations to worship. an
nouncing the arrivals or the departure
| Of notables and the accessions of kings
and thus it rang for more than eighty
years.
Then the bell rang out to assemble
the continental congess to it's daily ses-
sions. This Is when our great trouble
with England began.
! The bell was rung and brought to-
! gether over 5000 men who all agreed
| to fight for liberty. 1t was then that
George washington was appointed
commander in chief Of the army.
Then dark days came and grief was
DER the land. but soon liberty was pro-
claimed for on July 8, 1875. not July 4
as is so often stated. the Liberty Bell
gave forth treat peals for liberty was
won. ..s... .
1t was Richard Henry Lee who read
the Declaration of Independence on
June 7. 1875.
The bell tolled forth one by one the
deaths Of George Washington, Benja-
min Franklin and other gerat men to
whom we owe our history.
On July 4, 1926, just fifty years after
the Declaration Of independence was
adopted Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams died and then the bell tolled
forth the sad news.
On July 8, 1885 which would be fifty
nine years after the Declaration Of In
dependence was signed John Marshall
died He was chief justice of the ma
ton and friend of George Washing
ton.
AS the bell tolled forth this sad news
! a terrible sound came from 1t and there
appeared a crack in the bell and since
then the Liberty Bell has not rung.
The bell has made many trips across
|
during the revolution. 1t was taken to
Allentown and placed in the Zion
church from September 1777 until June
1878. and then back to the state house
The next trip was to New Orleans IN
1885, Chicago in 1893. Buffalo in 1901
Charleston in 1902, Boston In 1903 and
st. Louis in 1904.
The trip the bell is now taking Will
make it the eighth trip which is to the
Panama Pacific exposition.
| saw the bell here at Des MONIES
July 7. 1t was beautifully decorated in
wreaths and was mounted on a large
steel car and was guarded by four men
! Of Pennsylvania. Bands played and
twenty-one guns were fired as salute
| Some people would hand one Of the
guards a piece Of money and he would
touch the bell with the coin and hand
it back. That person could then say
| that he had a coin that had touched the
I Liberty bell
Some one handed a BABY up to touch
the bell and how the crowd cheered |,
was great sight. l shall always re-
member 1t.
The crack in the bell is very large
and it is thought that it can't make
any more trips for it is in danger OF
falling in two. It's bell is about two
inches trick. ..
Marjorie Bates age 10,
| S12 Pleasant ST, Des Moines, Ia.
Dear Editor:
7 used 10 live in Ottumwa I have
seen the Liberty Bell. / read BOOB
about it and st-dicd 1t ard l have writ
ten the sketch I am sending you. my
self.
have worked very hard on this
story since July Sth and would bs
pleased to see it in print.
Marjory Bates.