Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-26
The Journeyings Of
the Liberty Bell
BY Jane A. Stewart.

| ~ SNUS ~ 0S0"asS
Our Liberty bell Is great traveller.
For an aged and supposedly decrepit
body 1t has good deal of travelling
to do. In fact, no other revered and
valued relic in all the world has ever
had such peregrinations.
No one in England would seriously
think Of taking the throne Of scone
(or the coronation chair). the emblem
Of British unity and sovereignty, out
Of Westminster Abbey. and giving II
a trip around Great Britain for public
inspection. Tho British idea Is that
the people should 80 to the relic rath.
or than that the relic should journey
to the people.
Here It is different and every now
and then the good Liberty bell leaves
its safe and secure haven In Philahei
phia to go upon risky expeditions
hither and yop, because the people
clamor for it, send it such irresist.
IDLE invitations, and bring such pow.
erful and persuasive pressure to bear
upon it's conscientious custodian, the
city Of Philadelphia, that there can
be no refusal.
| Hazardous and full Of excitement az
some of the Liberty BELLS journeys
have been, none on the list has ex'
ceeded in peril the very first journey
which it ever took as our Liberty bell
1t was in TIT, 1t will be remember.
ed, that the British under General
Howe were coming to occupy Philadel.
phia. and the American army was
forced to evacuate. Knowing that the
British would like nothing better than
| to get hold of this and other rebel.
lious bells, party Of American sol.
diers took it from its place In indie.
pendence hall (the state house, tower
. and placed it upon cart with the
seven chimes of Christ church and
the two bells of st. Peters. The Lib.
erty bell had rough ride to Allen
town, guarded day and night by its
: faithful escort of two hundred North
Carolina and Virginia soldiers. The
cart broke down on the way under
the Liberty bells weight of two thou.
sand pounds, and the precious bell
had narrow escape from accident.
, Another stronger cart was procured,
, however. and it was safely deposited
in Zion church, Allentown, where it
rested, safe from capture and possible
! conversion into British bullets, from
September, 1777, until June, 1778,
when it was joyously returned to In.
dependence hall in time to ring Tor
t victory at the surrender of CORVALLIS.
The second journey of the Liberty
bell appears to have been not peri.
! lous one. It was very different trip
> from that of the first days of the
! young republic, when the people were
+ striving for freedom as nation. Over
century had passed, and now the
bitterness not only of revolutionary
days but also of civil warfare had
died away Then the nation realized
as never before the sacredness and
usefulness of the Liberty bell The
pressing invitation of the Cotton
States exposition managers at New
: Orleans was accepted and the Liber-
; ty bell made a memorable and s1gni-
fcant trip.
AS it Travelled toward New Orleans
in January, 1885, Jefferson Davis, the
leader of the southern confederacy,
came from sick-bed to look upon it.
He boarded the train at point west
Of Mobile, Ala, with his little grand
daughter whom he lifted up in his
arms that she might kiss the bell.
, Bending his uncovered head and bow.
ing over it, he said:
81 believe the time has come when
reason should be substituted for pas
sion, and when we should be able to
do Justice to each other Glorious old
bell the son Of revolutionary soldier
. bows in reverance before you.'
Such were the precautions taken
, for the care of the Liberty bell at that
exposition that it was never removed
from the handsome fiat car on which
It made the trip to and from New Or
9 leans on it's errand of inspiration.
All the great expositions have re-
: ioiced in the wonderful presence OF
. the Liberty bell. To Chicago in 1892
.. and later to Atlanta, Charleston and
> st. Louis the old bell has cheerfuliy
: and triumphantly journeyed, greeted
= everywhere in a manner betting Z
= historic and significant relic by tn>
L patriotic and appreciative people
= AT Charleston" wrote an eye-wit
ness. 81 saw some of the people bend
= lover it's edges in their eagerness tc
a kiss it. and many seemed to feel as II
q it's presence was sacred, as votaries
do at the altar of their church. There
, could be no possible mistake that the
bell symbolized feeling that was in
the very fibre of their being.
}. Everywhere 1t was acclaimed by
multitudes, with patriotic ceremonies
U greetings, holidays, flower wreaths and
choruses of young and old.
In 1908 the Liberty bell re-enacted
it's own first journey, being swung or
q a rude cart to travel in imagination
again to its haven in Allentown as
: part of the great Philadelphia historic
: al pageant, patriotic object lessor
for the thousands who saw 1t.
{. The longest journey which it has
Ie been called upon to take is that o.
q, 1915. In response to the insistent pc
II tition of the people of the Pacific
1t coast, the Liberty bell travels si1
d thousand miles to and from Philadel