The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-09-10

most picturesque city on the Amerl-
can continent-"proud Charleston by
the Sea-"
The dominating influence in the city
through all the years is an historic
church, built in the architectural style
4 of Sir Christopher Wren, loved not
eonly by one denomination of Chris
'ftians, but revered by every Charles
ytonian, young and old, white and black
st. Michael's Church, whose mar
y velous white tower overlooks the city:
"Far over the lesser steeples,
u Tipped with a golden ball
That hangs like a radiant planet
Caught in it's earthly fall;
First glimpse of home to the sailor
That sails the harbor round;
And last slow-fading vision
Dear to the outward bound"
One of the most eloquent of Ameri-
cans once said: "Within the shadow
of st. Michael's. steeple there have
been more high thoughts cherished,
more brave deeds done, more suffer
ing heroically borne than in any like
area in the world"
From this steeple ring out ever and
anon the chime of its famous bells.
They have called the citizens to their
work and labor until the evening, and
then the curfew bell has summoned
them to their homes and rest; they
have sounded the alarm when fire has
ragged they have called to war and
tumult they have voiced the exulta-
ton of victory; they have been rung
by the forces of heaven when the
tower has rocked to and fro in storm
and hurricane. When they have rung
the city has lived, in prosperity some
times, in adversely often; when they
have been silent, the life of the city
has died.
All day long the bells tolled when
the Stamp Act was put in force in
Charleston, and a mob paraded the
street, and searched the house of Mr..
Henry Laurens, where it was sup.
posed that stamps were concealed.
But the mob took care not to trample
the flower beds, and on retiring said,
1"God bless you, Colonel, we hope your
Fsick lady will do well.' Even a
Charleston mob is polite. When the
British retired after the occupation of
the city they took the bells with them
t. England, and when after some
years they were restored again, the
delighted people rushed to the wharf,
unloaded them from the ship and
amid great rejoicing swung them in
the steeple. During the saddest days
of the Confederacy the bells were TAX
en- down and sent to Columbia for
safe keeping but when Shermans ar
my burnt the capital the bells were
\ broken and estroyed-symbol of the
hopes. and aims of the lost cause
which the people had so loved and fo,
which they had so suffered. The
fragments were gathered together,
and in 1866 were shipped to London,
where the successors of the original
firm which had cast them, recast
them, and in 1867 they were in place
again ringing out the song,
"Home again; home again
From a foreign Shore"
and the city took on hope to face the
future.
On the night of August 81, 1886, the
bells chimed for the third quarter af-
. ter nine, ringing out over a city OF
peace and prosperity; as the echo Of
the chimes died away the bells rang
out again, this time in jangling dis
cord; it was not the hand of the ringeG
but the rocking of the earth which
moved them, and in that moment al
most every home in the city had been
broken and shattered and the accu-
mutations of two centuries had been
destroyed. After that discordant
q, ,F h.,
during the next few days of desola-
tion and terror 1t was felt that their
silence added to the gloom of the peo-
pie, and at the risk of his life the
sexton of the church mounted the
tower and righted the bells and they
rang out again, filling the hearts Of
the inhabitants of the stricken city
with new hope and determination to
rebuild their homes and city.
Charleston had imposing social be-
ginnings, and soon developed interest
ing political life, and these two inter
ests have always been dear to her.
In June, 1866, Robert Sanford, Esq,
made a report to the Lords Proprie-
tors of the voyage which he had un-
dertaken for them on their coast Of
the Province of Carolina.
1t is an interesting and optimistic
report. Robert is pleased both with
those who had employed him and with
the result of his adventure.
at is not presumption, but duty"
he says, that presents this narrative
t. so illustrious, | had rather say a
constellation than a corporation" and
when the narrative is done all the
principal gentlemen who had been on
the voyage with him testify as fol-
lOwsa
"We do assure ourselves that a col
ony of English here planted with 4
moderate support in their infant ten
dency, would in a very short time i'm
prove themselves to perfect com
monwealth, enjoying a self-sufficiency
of all the principal necesssaries of
life, and abounding with a great va
riety of superfuity for the invitation
of foreign commerce and trade, and
which for its site and productions
would be of more advantage to our
native country, the Kingdom of Eng
land, and to the grandeur Of our SOW
ereign Lord the King, his crown and
0lpDity than apv NUp NAV say all his