Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-18

Allentown. illustrating and commence
rating its journey to that plaoe In the
dark and threatening year of 1777.
The journey to San Francisco Is the
longest that the bell has ever made. Y
will cover 10000 miles. and millions o
Americans will look on it. The be-
travels at the end of the train on a spe-
cial car. constructed for exhibition pur-.
poses. A baggage car. diner. three
sleepers and a special coach for enter
tanning guests on the way complete the
outfit. Its journey takes II through
the states of Pennsylvania. Ohio. In
diana. Illinois. Iowa. Missouri. Kansas.
Nebraska. Colorado, Wyoming, Utah,
Idaho. Washington. Oregon and Cali
fornia. The bell is illuminated at night
by electric lights installed on it's spe-
cial car, that in passing through cities.
towns and villages after dark the citi-
Zens may have a view of II.
.
Most Americans have read at some
time or other the history of this bell.
but many do not remember 1t. The
Pennsylvania assembly ordered a bell
for the Pennsylvania statehouse In
1851. The order went to England. be-
cause 1t was believed that no bell OF
the size wanted could be as well cast
in the colonies. Isaac Norris. Thomas
Leech and Edward Warner signed the
letter inclosing the commission, and
they besought their agent that thou
wilt procure and forward IL by the
first good opportunity, as our workmen
to hang the bell before our scaffolds
are struck from the building (the new
statehouse was in process of construc-
tion) where we intend to place 1t, which
will be done by the end OF next sum-
mer or beginning Of the fall Let the
bell be cast by the best workmen and
examined carefully before II is ship
ped"
The assembly also directed that the
bell founder should "shapen in large
letters on the bell' this inscription:
Proclaim liberty through all the
land to all the inhabitants thereof
There was probably no thought in the
minds of the assemblymen of national
independence from England when that
inscription was ordered for the bell
In due time the bell arrived from
England, but its tone was not salts
factory to the colonials' ears, and il
was turned over to two american
founders and bell casters named Pass>
Stow of Philadelphia to be melted
down and recast. They added An ounce
and a half Of copper to each pound OF
the original metal and cast a bell OF
their own design. Still the bell was
not considered satisfactory, and Pass
& Stow cast 1t again, the second time
with satisfactory results, and it was
swung in the statehouse steeple June.
1853.
1t soon after began its liberty ring
ing and tolling. 1t was rung in 1855
when the colonists assured the British
government that they would Judge
for ourselves and our constituents of
the utility and propriety of laws, and
you never will oblige us to make laws
by direction" It summoned the assem-
bly, of 1854 when Massachusetts, sent
word she opposed the stamp act. and
in 1853 it tolled to Philadelphia that no
stamps should be landed at their wharf.
In 1853 it twice called together citi-
zens for demonstrations of remon-
STRANGE with the mother country, and
in 1775 it rang the news of Lexington.
and on that ver-to-be-forgotten July
8. 1776. it rang out one of the greatest
messages the world has ever heard