The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1916-10-18
CHURCH BELLS ARE
SCARCE IN GUTHRIE
LOCAL PASTOR TELLS HOW THEY
ORIGINATED; IN ANCIENT
TIMES DROVE SPIRITS AWAY


What has become OF the once pop
ular church bells asked an observing
member Of a Guthrie church the other
day Of the pastor Of the congregation.
81 well can remember when no
church was erected that did not have
its high steeple and within sweet
toned bell rang on every occasion to
summons the faithful, toll the death.
or alarm the people when danger was
near
And then he was enlightened on
the history the use and passing ol
this article which since the beginning
of time has been associated with the
gathering OF men for council and
worship
"The bells, as they have come down
to us, said the pastor, first origi-
mated among the first superslitions
worshipers OF the world TO them
there was no heaven, he'll nor God
It was spirit of good and evil, and
it was to rid their places Of worship
of this evil spirit that men were sent
out with their bamboo poles and
sticks, which they beat together to
frighten away the element that
worked against their interests.
cymbas Used.
Then there came the invention of
the metal cymbals. and the louder
noise of these instruments found
use in calling together the people for
the councils and meetings, but they
were used also TO keep the meeting
places free from the evil ones
but custom, as it dominated these
people. led them to use the cymbals
in their religious dances, probably to
not only drive the spirits away, but
10 keep them away when once routed
people led them to use the cymbals
was found to harmonle with the
chords OF the stringed instruments
and together they were used later III
the religious meetings. and on down
through the ages of man it became
custom to have the music preceding
the gatherings to clear the ground,
air and minds Of evil.
"a iourneyman metalworker found
that by bringing down the outer edges
of "A cymbal he would have a musical
instrument which would send its notes
a great deal further than by use OF
the cymbal. and thus clear a greater
space of evil spirits.
"Tho new invention was readily
seized upon and became fixture IN
buildings erected for worship A man
was stationed at the instrument to
beat upon it with a metal rod, and 1t
is probably here. and due to the lazi-
ness of one of the official bell tollers,
that the modern bell was ushered in.
Invented Bell Cord
'Ie no doubt found that by tying
a piece of thong TO the metal rod and
suspending it above the bell with an
other he could retain his place on his
couch or chair and attend to his
duties. The regularity or tempo OF
the striking was uncertain, however,
and it was found that by suspending
the bar. or clapper from within the
bell a better tone was resultant and
better time procured.
THUS the modern bell was given
to the church.
but the purpose OF driving evil
spirits away by use OF the bell had
passed with the passing Of the super +
stition Of the religious, and the archi-
tects of today are leaning further and
further away from this feature OF
church building as the years go by.
This pastor, who refused to have a
church bell put on the building in
which he delivers his sermons, pre-
diets that within another 20 years
there will hardly be a church in the
country with a bell for calling to-
gether the faithful