Putnam patriot., 1922-08-18
Ralph Dunbar's Bell 6 Ringers

HE AANAA'HA AsA n hAAE HHHAa-AAA al feature has ever been presented to the American public which has won greater favor or obtained a wider following than that of musical bell ringing The art was brought to America first .n the fartIes by the late ?. T Barnum. While touring England, he heard group 9f a dozen church bell-rlngers praetIe- ing upon hand bells, and he con- ceived the idea of using larger peal Of bells and playing more elaborate music. These bells were made in England, as the worlds best bells always have been, but n conformity with his unfailing orig inality as an advertiser, he dressed the players. both men and women, In the costumes of Swiss peasants. and called the company The Swiss Bel Ringers" For many years this company toured the United States in wagons before railroads were at all general The art at that time was so successful that cur grandfathers recall most yiyid- ly the visit of the Swiss Bell Ring CTS to their native towns.
 lt seems that thereafter the art fell into disuse, and it was not really perfected or revived n any worthy way until 1898, when Ralph Dunbar and his brother founded the famous Dunbar Bell Ringers at St Joseph. Mo These brothers went to Europe, and, seeing the really artistic possibilities. they went to England and had made under their personal supervision a peal of 200 bells. which are an- douhtediy the most complete aud most perfect set of bells which were ever east. These bells were made under their own personal supervision by the same bell found CTS that cast the great bells of Westminster Abbey and St Pauls Cathedral ia London. as wei. as practically ali of the well-known church bells of the world The peal embraces more than five actaees ehromatic. and through the middle register there are as many as SIX bells of the same note The vogue If the Dunbar Bell Ringers IS the most notable of any similar com pany which has appeared on the American concert platform They gave more than 2S0o concerts ID to 1912. when both Harry and Ralph Dunbar resigned their places In the quartet to others. The com pauy up c. then had travelled 4a0.- GOO miles m America and Europe The Dunbar brothers have collected hundreds of pages of newspaper material published regarding their tours, but the patrons of this hautauuua system are sufficiently familiar with this widely known concert company Co recall the mar vicious musical effects which this quartet of players obtains from this splendid peal of bells
 l. may ne interesting to know that the Iargesg If these bells weighs twenty-five pounds and measures sixteen inches n aiame- ter The size ot those proceedng upward in the scale. d.mins shing registers are reached In select sNE AAt EEftftN.EN que Ats .-iHn is pald ta the selection asc which s really aprranrlas far bells. Thtrc E nom 1f tx waat has though, of tht ro~- uaee which bells play aUr Aeas.l -e- tlVlt3es 8ge to h ass with so many epovh-mareng events n aar .Ees hsps ao aa- trihusor ta uar .erat4=e ms s5 Eiv3dlg bHs3t sat fis 4Hal use of 0els as has E6Ear Aaen Pee in his poem eatEea The Bells
 The feature which eharast sr.ses tbe proErams of the Danhar Guar let Is the absolute blending of their progfams ulo the complete whole There Is a consistency in these pro- grams winch have distinguished them among all Chaggauqaa af- fractions If the Inst double decade. No feature will be rem euaered longer than the beautiful chimes and harmonies which are intro-