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PAGE TEN jBelis of Many Centuries - ---------------------- Yesterday, as I rode up Fifth came to hald a place of import- Avenue on a bus, I recalled an- ance and honor. other Christmas season of!se- Kîngs in England gave belis as eral years ago. Now the windows gifts to towns which had won their approval. Alfred the Great. were beautiful and alluring, with in the ninth century, ordered the tînsel and gifts and stars and col- beils of Oxford to be rung at ored globes. But that year there eight o'clock every evening as a could be heard a sound above the signal to cover the fires and thus city noises, the magical Sound of came about our word curfewç bells ringing out the old familiar (couvre-feu). England becameE carols and above the entrance to known as the "ringing isie." The one great store, swinging gently, Seedljng Bell called people to were the golden bells which made work. The Gleaning Bell. assur-t that sound. In the idwn ed that ail had an equal start inr merchandise was inydws,- the work. The Oven Bell was at stead, there weredisPlaed bels- sign that the Lord o! the Manori white ells us mre nble was ready for his tenants to start1 wite els uaideri.bu to bake bread. At the sound off That year, thousands of I etters the Market Bell, selling began. poured in congratulating the dec The Storm Bell warned those onE orators and pleading that the belîs the pin tha ut aintrm and appear again the following year. gni h onanlns The response was overwhelming in the great city. Not only was the bell part of the Christmasc pageant, but belîs have becomet over the centuries an integral Bells have been made of manyt Part of man's life. Many a list- materials. The first ones were ener was remembering thé sound often of wood. In New Hebrides, of other beils, the school bell, the the natives made themn fromn en- lighthouse bell, the merry sleigh- tire trunks of trees. In Italy, belîs ringing. out over the snow, belîs are often' made from dcayt the buoy bell riding the waves, and this type bas a pleasant tone. the tinny sound o! the scissors- Belîs have been made o! wood, grinder coming along the Street, horn, silver, copper, pewter, brass, the lazy sound of a cow-bell, the bronze, and even glass in addition tinkie o! a glass-bell moving in a to bell metal. They have been summer wind. made of many shapes, narrow, round, short. square, trumpet- shaped and in geomnetric shapes representing birds and animais; all these, in addition to the type Realizing how little 1 rcally o! bell which we see most often knew oi, belîs and their history, of which it can be said "the sound I got off the bus at the big New o! the bell and the shape o! the York Publie Library and spent bell are one." an afternoon pouring over the bell Animais have worn belîs for books assembled there. I dis- centuries, to keep them !from be- covered how ancient an instru- ing lost and strayed. In the Ori- ment the bell is: how it has been ent, pack-horses and camels are found in the ruins of Egypt, n furnished with -belis. The rein- Assyria, in Athens, in the Far deer in Norway wear belîs. Ino East and the Near East. Belîs Russia saddle-chimes are both were known in China over forty- useful and ornamental, as thcy six centuries ago. Greek soldiers warn other travellers on the carried thcm min their shields and snowy, narrow noads. It bas been on their horses' headgear, both as thought thatanimais have a pnide ornaments and as devices to in the bells they wear. Southey, frighten the enemy. More and writing o! the Alpine cattie, says: more, as time went on, the bell "They stalk forth proud and "It OnIy Happens'Once a Year" TO SECURE TICKETS EARLY FOR OSHAWA'S TOP NEW YEARFS EVE PARTY TICKETS NOW ON SALE! I BOX OFFICE I TICKETS $4.00 PER PERSON fDOORS OPEN'10 P.M. - DEC. 3lst DOORS CLOSED JAN. lst ? ? EUL pieased ta be wearing their be'ils." The Swiss keep their cow-bells in families for generations and take pnide in making themn attractive as ta style and tone. Our own New Mexico Indians sometimes make sheep-beils o! borns o! the Rocky Mountain Sheep, the unique clapper being a stone tied inside the horn. The first belîs wene made o! pieces o! metal, four-sided in shape and riveted together, and so they were not large. But, when someone thought o! melting metal and molding it into shape as the Chînese bad aIready donc cen- tunies ago, it became possible to make finer and bigger beils. The beil-founders took pride in mak- ing beautiful decorations for thein belîs and in writing inscriptions for ail- to see. Belîs have had a great influ- ence on the architectur e o! the world. The most famous towers we bave were built to bouse them. The first belîs had no towers and were hung from tree branches and sometimes from frames. Some time at the end o! the four- teenth and begînning M~ the f if- teenth century, bell-foundens o! Belgîumn and the Nctherlands be- gan to tune their belîs to musical scales and so began carillon play- ing. In many cities. chunch and town hall towers wene maintain- cd at the people's expense to play folk-songs and national anthems as well as bymns. Longfellow bas made immortal the belîs o! Bru- ges in the lines: As the evening shades descend- cd, Low and loud and swectly blendcd, Low at times and loud at times. And changing like a poet's rhymcs, Rang the beautiful wild chimes From the Bclfry in the market O! the ancient town o! Bruges. Pcnhaps we have gone too fan from those days whcn mcn were dloser to the music of -belîs. Per- haps they have become in part 4'a voice of the Past, O! an age that is fading fast-" But the bell àti Il holds man's imagination and love, as witncss its use in both prose and poctry even today. In "A Bell for Ad- ano," a well-known war novel by John Hcrsey, the action o! the play centres about the gift of a bell to a small town in Italy. Books on belîs and their history are increasingly populan. AIl this was in my mind as I left the librany and came out into the deep blue o! winter twilight, which bad begun to filter down bctween the great buildings. Somewhere above the city noises a bell called the hour. The first stars began to show. 1 thought, as 1 turned home, o! the beauti- ful lines wnitten by Alice Mey- neil; proof again how we are still followers o! the bell: Brie!, on a flying night, From the shaken tower A flock o! bclls takgs flight And go with the hour. Like birds !nom the cote to the gales Abrupt! O0 Harke A fleet o! belîs set sails And go with the dark. -Sara Van Alystyne Allen, in The Christian Science Monitor. OBITUARIES JOHN W. OSBORNE Less than four months a!ter marking bis lOth binthday, John William Osborne, Nonfolk's old- est citizen, died Dcc. 13 at bis home, No. 3 Highway, east o! Sifcoe, following a brie! illneýs. Born on the same !arm, Lot 7, Concession 14, Townscnd Town- ship, whcne he died, Mn. Os- bonne was a son o! the late Wand Osborne aod Margaret Adeline McInally, beîng one o! their ten childnen. He fanmed all his life, rctining in 1935. Mn. Osborne was a member o! Mt. Zion United Chunch. He had enjoyed good health until neccntly and last August 27th was much hononed on the occasion o! his lOth birth- day. His wife, the former Mary N. Graham, whom he mannicd at Hullsville, near Springvale, pre- deceased him in 1932. Sunviving are two sons, John Barclay Os- borne o! St. Catharines and Ev- erett L. Osbonne o! Bowman- ville: and five daughters, Mns. William Evans (Allie) o! Waten- fond: Mns. R. H. Masecan (Lizzic) o! Hamilton; Mns. Loretta Kitch- en and Misses Ethel and Mar- garet Osborne at home. Another son, Isaac William, passed away in 1931. Also surviving is one sisten, Mns. Emma Watson, Sim- coe. Funeral service was held on Saturday. Rev. N. J. Truax o! Mt. Zion United Church and Rev. H. A. Bagnaîl o! Hagersville, for- menlv of Mt. Zion. o!!iciatcd. ri- terment was in Greenwood Ceme- tery, Watcrfond. THOS, G. BAKER Tbos. G. Baker, a former prin- cipal o! Bowmanville Pubiic Sehool shortly aftcr the turnofo tic century who succecded the late R. D. Davidsoi., died Dec. 16 in Toronto, agcd 84 ,ycars. He was a prominent chiunch Iay wonken and ag-ent with the Do- minion Li!e Assurance Co. for 25 Yeans. and died at Bethcsda Hospital, Lansing. Interment was at Westminster Memiorial Park. The former Woodstock resident had been rctined for 12 yeans. Resident for some years o! the Oakwood district, he was a chan- ter member and past president o! the 60 Club. For manv years he was supeintendent o! the Sun- day Sehool and a member o! the official board o! St. Clair Avenue United Church. I n ecent yeans.1 he was a memben. and former el- der, o! Eglinton United Church. A keen bowier until a year ago., THE CANAIAN STATESMAN, BOWMANVTLLE. ONTARIO be belonged to the Lawrence Park Bowling Club. He was a director o! McAinsh and Co. Ltd. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Edson Jones, Hamilton; tbree sons. Vernon E., Toronto; Arthur L., Bridgeport, Conn., and George Herbert Baker, Los Angeles, Calif.. and one sister, Mrs. Elean- or Dempsey, who resided in bis home. ROBERT HAMILTON The death occurred in Mili- brook on Dec. il o! Robert John Hamilton. o! Blaclcstock. Mr. Hamilton, who was in his 82nd year, had been in poor bealtb for some time, althougb bis final iii- ness was short. He was born in Cartwright Township, the son o! Frank Ham- ilton and the former Jane Swain. His mother was the daughter o! early settlers in Cavan Township. Mn. Hamilton had been living in Millbrok for about six months. Ail the rest o! bis life had been spent in Cartwright Township. Mr. Hamilton had been married twice, the first time to Sarah Mc- Bnien and the second ta Lottie McBnien, who survives. Surviv- ing sons and daughters include: Frederick, Mrs. Wm. Taylor (An- nie), John and Cecii, ail o! Black- stock, and Percy, Principal o! Millbrook #Public School. Mn. Hamilton who was a retir- cd farmer, received bis education in Blackstock. He was a mcm- ber o! St. John's Anglican Church in Blackstock, where he held the position o! Warden. He was a member also of the Loyal Orange Lodge, and o! the Royal Black Preceptory. Blackstock. Six Onangenien acted as paîl- bearers at the funenal which took place Dec. 14 at St. John's Ang- lican Church, Blackstock. witn Rcv. Nicholson officiating. Inter- ment was in St. John's Cemctery, Blackstock. The shimmen ing effeet of in- tensely-heated air near the ground, seen on a clean summer day, is termcd optical haze. The tempenatune of the bu- man body was fonmerly used as the base point for thermometers. It is only 18 miles across the English Chanel from Doyen, Eng- land to Calais, France. Ouija boards get thein name fnom a combination of the French and German words for "yes." 1 TIMtRSDAY. DECEMBER 21, l95e When the WarkerSAE Thinks for HIM'selfSA M December meeting of the Wam- (By Joseph Lister Rutledge) en's Association was held at Mrs. Leslie V»lsh's an Dec. 14th with The leaders of labor have aI- 22 ladies present. Mrs. Barrie ways contended that an open bal- opened the meeting with a hymn lot on ail matters pertaining i0 followed by the Lord's Prayer. the union and its activities is thi, Mrs, McClure had charge o! the best to assure that the real voice following program. Mrs. Mc- a! the majority will be heard and Clure opened the devotional part adopted. with a hymn; Mrs. Cann gave We would not argue even f or the Scripture lesson; Mrs. Ever- a moment, against this real voice ton White favoured with a de- -if it is real. We believe aîs ligthful vocal solo. Mrs. McClure firmly as the most ardent advo- led in prayer, Mrs. Hall gave a cate of organized labor's prerog- Christmas reading, "Bethlehem is ative that where a majority Not So Far Away." Mrs. Roland speaks its own mmnd, that opinion Shackleton and Mrs. Ken Shackle- should prevail. But. we knoxv, ton sangz a lovely duet, followed and we do flot believe that any- by a reading by Mrs. Cator "When one wouid argue the contrary, Pop Played Sandy Claus." Mrs. that the real progress in human McClure thanked ail for helping. freedomn did not begin with the Rev, Lute conducted the election ballot that could be influenced of officers for 1951 after which by outside pressures-the fear Mrs. Barrie closed the meeting o! reprisai, of politicai and social with the Mizpah Benediction. ostracism, and the human sensi- Mrs. McClure had a Christmas tiveness to the charge o! ciass dis- verse contest after which ber loyalty. It was not until the group served lunch. ballot became secret that it be- Officers for 1951 are: President, came. the free expression o! a Mrs. Werry; Asst. Pres., Mrs. But- free man's thinking. tery; Sec'y, Mrs. Blackburn; Asst. Recently this case was tried Secrctary, Mrs. Hall; Treasurer, inpublic in the United States. Mrs. Welsb; Group Leaders, Mrs. O!ficially labor was pledged '0 G. Sbackleton, Mrs. Collacott, the Democratie interests. It had Mrs. Richards, Mrs. McClure; still more publicly denounced the Flowen Com., Mrs. H. Barrie, Taft-Hartley Act as a "slave lab- Mrs. Craig; Pianîst, Mrs. K. or law" and had solemnly warned Shackleton; Asst, Pianist, Mrs. G. Robert A. Ta!ft of Labor's inten- Barrie-, Auditors for Treasurer's tion to return him to private lif-3 book, Mns. Cann, Mrs. Coombes. where bis own supposedly anti- labor sympathies would be mini- pectcd to be a decisive factor. Perhaps it was, though not in the Mr. A. Herring visited Mr. and way it was anticipated. Labor Mrs C. Avery on Saturday. used evcry v eapon in its arsenal. 1Home and Sehool Club met at It whipped up enthusiasm and1 the school on Tuesday evening, antagonisms. It set its membens Dec. 12 with approximately 18 to actively campaigning, and niembers presenit. After the spent large sums of money. business pcniod the evening was The rcsult was that its favoriteý then turned over to Mrs. Pieker- party suffercd a serlous sct-back. ing who led the group in a new Its strongest advocatc in the Sen- game o! cards, Military Whist. ate, the Chairman of the Senate Mrs. J. Curson, Miss Jean Per- Labon Committee, suffered un- rin Mr. Bert Clarke and Mr. J. expected defeat. And Robert A. Ourson wene the lucky winners. Taft, the target of Labor's most Misses Beryl Riechnath, Maureen dramatie opposition, wa3 returo- Mcllroy, Lynne Stephenson, and cd with a rcsounding majority O!, Master James Curson won the about 400,000. consolation pnizes. Lunch was Safe behind a secret ballot and aten servcd and meeting adjourn- relieved from the fear of retribu- cd. tion, the worker made his own de-.________________ cisions. Perhaps ahl thewo- ers mîght consider the signifj-: that the thinking o! the worker cance of this happening and ask 1 himsclf does not always agrec. themsclvcs who benefits fromn an How is the worker to make this open ballot, and who from the known when balloting is not secret? The evidence stiggests closcd? Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Hillier left on Sunday for Dundas for the winter. 1A few o! the cbildren in this district attended the Santa Claus Parade in Bowmanviile. Mrs. Gea. Honey is in Fenelon Falls where ber daughter, Mrs. Clarence Simms underwent an emergency operation for appen- dicitis. A goose "shoot" was held at Rainbow Cabins on 'Saturday. Word bas been received that Mr. and Mrs. Eanle Booth, form- erly o! this district, have sold their store in Toronto and are living in Stou!fville. The Christmas Concert was held at the school on Wednesday evening., Furtber particulars will foliow in next week's paper. To the readers o! this column, the editor and staff o! The Can- adian Statesman, we would like to extend ta one and ail, a very Merry Christmas. __ Bl la m t Both the sea horse and the echameleon can move one eyo withaut maving the other, and they can move both eyes iri the opposite direction. Stafford Bros. Monumental Works Phone Whitby 552 318 Dundas St. E.. WhItbr FINE QIJALITY MWONUMENTS AND MARKERS Precise workmanship and' carefu] attention ta detail are your assurance when vou choose fram the wide sellectian ai imr)orted and domestie Granites and Marbies in stock.