Grayso Enterprise Ltd. Firs N Newspape Rts. pag 1 Copyrigh 1989 1,00 words MAR WITTU BEL COLLECTOR Writte b Jun Grayson Photographe b Richar Grayson Automati electroni bel an buzze system contro th bac-t-schoo activitie o today' children N longe can yo fin on roo schoo wit pri an prett schoo mistres ringin he ow schoo bel t mar th hour an cal th childre i fro play Althoug sh i to youn t remembe th day o th countr school Mar Wittu own severa antiqu schoo bell. Sh ha bi silve bel wit blac handl fro th Eighteent century Whe th teache ran tha bell th childre kne tha the ha bette star runnin i the wer t ge t schoo o time Sh als own severa smalle schoo bell, th kin tha use t si o th uppe corne o th teacher' des t cal th clas t order Sh eve ha on bel shape lik a apple perhap gif o gratefu pupi o hopefu parent "That' cutes bell, explain Wittum "I wa probabl mad i th 1940 o 1950s whe bell becam decorativ rathe tha practical. Wittu starte he bel collectio whe sh wa fiv year old A onl child sh attende antiqu auction o th weekend wit he parents He fathe collecte pulley an he mothe collecte meta banks " wante m ow subject, say Wittum "an picke ou littl meta bel befor a auctio began M mothe tol m 'fine w wil bi u t fiv dollar fo it bu i i goe ove that 'l sto an le th othe bidder hav it. I di g ove fiv dollar s th anothe lad wo th bid "Afte th auction th successfu bidde cam ove t tal t us 'You daughte i s goo tha wan t giv thi bel t he a present,' sh said ' hav granddaughte jus he ag an i sh ha bee her i you daughter' plac sh woul hav screame an crie.'" Wittu ha 9 meta balls he favorit kind " chos the whe wa youn becaus the wouldn' break. Sh ha receive othe kind o bell a gift. Bel collector almos hav t specializ b materia o category Indeed th firs bell ar a ol a mankin mad ou o cla an fire perhap a th sam tim wool mammot roaste ove caveman' fire Ever cultur ha it ow bells. Ancien people believe tha bell ha specia powers Th Hebre Bibl note tha bell wer amon Kin David' processiona instrument whe h brough th Ar o th Covenan t Jerusalem Hi horse wor bell t war of evi spirits Prophet an hig priest sewe bell int thei garments Biblica bell wer "crotal bells shape lik th ancien Chines bell an ou ol sleig bells essentiall sphere containin loos pebbles Th mos importan us o bell wa fo signaling Th Greek decorate thei home wit bells Gree warrior ha smal bell conceale i thei shields Whe th captai mad nightl rounds eac soldie ha t rattl hi shiel t sho tha h wa guardin hi post Fo th sam reason Roma sentrie ha t wea bell o thei breastplates Bell calle peopl t worship tolle th hours announce events an regulate th dail routine (Clock di no com int widesprea us unti th Seventeent century). Bell hav bee treasure a patrioti symbols Th Libert Bell th traditiona symbo o U S freedom bear th motto "Proclai libert throughou al th lan unt al th inhabitant thereof (Leviticu 25:10) Commissione i 175 an hun i 175 i th Pennsylvani Stat House th colonist ha t hid th bel whe Britis force entere Philadelphi durin th Revolutionar War I cracke irreparabl whe i wa run fo th las tim i 184 fo Washington' birthday. Th ancien Chines wer th firs peopl t make chines sequenc o bell tune t seve not scale W cal set o a leas 2 tune bell carillons Group o tw o mor fre- swingin bell "peal. On bel run i repetitio i sai t "toll. Meta bell wer firs mad b forgin an riveting Castin o molte meta bega i th Bronz Age beginnin abou 3,00 B C Th grea Gothi cathedral o th Middl Age al ha thei bel towers. Th world' larges bell Th Tsa Bel o Moscow weighe 20 ton whe i wa caste i 1733 I neve ran becaus i wa cracke b fir i 1737. Glass porcelain an potter manufacturer hav mad bell i ever shape color an for t gratif collectors Th Victorian use bell t cal thei servant an announc afternoo tea Collector especiall priz set o bell suc a thos featurin th Sunbonne Girls Bab rattle ca b considere anothe for o bell. Beas o burde bell, tie aroun th neck o pasturin animal s tha stray coul fin thei wa bac t th herd, hol specia nostalgi fo ou rura past Wh ca thin o Christma withou sleig bells anothe for o crota bel o rattle Trai bell ar ver collectibl an expensiv now "Yo won' fin man chea bell fo sal an more, warn Wittum "Whe starte t collect wa abl t bu mos o m bell fo aroun fiv dollars ha t pa $65.0 fo th las bel bough fe month ago." Ne bel collector shoul visi museum t se bel collection an rea referenc books suc a "Th Collector' Boo o Bells," b L Elsinor Springer Crow Publishers. I yo visi th Kan Count Fle Marke th firs weeken o ever month loo fo Mar an Ale Wittu i th mai building wher the sell thei homemad candy O sto a their cand stor featurin children' penn cand an homemad chocolat cand i th Warehouse Centur Corners St Charles The'l b ther wit bell on #####