Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 17.

Tufts College

given in June, 1908
by the class of 1898 Pax-et-Lux
The dedication, in which over thirty persons took part, is commemorated by a bronze tablet set in the outer doorway of the chapel tower. All the other bells we have mentioned were, and are, of a similar composition of copper and tin, known as bell metal, which has an intrinsic value, and a bell of such metal, if cracked or broken, can be recast.

The latest Medford bell, rung for the first time on Easter Sunday (this year), is in the tower of the Hillside People's Church (Methodist Episcopal). It is from the foundry of the Cincinnati Bell Company (Blymyer & Co.), and weighs 550 lbs. Of what it is made, or the percentage of its component metals we are unaware. We climbed into the belfry on Easter morning to examine it, and listened as it was rung by the sexton. Its tone is unlike any others in the city, and it is probably what is commonly called a ‘steel bell,’ but unlike those we have heard elsewhere, this has a pleasing tone. It is a gift to the church by the children of the Junior League, who held, on last Wednesday evening, a dedication service.

Some one, a few years since (and not far away) said ‘A bell is a relic of a barbaric age.’ Be that as it may, bells have been used in ‘the cause of religion’ ever since they were placed in the hem of the robe of Aaron, the first Jewish high priest. The tinkling of those little golden bells gave to the people assurance that the high priest, alone in the presence of Jehovah, still lived and moved, and that the divine favor was still theirs.

The skill of the artisan has been employed in all lands, and in some the results have been most gratifying. In old England, in the great cathedral churches, were peals