THE REV. WM. ALLEN JOHNSON ELECTED RECTOR OF ST.

MARY'S PARISH.†

"St. Mary's Vestry Room, October 18th, 1864.—An adjourned meeting of the Vestry was held this evening; F. Gauntt, M. D., (Junior Warden) in the chair.

"On motion it was resolved that the Vestry go into an election for Rector.

"Whereupon a vote being taken, the Rev. Wm. Allen Johnson was unanimously elected Rector of this Parish."

THE REV. MR. JOHNSON ACCEPTS THE RECTORSHIP.

"St. Mary's Vestry Room, November 14th, 1864.-A stated meeting of the Vestry was held this evening; J. W. Odenheimer, Senior Warden, in the chair.

"The Committee appointed to inform the Rev. Wm. Allen Johnson of his election to the Rectorship of this Parish, report that they have received a letter of acceptance, which stated he would enter upon his duties on the twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity (the 20th of November).

ORDER FOR A PEAL OF EIGHT BELLS.

Philadelphia, Penn., Nov. 22, 1864.

"G. C. MEARS & Co.-A year ago, two ladies, Margaret S. and Mary McIlvaine of Burlington, New Jersey, made provision for a peal of bells for St. Mary's Church, Burlington, and requsted me to procure the bells, and have them properly hung. Owing to the high rate of Exchange on London, and other con

William Allen Johnson, second son of the Rev. Samuel Roosevelt John son, D. D., was born at Hyde Park, Dutchess Co., N. Y., August 4th, 1833; graduated at Columbia College, N. Y., July 27th, 1853, and at the General Theological Seminary, N. Y., June 24th, 1857; was ordained Deacon, in Trinity Church, N. Y., June 28th, 1857, by Bishop Horatio Potter; proceeded M. A. at Columbia College, June 30th of same year; became the minister of St. Peter's Church, Bainbridge and Christ Church, Guilford, in the Diocese of Western New York, September 6th, 1857; was advanced to the Priesthood in St. John's Church, Whitestown, N. Y., October 31st, 1858, by Bishop De Lancey; and was Missionary at Clifton and parts adjacent, in the Diocese of Michigan, from November 9th, 1862, to August 28th, 1864.

siderations, the matter has been suffered to rest until the present time. In the mean while I am sorry to have to add, one of these good ladies, (Miss Margaret S. McIlvaine,) has died.

"After consultation with the former Rector of the Church, Rev. E. A. Hoffman, (now of Grace Church, Brooklyn, N. Y.,) I have determined to place this order for the bells in your hands for execution, having the fullest confidence, from the high character of your firm, that we shall not be disappointed in the quality or tone of the peal.

"You will therefore, please consider this letter, unless you desire something more formal, as an order for a peal of Eight Bells, to weigh about 10,000 lbs., or 90 cwt., the treble bell to be not less than 6 cwt.-the bells to be perfectly sound, and in tone and tune as perfect as you can possibly make them. We have at Christ Church, in this city, a peal of 8 bells, cast at your foundry in 1754, by Lester & Pack, and we shall consider ourselves fortunate, if the peal now ordered for St. Mary's should prove equally as satisfactory.

"The Rev. Mr. Hoffman who has given some attention to the subject, has kindly drawn up for me some specifications for the bells, which I desire you to adhere to. They are"1. The bells to be hung ready for ringing a peal, in a good strong frame, on the same level, not one above another.

"2. The bells to be made on the Doncaster Pattern, composed of 4 lbs. of tin to 13 lbs. of copper, and no bell to be cast with its sound bow less than 1-13 its diameter. The treble bell to weigh not less than 6 cwt.

"3. Each bell to be provided with a stop (to set the bells) and a slider to run in a circular groove, struck from the gudgeon as a centre, and covered with a board to prevent the oil from dropping on it.

"4. Each bell to be provided with a chiming hammer, with an inch hole drilled in it, and a piece of wood inserted where it is to strike the bell, and made as shown in Plate VII of Ellacombe's treatise on Belfries and Ringers.

"5. The clappers to be properly boxed to the bolts with brass or wood, and provided with mufflers for funerals.

"6. Pulleys bushed with brass and fitted up in carriages to be provided for the ropes where they pass through the floor.

"7. All the wood and iron work of frame and hangings to be painted three good coats of dark brown color.

"8. Good ropes to be provided for ringing, and the necessary ropes, &c., for chiming.

"I enclose a drawing of the bell chamber, floors, &c., which will give you such information as you may need for making the frame work and arranging the bells. The chamber is 18 ft. 8 in. in width, by 16 ft. 10 in. in height. It is proposed to have a frame put up for the bells to rest upon at the point marked A in the sketch. The frame for the bells must be made to rest on the timbers, and not fastened to the walls of the tower or bell chamber. We deem it unfortunate that the bells will have to be rung from the floor of the Church, but this cannot at present be obviated. When they are not in use the ropes can be drawn up into the belfry. The arrangement for chiming can be made at a point near the pulpit, which is on one of the piers of the tower.

"It is important that the frame work for the bells should be made at your establishment, and so marked for putting up that a tolerably good mechanic would find no difficulty in arranging the frame and putting the bells in their proper position for immediate use.

"It would be desirable to have the bells shipped from Liverpool to Philadelphia, as Burlington is on the River Delaware, about 20 miles above this City, but if shipped to New York we can readily receive them, as there is direct railroad communication with Burlington. On this subject I will write again. Satisfactory arrangements will be made with some London house to pay for the bells on delivery at Liverpool, but I am unable by this mail to name the house. My friend, Mr. Hoffman, will write by this or the next mail to Charles H. Edwards, Esq., of the house of Alexander Bell & Sons, of London, in reference to this order for the bells, and it is probable that I can make arrangements with this firm to attend to the payment.

"Enclosed you will please find the inscriptions we desire to have put on the bells. On the tenor you will observe we wish

to have the date of presentation, Christmas, 1863, as the ladies were both living at that date, and had at that time made provision for the bells.

"I understand that you guarantee all bells for one year.

"Will you please make up an estimate of the cost of the bells and frame work, &c., &c., up to delivery at Liverpool, and let me know as early as possible. Also please inform me about what time we may expect the bells to be ready for delivery, and give me such items of information as you may deem of import

ance to us.

"Yours, very respectfully,

"JAMES H. CASTLE."

THE ORDER FOR THE BELLS ACKNOWLEDGED.

"Bell Foundry, Whitechapel, E.,

London, 8th December, 1864. "James H. Castle, Esq., 115 South 5th street, Philadelphia. "SIR-We are much obliged by your order for a peal of 8 bells, treble not less than 6 cwt., whole peal about 90 cwt., with Frame, Stock, Wheels, &c., complete, and chiming hammers.

"Attention shall be paid to your instructions-but we think you had better leave to our judgment and experience the exact proportion of Tin and Copper and thickness of sound bow, and we will promise you a first rate peal of bells—we hope and wish as good, if not better, than those made by our predecessors in 1754-if, however, you think it better the bells should be made as you direct-they shall be.

"We presume by Doncaster pattern you mean button instead of crown heads.

"We will send the estimate desired by a future post.

"And are your ob. serv.,

THE "DONCASTER PATTERN"

"G. MEARS & Co."

RECOMMENDED.

"Messrs. G. C. Mears & Co.

Philadelphia, January 5, 1865.

GENTLEMEN-Yours of December 8th, was duly received. As the specifications in my letter of Nov. 22 were drawn up by

my friend, Rev. Mr. Hoffman, I submitted to him your note, and have just received his reply. I copy such portions of his letter as relates to the bells: 'I should hardly be inclined to allow them to make any bell of the peal thinner in the sound bow than directed. They may make them thicker if they desire. And I am inclined to believe from my reading, that the nearer they keep to the proportion of the metals specified, the better the quality of the bells. Still on this point I should not insist very strenuously. I would have them follow the 'Doncaster pattern' as far as possible in all particulars, unless they have good and decided reasons for departing from it. The directions which were given were all founded on the experience of the best writers on the subject, and they (Messrs. Mears) ought to be able and willing to warrant us a first-rate peal by following them.'

"You will observe that in one particular (the sound bow) Mr. Hoffman thinks the specified thickness should be adhered to, and unless there are very good objections, I would like you to make the bells in accordance with his wishes.

"We are anxious for a good peal, and are glad to have your promise that we shall not be disappointed.

"Will you do me the favor to send to my address any circular you may have issued. I wish to have, if possible, a list of the bells made at your foundry-a printed copy I think I saw a year ago in the belfry of one of our Churches.

"Yours very respectfully,

"JAMES H. CASTLE,

"115 South 5th."

A FINE PEAL GUARANTEED.

"267 Whitechapel Road,

"London, 21st January, 1865.

"James H. Castle, Esqr., 115 So. 5th street, Philadelphia.

"SIR-We beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of 5th inst. If you will allow us to make your new bells as we think best, we will guarantee you a fine peal. You shall name any