New-York daily tribune., 1866-01-03
..x.-- .,su,-Rced Instruments.
hJS" yenbs~


In all the mechanical improvements when
tend 10 lessen labor and add TO the maelaI wealth o'
patton while increasing its social comforts, lee n
car mind has been the most active the most u,cessfn
and the most fertile in adapting natural laws to uman
noed In the l1xnres Of life also those things wh'ch
spread cultivation ard refinement. and throw charm
over horre realities have been more graDdly developed
within thc la. 20 years in this country than IN Europe
in a century
Among those who have been most successful as me-
chanca inventors jeremiah Carhart. OF the Firm of
Carhsrt & Neodham. will long BE- remembered ana
respected for important Improvements in ana additions
10 the beautiful and now almost universal musical IN
stument the Melodeon and Parlor Organ "Ilch uViues
with the Panoforc the place of honor IN tens oi
thousands OF American homes.
The invention of the Reed" is pretty generally con-
ccded the Chinese though its origin Is siill matter
of some doubt The introduction Of free reeds INTO or
gan building dates back far as 1910 but the aceoru
con- the progenitor II the melodeon. was not known
until 1926. II was brought into England rom Def'
many abont l62s but there is sufficient evidence 10
prove that il Vas known in the United Stoies at least
three years previous the honor Of the invention being
awardea 70 Mr. i. II. Balm OF Canton. Mass. Amer'
ca therefore, may reasonably claim the invention OF
that weak instrument. from which has sprung one Of
the most useful and popular instruments OF any time
the Mclodeon or Parlor Organ.
Jeremiah Carhart was born u mechanic. and has de.
voted his whole life to the service o. science In 1870
while engaged in other business, his attention was
directed 10 the Accordion, and. finding y a most
imperfect instrument, thought he would improve II, but
on that he made bnt little progress. lie discovered
that the tones OF the instrument were much better
when the wind was drawn through the reeds Man
when it was expelled through them. How to discover
method hy which all the notes should be produced
that way thus securing uniform and beautiful quality
was problem that he laid out for himself ia solve The
instrument No next e1perimented upon was SORT Of
Melodeon Of the old rocking form. held on the knee.
Tse first step he took was 10 place the rocker on legs
which was tie crude idea OF the Molodcon. The thing
TO 10 done invent a suction bellows. TO draw the
wind through tie reed instead OF forcing It out. lie
put the question 10 Irany shrowd ana clever men, How
they would the wind 20 rush into bellows with
the same velocity by which II was expelled" but
not one of them could answer bin. II was deemed
impraotcahlc So be had to work ont tie problem
alone lie could not devote himself exclusively
30 the sulec1 Tor he had 10 earn his living at
another business But be devoted sll lis spare
time 90 the subject, and after two years OF failing
experiments each Of which brought him nearer to the
cons ummaton OF his thought he grasped the principle
The suction bellows became fact and tho Mclodcou no
longer a dream.
Much had vet 20 be done and Carhart with his lin.
tied means. coud make bat slow progress. In lsiG
however atcr 10 year, of struggle IN which he WAS
only sustained by indomltab, viii. he succeeded in
gc,tng ou, lis patents These he cudeayored 10 sell 10
part for he had no capital 20 manufacture but an In
pedimoni arose which seemed insuperahle namely the
making Of the reeds TO apply machinery to msraiac
ture the old sylc OF reeds ont OF the question so
Mr Carhari lad himself 20 the labor Of ofinyeang
not only a machine 20 make rSot aud plane the reeds
70 the proper size aad thickness together with tgbe
board TO hold tie reed, when hnshod. but also to n'
vent new roed the Iecuiariiy of which is last It -
held by tie thickness. and no, Oy ihc edge
This new labor did not t4uut Lin, b. was equal "a
the emergency and in q short time o'crcamo al, tie
difficulties and produced those perfect machines. 80
wonderful in their Ingenious simplicity and ~ ei
fectye ~ their productive power OF these 'mhai'
& Nccaham hold Ito patents and supply nearly al
tho reed. 10 the trade with the exception Of Two hfn
which pay them royalty for the privilege OF manu-
featuring
Up TO the time that he comwcroed manufacturing
NJ Caihar lad achieved by study o twelve yeaisih'
lending principles and points upon which al suhselien
ana present inakcrs Of Meodeons. iarlor or Cabinet
Ofgals with minute difference Of detail upon Which t'
secure a patent manufacture their instruments. II
Is literally the inventor Of the Melodcon. Tie mprore
nent, made hy Others. mcritorious in themselves
are based upon the nmutabc principles laid dogn ant
prac,ically deTclopcd in the instruments OF Carhari
Nccdham.
one other point which had boiiled the skill of al
other manufacturers ta.ked the iDgenu! OF hr. Car
hart IL was found that the reeds however wei made
were liable 70 fracture. and were copsiaaily getuns
olt OF tune Upon tie remedybg OF these defects dc
pended the mcrcantie yalue Of all reed instruments
for II the reeds could be voiced o' one quality anC
could not be prevented from getting out oi tune nnC
were not Of sufficient strength the in 'rnmeri from ~
limptricctiDn, would utterly lose ground IN popuIa
hyor The reed j. small tongne OF metal inserted II
AN opening or slot end being fastened the other Ter
free Tie wind rushing through the opening or sioi
sets tie free end in vibration and thus produces nusi
en tone according the thickness and other conditions
Of the metal Amer series Of experiments micToscop
ic snd otherwise MF. Carhait decided 20 discard thi
material, Of which the reed had up 20 that time beer
rnade substituting therefor brass, with en- odmStuF'
OF nictel Exrermcnts at the rolling mill di-closet
the fc upon minute observation. that The reeds ca
llengthways we're poor. the grain bad, and the hbc
shaey and that cui wise of the rolling they wer
perfect Ihi, point OF strength gained 1t ory Remained
70 dircover the means of yolcinr the reeds Ate
much time and anxiety. Mr.. Carhar' discovered tha
perfct yoicng could only be attained by manipulation
reauiring the utmost deicacy in bendng OF giyinI
form TO the small tongue OF brass by the discovery
this point he settled all the essenal principles OF il
system Of manufacturing and pcr'ectmg reed ins'rn