The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-04
How l was Rusticated.
NEW WAY OF LETTING THE WIND OUT.
Imprisoned in an Organ.

NEW WAY OF LETTING THE WIND OUT.
always thought it very hard case, but I
could never bring my irate father and my
weeping mother to view the matter in tn at
light. / appeal to an impartial public. This
was how it happened:
My name was put on the boards of ST.
Blasius in October, 1856, and, after most
tender parting from my household gods in
Warwickshire, commenced residence in all
the glory of a promising Freshman. l do not
know that ever had very sanguine hopes of
academic distinction, so l received the full
blessing of expecting nothing, inasmuch as,
in this respecS, met no disappointment. l
had hard battle with my revered father,
and afterwards with the tutor of the college,
to be allowed to rent an extra room in which
l might carry on my favorite relaxation
This was the unusual pursuit of amateur Or
gan-buildng. My father said that the idea
was preposterous and expensive. The tutor
affirmed that such things ruined young
mans prospects, and made him idle. But,
nevertheless, carried the day through the
intercession of my mother; and my carpen-
ter's bench, with the appurtenances thereof,
were duly accommodated in a small room
opening out of my gyp-room, on staircase
letter G. / was not long in maturing my
plans for erecting small chamber-organ of
two manuals, with all kinds of ingenious APP
planes in the way of stops and couplers. 1
was naturally both of a mechanical and musi-
cal turn of mind; so, by my favorite pursuit,
gratified both sides of my disposition. l
often tried to convince my father that it was
a most economical step thus to kill two birds
with one stone, but he would not see it. 1
explained how | might develop my mechani
cal talent by building an expensive steam-en-
CINE, and indulge my musical propensities by
insisting on runningup to London every week
to enjoy the Opera or Philharmonic concerts.
l proved on paper that this method would
consume more time and more money than
little quiet organ-building could ever absorb
But it was all no use. My father had not a
logical mind, and he drove away conviction
in a manner most irritating to a sound rea-
soner like myself However, had my own
way at Cambridge, but under protest.
Now, the organ in the Chapel of st. Blast
us was an old organ, which had been removal
ted and added to by several builders, till the
inside of the instrument was crowded beyond
all reason. For the most ordinary processes
of tuning and regulating, the unfortunate
operator had to perform the feats of an aero
bat before he could get at either pipes or key
action. The bellows had to be emptied, and
the swell closed before he could get in at
all. And, after he was in, it was only by
getting over sundry massive beams, under
cross beams not more than two feet
from the ground, and through apertures
scarcely big enough for a rabbit, that any of
the important working parts of the instru-
ment could be reached, To tie oneself into
knot, as tumblers do, was nothing to this.
Unless man could double himself up into
the space of cubic foot or so, unless he
could wrlggle along yards upon his back, and
stand for many miserable minutes in the
most apoplectic postures, he could not hope
to do anything to the interior of the St.
Blaslus organ. 1t was from this untoward
instrument that l obtained all my patterns
and measurements for my own chamber or
gan. L formed the acquaintance of the
organist, and, after vast amount of strategy.
won his consent to my venturing into the
hidden depths of his hideous old machine.
Week after week did l attempt new feats.
with the view of getting hints for nv own
amateur work. l lived in a chronic state of
br oxen head and confused shins. Every now
and then appeared with one or more black
eyes: and on one occasion, l was most suspi-
clously cross-examined by the Dean as to
presumed pugilistic propensities.
But In the midst OF all these difficulties, 1
progressed most satisfactorily with my work,
and was proud to think that all my evolutions
in ST. Blasius organ, however detrimental to
my own bodily comfort and personal appear
once, brought no damage to the venerable and
sacred instrument ITSELF So long as this
state of things continued, perfect amity pre-
did not object to any amount of punishment
wEerewith J. punished my own Uranium or
limbs, but he swore a deep oath that, the
moment l injured a hair in his precious
organ, that moment should | be to him as a
heather man and publican. I'D
-Four terms passed by without any accident
My studies were in a most backward state,
but, oh joy! my chamber organ waa on the
hlghroad to completion. The tutor COM
planned of ny idleness. My father upbraided
me for neglecting my reading, but Rugged
myself with the thought that, once the organ
was finished, 1 would buckle-to, and make nv
running with the college subjects. In the
midst OF my good resolutions, a most lament
able accident took place. I was, one day,
standing inside the chapel organ, resting on
my left knee, with one foot wedged in
between two pipes, the other suspended deli
cately in the air, my head tucked out of the
way under my right arm, while held long
screw-driver in my left hand. In this pleasant
position had stood for nearly ten minutes.
examining portion of the wind-chest work,
when, by an overpowering impulse, was
compelled to sneeze, and in the act dropped
the screw-driver. Down it went heavily on
the swell-trackers, and forthwith, snap went
the crackers, and my implement travelled on
to further mischief below. At this iuncture
l heard familiar voice
Halo what's that?'
"Oh, nothingr' replied
"You get out of that, sir, and let me see
what you have been at.''
Like guilty hound, 1 extracted myself
from the organ. The organist pulled out a
few of the swell-stOps, and ran lightly over
the keys. In two seconds my fatal deln-
quency came to light. knew il was all over.
put down the key Of the organ on the stool,
and without word, silently and mournfully
left the chapel. The organist, on asking for
the services of an Organ-builder, had to give
an account OF the accident and consequently
got soundly wigged by the Dean for ''dream-
ing OF allowing wild young undergraduate
able an instrument
From that hour [ knew there was no more |
help to be obtained by me from 'sthat noble
ana valuable, ETC., L was thrown on my own |
resources. My organ progressed but slowly;
my work, from being initiative, became tenta-
tive; and oftentimes fitted twenty different |
pieces OF wood in given place before 1 got it
right, Week after week toiled away labori-
ously, with patience worth of a better
cause. chafed a good deal at my constant
obstacles, and twice did attempt to make it
up with the organist. But it was no use
mo, sir" he said, peremptorily; "there
Wlil De no more damage done to the organ by
you again, if can help it.n
ny this time had finished the KEY action.
bellows, sound board, and wind-chest. The
pipe-work, SO far as it was metal, / did not
attempt. This portion of my organ was sun
pned by an organ-builder in London. The
stop-work was also finished, and I was now
engaged IN putting on some comnosition-
pedals. In this there were one or two in
tricacies which Icould not solve. and at
last determined that / would attempt furtive.
y to get into the chapel organ and examine
,he composition pedals there. But at this /
was staggered by the difficulty of the project.
10 get the keys of the organ was impossible.
10 force an entrance was, of course, out of
Inc question. My only chance was to watch
an opportunity when the organ should be left
Tpea, ana the organist absent. For this COM
;a OF circumstances l watched and
" aIteu IN vain for nearly three weeks. At
asG, one sunday morning, | was late for
:hapel, and passing up the ante-chapeI
ound the choir gates closed, and the services
well advanced. l had nothing narticuIar n
10, so thought would sit down in tba ante,
chapel to hear the anthem. So made NV
'en comfortable near the screen, looking IN
very now and then to the noble and yalua-
ne oid instrument above me. Towards the
' ,ip Vi IN Psalms frightful ciphering took
'iace, or un untechnical langlage) Several
totes struck down inside the organ and
ounded various and discordant n;nas ,1,hotL
r the organist liked it or no. Tb;S .so;nhor
1g" l at once perceived was on tba 0,p '-ou
n second heard handful of swell-ssons
ushed hastily in, and the Psalms were IN t
'hed on the Great and Choir. When the |
,nthem began, the first few chords told me,