Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-05-10
IMPRISONED IN AN ORGAN.

IMPRISONED IN AN ORGAN.
l ALWAYS thought it very hard case,
but | could never bring my iratc father
and my weeping mother to view the mat
ter in that light. appeal to an impair
tial public This was how it happened:
My name was put on the boards of st.
Blasus in October 1S5- and after a
most tender parting from my household
gods in Warwckshire | commenced resi-
dence in all the glory of a promising
Freshman. / do not know that | ever
had very sanguine hopes of academic dis
tinctop, so l received the full blessing of
expecting nothing, inasmuch as, in this
respect, 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 might carry on my favorite re-
taxation. This was the unusual pursuit
of amateur organ-building. My father
said that the idea was preposterous and
expensive. The tutor affirmed that such
things ruined a young mans prospects,
and made him idle. But, nevertheless, |
carried the day through the intercession
of my mother; and my carpenters bench,
with the appurtenances thereof, were duly
accommodated in a small room opening
out OF my gyproom, on staircase letter
G. / was not long in maturing my plans
for erecting a small chamber organ of two
manuals, with all kinds of ingenious APP
pliances in the way of stops and couplers.
1 was naturally both of mechanical and
musical turn of mind so, by my favOrte
pursuit, | gratitied both sides of my dis
position, | 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. | explained how |
might develop my mechanical talent by
building an expensive steam-engine, and
indulge my musical propensities by in
sisting on running up to London every
week to enjoy the opera or Philharmonic
concerts. | 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 of no use. My Father had not logical
mind, and he drove away conviction in Il
manner most irritating to sound rea-
soner like myself However, had my
own way at Cambridge, but under pro-
test,
Now, the organ in the Chapel of St.
Blasius was an Old organ, which had been
renovated and added to by several build
ers, 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 acrobat before
he could get at either pipes or key-aciion.
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 get
ting over sundry massive beams, under
cross beams not more than two feet from
the ground, and through apertures scarce
ly big enough for a rabbit, that any of the
INN ,,,+ . -
ment could be reached. To tie one2elf
into knot, as tumblers do, was nothing
to this. Unless man could double him
self up into the space of cubic foot or
SO, unless he could wriggle along yards
upon his back, and stand for many miser-
able minutes in the most apopectic pos
lures, he could not hope to do anything
to the interior of the St. Blasus organ.
1t was from this untOward instrument
that l obtained all my patterns and meas
urements for my own chamber-organ.
formed the acquaintance of the organist,
and, after vast amount of strategy, won
his consent to my Yenturing into the hid
den depths Of his hideOus old machine.
Week after week did | attempt new feats
with the view of getting hints for my
own amateur work. lived in chronic
state of broken head and confused shins.
Every now and then | appeared with one
or more black eyes; and, on one occasion,
was most suspiciously cross-examined
by the Dean as to presumed pugilistic
prOpensities.
But in the midst of all these difficulties,
progressed most satisfactorily with my
work, and was proud to think that all my
evoluHons in the St. Blasius organ, how
eyer detrimental to my own bodily COM
foIt and personal appearance, brought no
I1mnU1 IN thp Vpnnraltlp and Saprpn in.
strument itself. So long as this state of
things continued, perfect amity prevailed
between the organist and myself. He
did not object to any amount OF punish.
ment wherewith punished my own era
mum or limbs but he swore a deep oath
that the moment injured,a hair in his
precious organ, that moment should be
to him as heathen man and a publican
-Four terms passed by without any ac-
cldent. My studies were in a most back
ward state, but, oh, joy my chamber-or-
gan was on the high road to completion.
The tutor complained of my idleness. My
father upbraided me for neglecting my
reading, but hugged myself with the
thought that, once the organ was finished
l would buckle to, and make my running
with the college subjects. In the midst
of my good resolutions most lamentable
accident took place. / was, one day,
standing inside the chapel organ, resting
on my left knee, with one foot wedged in
between two pipes, the other suspended
delicately in the air, my head tucked
out OF the way under my right arm,
while held long screw,driyer in my
left hand In this pleasant position had
stood for nearly ten minutes, examining
portion of the wind.chest work, when,
by an oyerpowering impulse, | was com.
PEELED to sneeze, and in the act dropped
the screwdriver. Down it went heavily
on the swell trackers and forthwith snap
went the trackers, and my implement
Travelled on to further mischief below.
AT this juncture | heard a familiar
voice
"ILlllo!-wbat's thatg"
'Or, nolhing!' | replied.
"Hou get out of that, sir and let me
see what you have been at "
Like a guilty hound, | extracted myself
from the organ, The organist pulled out
few of the swel-stOps, and ran lightly
over the keys In two seconds my fatal
delinquency came 10 light. | knew il
was all over. put down the key of the
organ ON the stool, and without word
silently and mourniully left the chapel
The Urgaulst, on asking for the services
OF am orean'builder, had to give an ac.
count of the accident, and consequently
got soundly wigged by the Dean for
dreaming Of allowing q Wild young IN.