Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-22


On the front of dingy brick building at the
head OF Chatham street, weather beaten and dim,
hangs the sgn: "Hand Organs" A reporter
saw the sign yesterday aud went in Up two
flights of Stair, through the low door to the left
and lie stood in the only hand-organ manufactory |
in the United States. Standing at benches, lean
ing over old organ boxes, seated before five little
stands, five men were at work. In the middle OF |
the room stood several old hand-orgaus. On the |
walls hung queer patterns, numbered and dia- |
grammed; in the further corner stood a machine
for all the world like threshing machine.
''Is the proprietor -" asked the reporter of
the workman nearest the door.
The workman turned, pointed to the other end
of the room, and went on cutting out long strips
from great sheet of pasteboard.
Sitting on low chair, with low table before
him, was short, jolly-faced man, evidently a
German. On the bench in front Of him, mount
Ell on two wooden rests, hung wooden cylinder
fifteen inches long, perhaps, and five inches in
diameter. Behind the cylinder was a small case
q Lilhputian type case, containing thirtysix lit
tie boxes, and every one of the boxes full OF little
brass pins.
"What do you charge for common sized or.
gan :" asked the reporter.
NRw TUNES IN OLD INsrRUMESTs
"It depends on the kind" answered the propri-
etor III can make you q flute organ, with TWEEN
ty.four keys, to play nine tunes, with a black
| walnut case, for 500. If you want an organ to
play ten tunes, can make IL Ior you lof SlsU.
An organ Of this size will weigh about twenty
i've pounds. A pArlor organ, with from twenty
five to forty-six keys, will cost you from $50 to
| to $3.50. side show organ, to play nine tunes,
with fifty keys, thirty-five biass trumpets, large
and small drums, and triangles, can make you
for $4,000.
While he was talking the jolly little man sat
peggiDg away at the cylinder before him, driving
a pin here and q peg there, Strengthening them
with little pair OF pincheis, aud iattening them
i Vx.,tfh hrhk han.
| "What are you driving those pegs in there for -
| asked the reporter.
"This is an old cylinder. 1t was made twenty
years ago." he answered "the tunes that were
all the go then don't draw out the pennies worth
a cent now. am putting new tunes in It.
take the cylinder ost and paste sheet of paper
around it. Then l mark it for the tunes, and
drive these little pins in and the thing is done
It's very easy TO do"
| 1t looked very easy. The cylinder was covered
with hundreds Of little blank lines, some half an
inch long and Others scarcely more than a dot
The reporter asked how he knew where to draw
the lines. The little man took handful of the
little pins out OF his apron on his lap, took few
to turn the crank of cismantled organ that
stood near.
HAND ORGANS AND CHURCH ORGANS
you see," said he, "a hand organ. is made like
any common organ. It has q bellows aud pipes
and keys. When you want to play on chuich
organ you push down on the keys; when you
want TO play on hand organ you lift the keys
You use your fingers to play on church organ
these little brass pins the fingers on hand
organ. You see these little wir, that han1
down from the ends of the keys? Well, ever,
time one of those wires strikes one OF the bras
pins when the cylinder Is going round, the ke.
/ Is raised and the note 10 sounded. II the bras
pin is one of those long half-inch ones, the ke.
s stands up q good while, and the note IS a Ions
one If the pin is just little dot, they key fall
: right back, and the note Is short"
"But how do you know where 10 mark III
Q cyliuder for the tunes|
"That's a secret of the trade" answered tn
4 little man but guess Ill show you You sea
the cylinder 10 covered with clean paper, and al
. ready; now 1 hang it by the iron rod that stick
) out at each end The tune want to mark
for 1 play on the keys, only press the key
!. down, instead OF lifting them, for know wha
: noise it will make juet as we'll as II they di
make il. Every time one OF those little wire
, strikes the cylinder 1t makes littla dent. II
hold il down for q long ncte it makes lon
mark, for a short note it N axes jus. dot Thel
60 over the marks with q pen TO make then
plain. When one tune is marked 90 on witt
the next. When tae tunes ara all marked pu
6 the pins In, as you sec."
allow do organ grinders change from one tun'
to another while they are playing on the street 7
| inquired the reporter.
. "ESery organ" responded the little man
'.plays from seven to ten tunes. DO YOU sc
| taeSo nttle groves anu no pointed 10 one Gu
of the cylinder, where piece OF wood hail bee
lett, about two inches long and an inch aud
half In diameter. There were eish little groove
around the projection. when the organ
: grinder wants to change The tnns he lifts tina
: little spring and shoves the cylinder in or ou
one grove and the tune is ehanged.'
CUSTOMER.
"Is my organ done yet +
The proprietor turned round. The voice W.
| from a long, slim, hungry.iooking man, dresse
in army us with pair Of dark-green spectacle
4 hiding his eyes, who had come In so quietly tha
nobody noticed him.
"No, it is not done yet" said The little mau
} ~ am at work at 1t now. suess by this tim
tomorrow it'll be all ready for YOU"
The man in blue turned slowly round, ie
his way with long stick, round the door, an
CROPPED down the dark stairs.
, .'That man." said the proprietor, Gowns th
. organ over there on the floor. He fell in tn
4 street a week ago, and his organ was broker
s He brought 1t here 10 be msnded. lie was in tn
! same company that wasin the army. a bulk
: grazed acroes both his eyes, and took oil u
4 only wanted the box Of his organ fixed, but al
changing the tunes for him. and II shant co
Il him a cent.
!. "how long will it take you TO change the eigl
| tunes" asked the reporter.
! About three days. charge 81 tune K
: lchanging-and sometimes s.. on very lars
lorgan."
10 What Is that machine in the corner"
THAT Is y saloon organ. II belongs dow
there in - street. They've got tired OF Il