The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-16
How Hand. Organs Are Made.

day, and went in. Up two flights OF stairs.
the low door to the left, and he
stood in the only hand-organ mandatory
in the United States. Standing at benches,
leaning over old organ boxes, seated be
fore little stands, five men were at work
In the middle of the room stood several old
hand-organs. On the walls hung queer
patterns, numbered and diagramcd; in
the further corner stood machine seven
or eight feet high, looking for all the world
like threshing machine.
lis the proprietor in 2" asked the re-
porter of the workman nearest the door.
The workman turned, pointed toward
the other end of the room, and went on
cutting out long strips from great sheet
of pasteboard.
Sitting on low chair, with a low table
before him, was a short, stout. tjOlly-faced
man, evidently German. On the bench
in front of him, mounted on two wooden
rests. hung wooden cylinder fifteen
inches long, perhaps, and five inches m
diameter. Behind the cylinder was small
case, a Lilliputian type case, containing
tbirty-siX little boxes, and every box full
of little brass pins.
"What do you charge for a common
sized organ?'' asked the reporter.
at depends on the kind, )" answered the
proprietor; Il can make you a flute Or
gan, with twenty-four keys, to play nine
tunes, with black walnut case, for hun
dred dollars. If you want an organ TO
play ten tunes, can make it for you for
hundred and twenty dollars. An organ
of this size will weigh about twenty-five
hounds. A parlor organ, with from % to
46 KEYS, will cost you from hundred and
fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars. A
Side-show organ, to play nine tunes, with
so KEYS. 80 brass trumpets. large and small
drums, and triangles, | can make you Tor
two thousand dollars"
While he was talking, the Jolly little
man sat pegging away at the cylinder be-
fore him, driving pin here and apeg there.
Strengthening them with a little pair OF
pinchers, and flattening them with a little
light hammer.
"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; 1.-THE
tunes that were all the go then don't draw
out the pennies worth cent now. L am
putting new tunes in it. take the cylinder
out and paste sheet of clean white paper
around it. Then | 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 black lines,
some half an inch long, Others scarcely
more than dot. The reporter asked how
he knew where to draw the lines.
The little man took handful of the lit
tie pins Outof his apron on his lap, took a
few dozens more out of his mouth, got up
and began to turn the crank OF dis
,,,ont1a1 organ that stood np1r
(" You see" said he. " a hand-Organ Is
made like any common organ. 1t has a
bellows and pipes and keys. When you
want to play on church 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 Or
gan: these little brass pins are the fingers
on a hand-organ. You see these little
wires that hang down from the ends OF
the KEYS? Well, every time one of those
wires strikes one of the brass Pins when
the cylinder is going round, the key is
raised and the note is sounded. If the
brass pin is one of those long halt-inch
ones, the key stays up good while, and
the note is long one. If the pin IS just
a little dot, the key falls right back, and
the note is short.
But how do you know where TO mark
the cylinder for the tunes ~
ssThat's a secret of the trade answered
the little man: butt guess I'll show you.
You see, the cylinder is covered with clean
paper, and all ready: now L hang it by the
iron rod that sticks out at each end. The
tune | want to mark it for play on the
KEYS, only press the keys down instead
of lifting them, for | know what noise
they would make just as well as If they
did make it.. Every time one of those lit
tie wires strikes the cylinder it makes a
little dent. If hold it down for a long
note it makes a long mark, for short
note it makes just dot. Then L go over
the marks with pen to make them plain.
When one tune is marked | 60 on with the
next When the tunes are all marked
put the pins in, as you see.' ..
How do the Organ-grlnders change
from one tune to another while they are
playing in the street?" inquired the re-
porter.
EVERY organ" responded the little
man, "plays from seven to ten tunes.
This one / am working at plays eight. dc
YOU see these little grooves - and he
pointed to one end of the cylinder, where
piece of the wood had been left, about
two inches long and an inch and half III
diameter. There were eight little grooves
around the projection. "When the organ
grinder wants to change the tune he lifts
that little spring, shoves the cylinder in OF
out one groove, and the tune is changed
. Is my organ done yetI'
The proprietor turned round. The
voice was from long, slim, hungry-loOk
| ing man, dressed in army blue. with a pail
of dark green spectacles hiding his eyes
who had come in so quietly that nobody
had noticed him.
"NO, it's not done yet," said the little
man; "rm at work at it now. CUES:
| by this time tomorrow it'll be all ready
for you"
The man in blue turned slowly round
| felt his way with a long stick. found the
door, and CROPPED down the dark stairs.
/ :" That man." said the proprietor, ''own
/ the organ over there on the floor. He fel
/ in the street a week ago, and his organ wa
/ broken. He brought it here to be mend
ed. He was in the same company that
was in in che army. A bullet grace
across both of his eyes, and took of TIN
| bridge of his nose. He is totally blind
He only wanted the box of his organ fix
ed, but am changing the tunes for him
and it shan't cost him a cent"
How long will it take you to chang
| the eight tunes? ~ asked the reporter.
About three days. charge four dol
lars a tune for changing-sOmetimes five
on a large organ.'
"What is that machine in the corner :?
"That's a saloon organ. 1t belong
down here in -- street. They've go
tired of the old tunes, and are going t
have a set of new ones. | made that ma
chine five years ago, and got 81 900 forit.
THAT'S a long Time for one set of tunes
How long do the organs generally last!
asked the reporter.
I"Oh, bless your SOUL" said the littl
man, five years is no time at all for hand
organ. Why, there's many an organ tray
cling the streets that's been used ever.
day, week in and week. out, for the las
thirty years. That's just what kills tn
business. They last too long,"
How many organs do you make in
year 20 asked the reporter.
/ - well, from seventy-five to hundred
When times are hard, more men have t
go to grinding organs. and then the bus
ness is better. L shall make a hundred thl
year."
r. THAT ought to make a sprofitable bus
iness."f ~ So -
"No. it don't. Materials are so higf
that there's not very much profit on ol
] gans. have to do some work in othe
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