The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-08-03
Music Boxes.


MUSICAL boxes are made either in
Sainte-Croix or Geneva, excepting a
few unimportant factories elsewhere.
The greater part of those made in
Sainte-Croix are sold under the name
Geneva boxes, trusting to the name to
give great prestige, as Sainte-Croix is
seldom visited by travellers, although
fully equaling Geneva in the manu-
facture. Sainte-Croix is also noted for
the manufacture of fine gold and silver
watches, and many of them are sold in
Geneva under the name of Geneva
watches. An erroneous impression ex-
lists that Geneva musical boxes are SUI
perior to all others; the truth is that
good and bad are made in Geneva, and
the same may be said of Sainte-C roix;
but fact in favor of the latter place is
that the cost of living being less than
in Geneva, wages in Sainte-Croix are
less in proportion, and equally excel
lent instruments can be manufactured
there at less cost.
The most important factory at Sainte-
Croix is that of C. Paillard & Co., who
make as many boxes as all the other
manufacturers combined, and of supe-
rior quality. In this factory there are
now employed about 800 expert arti-
sans, aided by all modern improve
ments in special tools and machinery.
Were it not for the advantages they de-
rive from division of labor-the firm
employing second set of workmen ex-
clusively in the production of each part
of the mechanism-it would be impos-
sible to have these instruments made
so perfectly at prices so moderate; for
the prices cannot justly be termed high
when the immense amount of carefully
executed and intricate work is taken
into consideration.
One great expense in this business is
the changing of airs in the boxes, dis
carding such as have become tiresome,
and substituting the latest and most
popular as fast as they appear. How
ever, the standard airs, which are al
ways popular, such as Home, Sweet
Home, " "The Last Rose of Summer"
ETC., are always retained. They now
send these instruments throughout the
entire world, their greatest markets
ranking in the following order: En-
gland, the United States, France, Ger
many, Russia. The instruments play
the favorite airs of each country to
which they are sent.
A musical box consists of a brass
roller with projecting points; steel
comb, the teeth of which give the
sounds; spring, to give the revolving
motion to the cylinder; and fiywheel
or fan, to regulate the revolving mo-
ton. The rough parts, including the
bed plate, the blank roller, the main
spring, the comb tempered but not
tuned), the running gear, etc., are
made in large machine shops and fur
nished to all the box manufacturers.
The music has first to be arranged for
the box by thorough musical artists.
The cylinder is then given to person
GENERALLY woman) who, with the aid
of the music and very ingenious ma
chine, marks the places on the cylinder
where the points are to be inserted.
Another person then drills all the little
holes, and still another inserts the
points. The cylinder is then filled
with molten cement, placed on lathe,
and revolved very quickly. The ce-
ment adheres to the inside surface,
holding the points, and is then allowed
to cool, leaving a hole in the center for
the axis. On another machine the
points are filed down, SO as to be of
equal length.
During this time the comb is given
out to be tuned, the tuner having first
to file the teeth, to give the proper fiex-
Utility. The tone is lowered by filing
near the base, and sharpened by filing
near the point. The cylinder is then
set on the bed plate, and, opposite, the
comb must be screwed to the bed plate.
This last operation demands great &C.
curacy, so that the points of the cylin-
der and the teeth of the comb will ex-
actly meet. The instrument is now
placed on another machine, which di-
vides the bars in the same way as the
original machine for marking, and a
person Casually woman) will then,
according to the music, bend the points
of the cylinder slightly forward, in or
der to secure more strength, but more
especially to make the chords drop
simultaneously, and cause the runs or
roulades to be played evenly. All the
parts are then polished, and the box is
finally given to man who regulates
the hampers and revises all the parts.
There are also some fifteen to twenty
minor parts, which would require too
much technicality to explain to the
general reader. Size increases both
volume and richness of tone. A cylin-
der 10 inches long can be made to play
6, 8, 10 or IL airs well, but, of course,
will play 6 or 8 airs better, and with
more sweetness and harmony, than a
greater number. The reason of this is
that more points on a cylinder and
more teeth on a comb can be used for
fewer airs. If box plays II airs, the