The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-01-15
MUSIC ROXES.
Som ethins About the Construction OF
the Delightful Instruments.
New York Times.

Has it ever occurred to anybody to raise
tho question why American ingenuity and
skill are not turned to Fopulsrzing the
music box? That instrument is go pecu.
liarly an article Of luxury that probably not
ouo in i've of even music loving persona
ever see it, the price ranging from 500 TO
$1,000, and even 81 500 Yet it is literally
what its direc. and graphic name
implies. For purity Of touo perhaps
nothing equals it, unless its rival is the
finest Of glase. Its sweetness, delcscy, and
peculiarly bubbling limpidity charm every
ear to which the slightest musical sensibility
has been given, and even the cheap instru-
ments which can reader hut two or three
airs are seductive. The mechanism Of its
construction ia Of tho simplest character. A
brass cylinder, having its circumference
studded With short steel pins, is slowly re-
yoysd by q train of wheels aetuated by a
spring, sad these points SUCCESSFULLY catch
and lift the teeth OF Il fixed steel comb" she
teeth of which are Neightsd on ono sids, 30
that whea released by the cylinder which
acts like csm-esDh tooth is set in vibra.
ton by its own electricity. Each tooth is
also bsveled on each side 20 narrow
point, SO that the ius spurs on the cylinder
may pass between the teeth, e1-
cept when the right spur comes around. One
narrow strip along the length of tho cylinder
(which strip marks the end of each air or
strain is bare of spurs, and the change Of
dir is effected by simply sliding the cylinder
o little TO bring the spurs into new posi-
ton relative to the teeth. The spurs or pins
themselves are disposed over the SURFACE Of
the cylinder ia u mos. irregular manner,
apparently without the leaat order or de-
sign; but if there we're no design the box
would give forth only tumble of sOunds
One requires certain number of spurs,
disposed in certain relative poiitions, and
when this air is 10 be played all other spurs
pass between the teeth Of the comb; oSeh
shifting Of the cylinder brings different set
ofspurs into position to catch tho teeth, and
throws out Of action TIE set last used. The
clock-w, rk and the construction Of the comb
itself are easy matters Of detail; and TIE cyl
ind9r is not tie puzzle it seems. 1t is marked
around with Ano lines OF distances apart ex-
actly corresponding to the distance between
the ends Of the teeth in the comb; hence,
whenever any one Of these lines comes Just
opposite the end of any particular tooth,
every spur in the line will sound that tooth;
and the order of the soundings with refer
ence TO the other notes will depend upon
the position Of these spurs in their circle. Of
course, each shifting of the cylinder to right
or left brings new SET of circles and spura
inio "gesr" aud throws others out, so that
different .aoth are touched; by having new
cylinders to iosertthe sane box can be MADE
to play an indefinite number Of tuno9. (Al.
most identiCslly the same mechanism is used
ia the torture box known as the common
straet-organ, except that, in order to pro-
ducs a prolonged note the lifting spur is
made fiat strip of metal in the form Of
three sides Of q rectapgle OF Varyirg lengths.
1t would be impossible by verbal description
to convey a clear idea of the method of set
ting the little spurs in place On the cylinder
for each particular tune; suffice it TO say
that the processes arc all well adapted 10
American ways Of manufacture. By the
aid of machinery, applied with the skill
which is Enthusiastically American, this
most exquisite Of Melodious delights might
be produced, il seems to us, at such prices as
to pOpu aria its use.