Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-09-16
The Churchville Organ Factory.

The Churchville Organ Factory.
ORGAN-HIs UPS AND DOWNs-HIs
FINAL SUCCESS, &C.
There are few enterprises in Augusta
more worthy of notice and patronage than
the mandatory of the Lutz Transposing
Organ, at Churchville. A reporter of this
paper looked in on the establishment few
days ago and the sight Of the pretty, neat
ly finished and ornamental instruments of
various styles and sizes which filled the
front room, led to an examination into
the business and the disclosure of many
interesting facts in connection with the
enterprise. This is the only organ factory
in the South except, perhaps, small shop
in Rockingham, where few instruments
are made.
Mr.. J. A. Lutz, the inventor of the
Transposing organ and the manager of the
establishment, has seven hands now en-
gagged in manufacturing the instruments,
the company having commenced opera
lions only last spring. Mr.. Lutz is an in
genious German mechanic who came to
this country in 1854, from City Altoona,
near Hamburg, and in 1856 settled in Way
nesboro and married there, remaining I'M
til 1872, when he came to Churchville. He
served through the war in Capt. George
Antrim's company which was attached to
the 9Th regiment of the Stonewall Brigade
and was badly wounded at Kernstown,
nearly losing his arm. He has made sew
eral ingenious inventions among which
are car coupler and an improved cotton
plow, and he was the first mechanic who
made success of the famous button hole
attachment of DR.. Samuel J. Baird, after
he had in vain for four years tried skilled
mechanics in Staunton, Baltimore and
Philadelphia.
It was several years after Mr.. Lutz came
to Churchville that the suggestion of his
transposing organ was brought about by
the desire of his son (who has a musical
turn) TO be taught to play upon an organ.
Mr.. L. not feeling able to give a musical
education, bethought him. after much
study and long laborious experimenting,
of plan by which music was made so easy
that the boy could teach himself and in q
few months he became skillful performer.
The whole secret lay in the advantage of
the transposing mechanicism which may
transposing stop placed in the centre OF
the name-board. Among the advantages
over the ordinary organ the pitch can be
raised or lowered by semitones any num-
Der Of degrees throughout the action, be-
ing thereby suited to any voice, or brought
into harmony with any other instrument
without a change of lingering. Any piece
of music can be played IN the natural key
while the organ does its own transposing
as there is only one scale to learn instead
save great deal of expense and trouble
and learn to play in one fourth of the time
that would be required to learn on an Or
binary organ.
The company has met with the us ual
backsets which meet all new inventions,
the difficulty in getting suitable machine
ry and skilled mechanics and the reluctance
with which people take hold Of new
thing and patronize home man ufactures.-
But the instruments have been finally in
PRODUCED into this county, Greenbrier and
Highland, and their endorsement is most
satisfactory and unanimous, and comes
unsolicited from the private parlor as we'll
as the church choir, aud it cannot be long
before they come into general use. The
cases are made of fine black walnut and
the finish is beautiful. The Hollywood
for ornamentation, which resembles ivory,
is procured in New Y ork, and the walnut
blister or veneering, a nicely curled arti-
Gle, is imported from France, where only
it can be had. They get the stops and
reeds which are of peculiar and exceed
ingly durable pattern from Worcester,
Massachusetts,, and the ivory, ebony and
celluloid for keys, from the same place.
The superior gum cloth and finely temper
ed steel springs for the bellows are also i'm
ported, and the.cases and whole inside work
which includes bellows, feeders, pedles,
wind chest, Transporting keys, key boards,
stop action, transposing register and name
boards are home manufacture and of the
very best. Mr.. LutZ even cuts his own
stencils, which are both better and pretti-
er than he can get from the North.
The capacity of the factory is two of
the finest organs or three of the low priced
ones in two weeks, and as the demand in
creases the factory will be enlarged and
the number of employees increased. This
bids fair to be shortly the case, as some
agents Of Northern companies have given
them up and taken hold of the new organ,
which it would seem. when once fairly in
PRODUCED will, on account of its easy adap-
tation to any learner, outrun all competi-
ton.
The greatest drawback the company
now experiences, is the lack of sufficient
capital, and the opportunity for an invest
ment which is offered capitalists is rare
one, which it is not likely will be long
overlooked.
SERIOUS FIRg.-A serious fire occurred
at the farm Of Mr.. Archibald Walker, 1.-THE
old Anderson place,) four miles from
Staunton, night before last. About 10
O'Clock his barn was seen to be on fire and
the flames made such Roadway that there
was no chance of saving the barn. which
was large and valuable one, and but lit
tie could be saved of the contents. He
lost all of a fine crop of hay and his farm
ing implements, but no. stock. Mr.. Tut