The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-11-13
HAND-ORGANS.

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Interesting Facts About an Industry Sell
dom Heard of-Plucky Osgan-Grinders.
Up four flights of stairs in building
not far from Chatham square, one comes
into an odd-looking workshop. 1t is a
triangular-shaped room. containing a
number of benches, several boards Of
rosewood and black walnut and many
heaps Of shaxings. The place is a hand
organ mandatory. "Trade is pretty
dull just now" said its proprietor to a
reporter.
"My lively times are in the late win
ter and early spring. l have been in
the business here twenty-five years. 1t
cant be said regular business-it's all
special. Sometimes we are overrun
with work when we don't expect it, and
at times when we have every reason to
expect work, there isn't any. You can't
force the market in the hand-Organ
business. The trade don't change
much"
.What is the largest sum hand-or-
gan ever made in day?"
Il heard of one who, when there was
q racket in the gold-roOm, cleared from
$50 to $50. But, of course, this was ex-
ceptional. The monkey part of the bus
mess is as good as ever; monkey is al
ways drawing card to the hand-Organ
player. hear new trick is to teach
the monkey to steal from houses.
The attraction of the business
h. i'll
mode of life. Many Italians not speak
ing English can get along much better
this way than any other. A curious
thing about it is. that they never think
of the really hard work they are doing
in carrying about all day load of from
forty to fifty pounds. When a man be-
gins the day with this weight on his
back, it easily seems one hundred
pounds in weigh: before night comes.
Some of them carry organs that weigh
as much as seventy pounds, but they
generally break down when they try
that. A man may carry an organ weigh
ing forty pounds without hurting HIM
SELF
..What kind are most preferred?'
1.-THE weight is the first consideration,
the lightest always being the favorites.
Next comes those having the most pop
ular street airs. The tunes of Harrigan's
songs are the most sought after now,
and have been a great feature this sum-
mer. One song especially has taken well.
1t is Stick to your Mother, Tom Some
of the secondhand organs that we have
could tell most interesting histories, and
have picked up small fortunes. Their
owners travel all over, and show won
derful amount of pluck and perseverance
sometimes. know of one remarkable in
stance. A number of years ago an old fell
low, over fifty years of age, came in
here and bought thirty-pound organ.
He started from here with it upon his
back. and for sometime did not hear
of him. Then to my surprise got word
that he was in California making money.
| The plucky old fellow had walked the
entire distance to California. climbed
the Rocky mountains and carrying his
organ with him the entire distance. He
got interested in specializing after he
got there. beginning in small way, and
the last time heard of him he was well
off. He was q stubborn old fellow, and
what started him off on his journey was
lawsuit with q church. The last time
saw him his figure was bent far over,
but it could be seen that he retained the
same old stubbornness of character.
what do hand-organs cost"
"A new one made to carry, is worth
from one hundred to two hundred and
fifty dollars, but we sell good second
hand organ for from fifty dollars up. A
flute-organ, weighing thirty pounds.
with twenty-four keys, and that plays
nine tunes, costs one hundred dollars,
with black-walnut case; with rose
wood inlaid case, one hundred and
twenty-five dollars. A flute organ of
forty pounds, with twenty-six keys and
two stop pipes, playing ten tunes, costs
one hundred and fifty dollars in black
walnut; extra cylinders cost forty-five
dollars each. An organ with flute and
piccolo. forty-five pounds and thirty-tive
KEYS, costs one hundred and eighty dol
lars in black walnut. We sell what
we call sideshow organs. They come
in three different styles. No. l is Of
thirty-two keys, ten trumpets, nine
tunes. with sub-bass trumpet and bells.
1t costs two hundred and eighty-six dol
lars. No. is of forty-two keys, four stop
pipes, nine tunes, with cymbals and
snare drum. 1t costs six hundred dol
lars. No. crowns the list. 1t is an
automatic brass band. with sixty keys,
four stop pipes, thirty brass trumpets,
large and small drums, triangles, etc.
It plays nine tunes, and in black
walnut case costs twenty-five hundred
dollars. So you see we can get them up
as big as house, if such are wanted"
.'Do you make any hand-organs con-
tanning small dancing figuresP"
mot many nowadays. 1had An order
for one yesterday, but it is long since
have mSde one thai it comes hard. Such
n one with automatic figures costs about
fifty dollars.-N Y Md dui Express.
The minerslogists of Washington