The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-03-01
PLANK TO PARLOR.
The Organ Factory Revealed and
Unveiled.
IT'S A THING OF WOOD and BRASS.
How II Evolves from the Woodland Wiids
to the SalcsrOOm-A Reporters
VISIT to the Western Cottage
Organ Company.
HOW II Is DONE.

Of beauty and JOY forever that grace
the parlors Of the cottages of Americ;
and Europe Of to-day. 1t finds it.
origin in the bagpipe and the pipes OF
Pan, the mythical Greek god Of flock
and pastuage 10 whom it inscribed tn,
the invention OF pastoral music anC
Of the Syrinx. But the organ, prop
crly speaking, really originated amOnl
the Greeks of Alexandria in the sec
0nd century. b. c. organs were used
in churches as early as the time OF
Charlemagne. The structure Of the
organ Of that day was exceedingly
rude the keys being often six or eight
inches in width and struck with fists
and elbows, so that but two notes
could be produced simultaneously.
From this rude instrument the organ
has undergone an evolution of vast
proportions, until it at last becomes
the handsome and sweet toned occu-
pant OF the favorite corner of the
home, loved by the child and looked
upon as a pleasure by all.
But how about its construction?
The lumber for the organ made by
the Western Cottage Organ company
u BION III III IlNt oIdt'N' iI' Dlll' WI
the back is hewn from the Michigan
woods, the poplar spreads its branches
in Tennessee and the black walnut,
used for the visable portion Of the or
gan case, drops its big black nuts upon
the lowlands of Southern Illinois,
Northern Missouri and Eastern In
diana 1t reaches Ottawa in carloads
and boatloads, and is piled away in
the drying sheds for from one to two
years When it is properly seasoned it
is kiln dried for thirty days. Thus all
sap and moisture is eliminated and
the stuff is ready for the saw and the
tools Of the workmen.
The first machine room cOmmuni-
Gates with the drying sheds, and it is
here that the lumber, now thoroughly
seasoned. receives its first taste Of the
moulding into an organ case. 1t is
naturally warped crooked after its
hot air bath in the drying kiln, and is
passed through large planer, which
levels it and prepares it for the saws.
The sawycrS cut it into lengths and
widths, used in cases, and then it is
planed again and passed into the sec
ond machine room. Here it is grooved
and again planed and then shaped
into sides, tops, and ornamented
pieces. 1t is now sandpapered.
The next step finds it upon heavy
freight elevator travelling toward the
third floor, whittier the reporter fol-
lowed it. This room is known as the
case room.
DO you know that there are but two
screws used in an organ case, with the
exception of the back?
1t seems improbable, but it is never
thelesS true. Each piece, having been
and rubbed to smooth
ness which would put the finest ball
room floor in the world to blush, is
carefully glued to its companion piece.
The sides are first glued together.
Then the top is glued and screwed on,
and then the front and back are
glued to their proper places. The
and is only fastened with small screws.
As each piece is glued to its next
neighbor. it is clamped with set
screws and allowed to remain thus
until the glue has become set, The
cases are then placed in room and
the glue allowed 10 become hardeneG,
and should one attempt to break ii
case into pieces, it would break at al
most any point excepting where it |
had been glued.
The cases, when the glue has be-
come fully hardened, are sandpapered
once more and then taken to the filler
room. They are taken In charge by
workmen and the grain Of the wood is
filed with a composition
the ingredients Of which
the boss workman only smiled. The
filling is carefully rubbed in and then
A coat Of shillac is applied. This is
allowed TO dry and the case is again
Next the case goes to
the varnish room, where the first coat
Di varnish is laid on Then it IS
'haircd Off" with piece of hair cloth
and again vanished. This last coat
of varniSh is carefully rubbed down
with pumice stone dust and when per
fcctly smooth it is cleaned off with
oil. Now it is beautiful piece of
only awaiting the
INSIDES.
Having been made fully acquainted
with the case and its many stages Of
the "inSideS' are next re-
vealcd.
The inner mechanism Of an organ is
more interesting than that of any
other instrument In existence, be-
cause il is the most complicated of all.
1t consists Of a bellows, reed board,
a sounding board, two full sets of
reeds, numbering in all 1862 pieces,
stops, keys, valves, and other intri-
crate aud delicate machinery OF which
only an organ maker knows the use
and proper name.
Let us first look into the reed board
room. on the second floor. Here the
reed boards are made and each care
fully tested with reeds before being
perfect. We now pass on
into the action room, where the bel
lows, sounding boards and all other
inside portions excepting the reeds
and keys are made.
The bellows are made in pairs, a
pair being placed in each organ. They
are, or course, air tight, and are made
of thin pine boards and gummcd cloth.
The reed board Is glued to the sound
ing board and, when dry, the reeds are
placed in position, each one lifting in
a small groove, beneath which there
is a space for the admission of air from
the bellows. The two sets OF reeds are