Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-01-06
THE ORGAN GRINDER.
THE ITALIAN MUSICIANS LIFE
NOT HAPPY ONE.
Turning the Crank Soon Grows Monoton
Gus and the Profession Has Its
Draw backs-W What "a Good
Street Piano Costs.

That occupation once so popular
Among the Italian population-organ-
grinding-see to be growing less
and less every year.
There are probably very few peo-
pie who have any conception OF what
considerable number of these busy
grinders there are and how and where
they live o. anything at all about
them. says the New York Advertiser.
Their interest ends when they have
paid the conventional copper for the
privilege of hearing one OF Dave
Braham's latest successes or possibly
nOcturne from Chopin.
In a little shop in Elizabeth street.
| just around the corner from Grand
and in the very heart Of the Italian
quarter may be found the head
quarters in this country for the
manufacture of barrel organs. street
pianos and carousal organs Ranged
on either side OF the room are in.
struments OF all patterns and values
brought in for tuning or repairing
while their owners stand lazily about
smoking cigarettes nibbling raw
onions and jabbering in their fascinat.
ing tongue with each other. Against
the wall at the end Of the room hangs
a card which declares in the Italian
that Organs are tuned while you
wait" and this is impressed upon tho
visitor by the active movements of
the two young men who do the work
and the monotonous sounds they
mako in doing it.
What does an instrument like that
costp''
That one cost 800 when new. and
1t Is II good one. for / made it.
We have them. though. for $50. and
from that up to 5000. The latter
price will buy piano organ of the
finest pattern. In weight the range is
from thirty TO seventy i've pounds for
the old-fashioned barrel organ while
the pianos weigh much more"
When the Italian walks down the
steerage gangplank OF an ocean liner
just arrived from his sunny home
over the sea- his first idea is to secure
a position as street. worker. for he
has learned before he left home that
his countrymen who have preceded
him here are employed in great num-
bers in that capacity.
When he fails in this and his small
savings are exhausted he will borrow
from an uncle. brother or II cousin
and they are all related in some man.
ner his organ and start out with il
to make his fortune in the great new
country. Probably that same organ
was brought over from the native
land score OF years before. and has
served to lay the foundation for the
fortune of many late arrival. With
it he may make 80 cents day. and
he may make a dollar The amount
depends on the quality OF the organ.
the age OF the music and the liberality
of the audience. That is one reason
why they prefer TO secure employ
ment rs street cleaner at 7J cents a
day; the other is because they fancy
the latter more elevating. and an ltal,
ian has pride and hates TO beg.
The first warm day OF spring will
see those who have wintered in tn,
city pack their ponderous organs OF
|
: vinces. They scatter all over tn,
country. going as far west as Denver
and all through the New England
states. They work their way. as
, rule. tramping oftentimes from towr
TO town. Juggling their fifty pound in
struments through the hot dust,
country for score OF miles to max
] probably few dollars and then on t,
, the next The monkey long sine
made his exit from the cities and 1t
R only rarely that they are now seen il
- the small towns. A man in Brookly
+ made fortune in raising and train
. ing them and he received often a
much rs $50 for u we'll traine
: monkey.
In the selection OF tunes many o
the grinders use their own Judgment
). and in this they are guided by TIL
: musical taste OF the locality whicl
they propose TO work" Those VIII
s play here at home will choose sue
}. melodies as Mary Green" damn
= by My Side ''Ta-ra-ra boom decay.
}. ''Kellys Masquerade Ball. :" and sue
-" selections of a lively. sprightl
n nature. Those who go to the smal
r towns in neighboring states are wis
= enough TO know that Marguerite.
E; The Heart Bowed Down" or tn
- Blue Bells of Scotland" will TAX
. best while the grinders who white
n in the South are alive to the fact tina
Dixie. The Arkansaw Traveller
s, and That Pretty Yellow Gar' wi
!. appeal better to the taste and pocket
= OF the people in that locality.
= The hand-organ has figured cor
. spicuously many times in high socf
life in this city. Not long since
was one OF the forms of entertain
y ment at swell dinner in fashion
3 able home in West Fifty-sevent
! street while many times are recalle
IL when 1t has been used at masquerad
a. parties when played by one OF til
on smart set got up rs an Italian III
a weakness OF some well-known men fe
, baFrel'orgaG music ~ an sstau!ishs
u fact Chauaesy pspsw has bee