Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-09-08
James {, Daniels, Inventor Of
TranspOsing-Keyboard.
PATENTED BY MONTANA MAN


man by birth. who thirty-uvc years
ugo. Invented movable keyboard by
which ali music. through the uHc 90 this
attachment can Boz played on the plano
or organ aH in the key of &C.," except
that the tones would be- higher or lower
ON the nngor-kcys as the pitch re-
quircd would Do higher or lower The
name NJ the inventor o. James y. Dam
iols. Tor many years leader N tn
Provo tabernacle choir. Mr.. Daniels
discovery was the result " necessity.
coupled with toll and study. and a de-
sire FOR knowledge.
In the year is6Lnfter the Provo meet
Ing house had been completed. Mr.
Daniels was Installed as the regular
choir leader re POSSESSED great love
Tor music. and took advantage NJ eve
cry opportunity 20 improve the talents
nature had blessed him with Being
religious man, be- could not help notic-
inE that one whole book of the Scrip
lures aboundod ln song. and the others
were not devoid Of music, ns may boz
Judged from this expression. Let the
people praise thee. o God. Oct nn the
people prairc thee"
Al an early nge Daniels devoted his
evenings 10 the study of the old stan
notation. he wrestici with thirds"
and 'hfths' aud "ssycuthH.' and La
bored hard with the most unmuslcnl exc
,rclHvs that could De- thought o. tie
had not proceeded fur before making
the discovery that even lu music there
was no royal road 10 success Arriving
~ Utah when but % young man the
knowlgdEc he had acquired Of The
"ctoichct' and 'quuyor" "nntH."
"Hhnrpr," and "accldruuls" was soon
put Co good accuuu. through hls up.
polutment us leader nj the choir 4
'large cabinet urgan-pulto u luxury ln
those dhys-Wna procured from -. ~.
Culdur'H Music store. Mrs. Adulphus
Noon, wife uf "a physician. became ore
Hunist aud Tor time things went along
very smoothly. indeed. W0hsurHlis were
held regularly twice o. week. and %
was not long before the choir had won
quite u name Tor ITSELF
Time came whom the choir had Co
part with ita orgnu'st All conductors
know what this means. Mrs Noon
moved with her husband To- Tintlc. ana
there was mo- other person On Provo,
identlnrd with the church. who could
nll her place. William buckley. one uf
the bassns. played two or three chords.
ana knew the difference between thigh"
and low IN music. but that was about
ALL In this situation. Daniels per-
severed and kept up the rpholrHliH. but
the work was uwfully diFcuufHgluH
with no one nj the organ; there was
nn uncertainty and indeciHion about all
hia ondcavorH that was quite noticeable.
He was mover sure whether the choir
was right or not. by q full tone. Many
a choice anthem, and not a fow tune
books. which he had purchased Tor the
choir IN his more hopeful days. laid
around ON the seats, In the pulpit. and
elsewhere, because N the musical
uncertainty In which he found himself
But hope swceteus toll ana the oNpectn-
ton u conqutrlng sooner or later gave
20 Daniels courage and long patience,
REMoDELEp THE KEYBOARD.
Being mechanic Of considerable
ability the choir leader set 10 work
romodellnE the keyboard of the organ.
ana after weeks OF patient labor Huc-
Credod In making II movable.
Tho advantages Of this discovery are
numerous and II Is destined sooner or
later 10 rrvolutiouizv things In music.
The novel feature Of the invention is Ia
doing away with All the cumbersome
and perpleXlnE questions Of transport
ton, since sharps ana Hats occur only
nH accldentalH. with the Daniels nt-
tnchmont the only difference b.twcen
the keys of &C." and "D' is that the ral.
alive pitches ~ the latter are SUCCESS
lyoly ono step higher.
After having succeeded in fixing tho
keyboard. Conductor Daniels s1t about
transporting Ill hIH music into me key
~ &C" Buckley, who. by this timc.
had learned Co play in one key. found
the organ would respond Co tha key the
music was written ia. Daniels applied
% the proper authorities At Washington
FOR N patent on his invention, and
doubtless would have obtained Il but
for some technical mistakes or infor-
malitics In the papers.
NEW oRGANIsT ARRIVES.
The organ with q movable keyboard
ala service for few months VIII ~
there arrived IN Provo, from England,
hrHt-clurs urguuist named Samuel
buckley brother tu William buckley.
The newcomer was invited On become
urgunlHt for the choir position he
] readily accepted, Being good reader.
he preferred using q standard style or
gan, consequently the old instrument
was removed 90 one Df the singera'
/ homes and "a new one was brought
Nothing more was done In the matter
OF pntcutins tEr movable keyboard. un-
tl about eighteen muutha ago whrn
Mt Daniels. lu response 10 thH rntrctt.
iNa of bio numerous friends ln
Provo and elsewhere, made up
hl7 mind tu follow it up
/ NhN NAN NNNN' NNNIhIN HNNANN IIN NIN
~ the law firm M H0Oth a Booth who
Immediately made application Tor "a
patent. The report received Iy thrm
from Washington dated February No.
1897 stated that the idea OF AN adjust
able transportation keyboard was not
new ana that n patent had ulrcndv
been granted, on a similar device The
construction OF the Daniels keyboard.
however the report said was dlnorcnt
lu one or two particulars while 10 was
Impossible for the attorneys tn secure
FOR their client O patent with o. generic
claim covering this form OF construct ON
q putcnt could be- secured with rp.cInr
claims covering the precise features of
construction 81 the Daniels keyboard.
STROETER GOT THE PATENT
Upon further Inquiry at the United
states patent office. % was learned tb,f
n ~. Stroeter Of Butte city. Montana
had applied Tor a patent ou au lpvcn.
ton similar In every particular tu tho
device conceived and planned hy Nh
bluicle The application was Hlal by
Mr. Stroetor October 20. 1895. and letter.
patent were Issued 10 him December
let. 1886
Mr. Daniels saw al uTc1 III 40 tho mod
~ and specifications submitted hy Mr..
Stroeter corresplnded with hls own In-
vcntlon OF thlrty-fOur years previous.
In this connection Mr.. Daniels relate,
q story that IL worth repeating and III
true proves beyond doubt that AIR