The times., 1901-05-26
MUSIC ON THE CURBSTONE
Airs From Hurdy-Gurdies and
Piano Organs in Order.
Repaired and Reftted with New
MISUNDERSTANDING Pipes, They VIII
Soon Perform Anew Their Summer
Functfons-Tuned Up by n Maestro.

Functions-Tuned Up by Maestro
Now is the time that the barrel organ
and the hurdy-gurdy come out from their
hiding places and the shelters in which
they have been alternating during the
winter to make music for the merry feet
| of the street child. After the rigors OF
the cold season begin the street pianos
vanish so completely that 1t is source
of wonder where they have all gone. They
disappear as completely as lost pins, and
1t is only when, on some bright winter
day, a hardy Italian tries to make Ie"
pennies by his music that the citlZens Oh
! the city realize there ever was sGch d
thing as a piano organ. The old tootlety-
tootlety hurdy-gurdy even during the WIN
ter months is more seen on the Streets
because, as a rule it belongs to the man
who plays it, along with the monkey,
and to make his living he is Obliged to
tramp the street whatever the weather
conditions may be.
Piano organs are trusted" They have.
to a great extent, been ]. Pierpont Nor
ganized, and are managed, if not entirely
owned, by one Italian capitalist who loans
them out as they are desired by the
poorer dagos. on a percentage or a fixed
rental, according to the city in which he
happens to be operating. There are Ital-
piano organs, but these are few and far
between. as it is more profitable to rent.
and there is less responsibility.
When the cold weather comes the
hand organs are driven off the street
and where do they go? A little shed in
an alley in the Southwestern portion of
Washington explains the disappearance.
Underneath its patched roof can be seen
huddled together about two dozen of the
wheeled pianos so familiar to everyone
The months that they have been unused
shows from the cobwebs that have been
spun between them. Standing in rows in
the gloomy shadow of the windowless
shack, they make rather weird and in
way soldier-like appca rance. The feel
ing that they have been shut up so long,
and that theiy voices, so welcome to the
poorer children. have been hushed for so
long, adds TO the solemn aspect of the
silent rows.
Now one by one they are being led out
and made ready for business. The little
shed is only part of a larger establish
ment, which is composed of a dilapidated
house or two and some roofs upon sup
ports. The entire colony is quite a bit
removed from other houses and the rea-
son Is apparent as you approach it at this
time of the year. Even from afar off you
are aware that you are about to get ex-
perience something unusual. You seem to
be approaching a musical boiler factory,
and the cacophonous tlnkle-tnkIe OF
thousand strings of varying pitch watts
to you over the tops of houses in the
breeze. There is no harmony and no mel
ody, just a musical jangle of metallic
strings plucked and struck. As you ap-
proach nearer you become aware that the
work is being done very energetically. for
the notes strike your ear harshly. as
though they were being brought out by
steel sledge hammers.
1t is spring cleaning time for the own
er of the piano organs. and he is getting
his stock in shape for the summer. II is
tuning time, and the hundred odd strings
of each instrument must be brought to
something approx:mating the proper pitch.
So it is tuning time, and The maestro.
with his assistants, is at work, making
the air hideous with his discords, which
will later straighten out into the sweet
| accords of the latest ragtime coon song.
or 1lorid arrangement of Stradella. The
. changing temperatures of the winter have
worked havoc with his scales, and many
a string has given way to the effects Of
a particularly cold snap There are some
organs which have been so long in use
, that they must be made over, with new
! strings and new hammer felts and new
dampers, and there are weeks of labor
TO be done upon them.
All this lies before the maestro and his
assistants. Sheltered from the sun, under
the supported roofs, they are sitting each
. one at an instrument. making all the
/ noise possible and perfectly oblNious TO
| the noise going on around. Besides the
maestro, there are three others two of
whom are always employed ~ him as
] tuners. and one of whom is merely on for
the time. During the remainder of the
/, year he is a simple organ grinder on the
I | street, but very pleasing and grateful
2 | one to listen to. because his organ is al
= | ways the best one. in the best tune, and
| playing the very latest airs.
The entire fronts Of three instruments
have been taken out, leaving the rows OF
| tuning pegs exposed and the bristly
| wooden barrel. Even the barrel has been
$ taken out Of the instrument at which
the maestro is working, for he Is engaged
| in hitting II up entirely anew. He has
| just finished putting in new suit of
= ! strings, great big, red, copper covered
. | ones for the bass and shiny steel ones
e | for the soprano. strung double from the
e | middle register up. Just now he is work
T | ing on the new fetS for the dampers
e and has beside him little box filed with
r little soft red squares, which he Is past
l. ing on the wooden damDer block with
: glue. AT his other side are white felts
t in a box, which will later be put on the
t hammers, to make them soft.
o The other three workmen are simply
n tuning, but making a great deal OF noise
:, at ii. Each holds in his hand a little
g hammer with which he taps the string
[ upon which he is working, making ii give
, forth a sharp metallic sound; in the other
!, hand he holds the tuning key and turns
n up the peg az 1t is needed. Tap-tap-tap
f they go. all three with discord sometimes
= now together and now at Irregular inter
= walls, with such a persistent out of tune
Q ness and irregulaTity of rhythm that any
y one with a sensitive a musical in
g stinct is nearly driven mad. One
= is working on the last notes OF
s die register and one on the base. The
s first after few more taps has straight
n ened out his whole scale and tries 1t over
e running lively the gamut with delicate
: taps OF his hammer. Being satisfied thai
= | the scale is correct. he puts the hammers
g into their place, oils up the bearings ol
t the machine brushes out the accumulated
y dirt and turns the crank. Work in the
shop stops and all stand around while the
newly tuned organ makes the air resounc
r | with a Jig. crisp in sharp tune, and lively
~ The maestro mods his head approVinRlJ
and the machine. having had its cast
II rubbed over with oil to polish 1t, is ruI
back into the shed.
In the interior Of the house is fiftl
worker-old bent, and grey bearded, will
n | great bowed spectacles over his eyes ant
q | n red handkerchief tied around his wrin
n | kIed Ieathery neck. He sits by bench
e | close TO the window, and before him is
II wooden cylinder, and beside him pape
t. | chart covered with many parallel line!
= and squares, dotted thickly with blacl
Il marks, some short and some long. Thi!
ii chart is the diagram of Il piece which
n | the old workman is about to put upoI
ID the cylinder before him. Near his hanC