Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-08
ORGAN is TESTED
Trial Made of First instrument
Manufactured at New
Local Plant
IS FOUND UP TO ALL REQUIREMENTS
Built for 100000 Studebaker Me-
mortal Church at South
Bend, Ind.

The first organ to be manufactured
| by the ancashire-Marshall Organ
company, formerly of Moline, at the
new plant on Forty-fourth street, this
city, was tested last evening and was
not found wanting. In fact the big
instrument responded so well to the
will Of the skilled musicians who
handled its keys and stops that il was
accepted by those for whom ii was
built and it will now be packed and
shipped 10 be set up in the st. Paul
Stude baker Memorial Methodist
church at South Bend, Ind.
| No less a parsonage than Mrs.
George NJ. Studebaker. daughter-in-
law of the late Clement Studebaker in
whose honor the church is being
built at a cost of 100000 by the fam
| lily, was present to make a personal
test of the organ. She is an accom-
| plished musician. She was,accompan-
led by James Watson, of Chicago, or
9anist at the Church of Our Lady of
Sorrows, who during Yesterday after
noon made a thorough examination
of the organ and during the evening,
assisted by Mrs. Studebaker, gave an
informal recital i'm the presence of an
audience of about 100 citizens of the
tri-cities and friends of the members
of the manufacturing firm.
Both Are Pleased.
Mrs. Studebaker. after using the big
instrument, expressed herself as high
~ pleased in every particular with it.
Mr.. Watson was enthusiastic. 1t is
one of the very finest instruments |
have ever played" he said. II am
surprised and delighted with it. /
was unable to detect a flaw IN il. |
have played many organs in the state
of Indiana and l am satisfied that
this one will be not only one of the
largest but one of the finest in the
state"
The new organ is of gothic design,
outwardly, the front being finished in
mahogany and the exposed pipes
trimmed with gold. 1t is Is feet wide
in front and u feet deep, while it
stands 2S feet high. Its weight when
Grated for shipment will be about
twelve tons and it viii fill furniture
car.
It is Il three-manual instrument
with pedal. There are. 40 stops and
Il pedal movements. The action is
tubular pneumatic throughout. There
arg ?, i33 pipes in il varying in length
from 1G feet down to three-eighths of
an inch. The pneumatic action is
produced by a noiseless electric mo-
tor that operates the bellows. The
console, or key desk, is reversed and
extended four feet in front of the or
gan with the object of allowing room
fAr h,, ..hn tn - No =,
crganist and the instrument to he
directed by the operator. 1t will cost
the Studebakers $1,000.
Something of the Plant
Most OF the work of constructing
the parts OF the organ was done at
the old plant in Moline, but it was set
up and completed here. The room in
which il was assembled is - feet from
floor to ceiling and is large enough to
accommodate an instrument of al
most any size. 1t is located in the
main building. which is So by 125 feet
in ground area. Separated from the
main building are the metal shop, ~
by As feet, dry house, storage sheds,
etc, the whole representing n cost of
about $4,000. This plant is the only
frst-class one devoted exclusively to
the manufacture of pipe organs i'm
the west. The Instruments are not
merely assembled here. but all the |
parts are made from the raw mater |
ial, fact which gives them through |
out n stamp of their own.
Building an organ is work of in |
finite care and much time is required |
for the completion of such n one as
was tested last evening. Each instru-
ment is planned and built by itself, |
and therefore they are built only on |
order. The local plant during the
past year turned out about twenty |
organs and 30 men are now employed. !
Next year the number of men will be |
increased to about fifty and the out
put will be increased accordingly.