IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND SUCH LIKE INSTRUMENTS WITH FREE REEDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of 33, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS
AND SUCH LIKE INSTRUMENTS WITH FREE REEDS." A communication from
abroad by Edmund Seches, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 17th February 1880, and dated the 18th August 1879..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1879.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND SUCH LIKE INSTRUMENTS WITH FREE REEDS."
(A communication from abroad by Edmund Seches, of Paris, France.)
These improvements are applicable to organs with free reeds generally classed
under the names of expressive organs, harmoniums, melodeons, and so forth; these
names vary according to the ideas of the builder, but the principles which compose
them are the same, the forms, the modes of application may vary, the number of
the producing organs may be increased or diminished, but the principle is always
the same, and if different effects or tones are obtained it is by the special arrange-
ment of the different parts of which the instrument is composed.
The chief elements of this kind of instrument are as follows:-
1. The bellows arrangement in general comprising the bellows or the pumps and
the reservoir.
2. The sound board composed of sonorous cases one for each note; the arrange-
ment of these sonorous cases enables the sound to be varied, thus, for example,
taking two similar reeds and applying them on two sound boards pierced with the
different sonorous cases different tones are obtained, the arrangement therefore of
the sonorous cases is of great importance.
[
3. The expression which is to the organ what the bow is to the violin.
4. The different parts.
5. The general arrangement.
First part of the improvements.-New sonorous cases, new application of sonorous
cases constructed on new principles.
As before stated the known sound board is composed of sonorous cases, one for

page_text: different ways in which it is bored, but it resumes in principle in causing the keys
to vibrate by means of an opening giving passage to the air, this vibration.forming
a column of air either by the side opposite its entry and gives a determined sound,
according to the arrangement of the case.
*14*,
Each sonorous case of the sound board is special to its note; the inlet and outlet
is uniquely reserved to the key, and consequently the column of air is reduced. to a
small quantity; this well understood the inventor wishes to extend the advantages
resulting from the said cases, for he has invented an entirely new instrument which
he calls sounding boards with movable sonorous cases which forms the first part of
the improvements and which makes a great change in free reed harmoniums, the
results will be immense.
The sound board with sonorous cases is intended to modify the naturally sharp
sound of the metal key vibrating in the said case.
The sounding boards with new. sonorous cases! are complete with other great
advantages.
The rule, to some extent invariable,.is .that the reopening where the vibration is
produced is opposite to the exit of the said sound under a valve moved by the key
board; at this exit a plane sounding board is often placed, and sometimes a box
with blinds' opening automatically as in large organs and giving more or less sound;
or varying the sounds according to the opening. These means, more or less
efficacious, have never yet produced any very remarkable results, and in all cases
they only produce sounds more or less strong, neitlier the sounds nor the sonority
has been changed... With this improved sounding; board there is possession, as it
were, of a product at the issue from the sound board; then it is collected in the
sonorous cases of the table which are arranged in groups of notes; then there is for
it a certain space before allowing it to escape into the interior.
It is precisely the arrangement of these cases and the obstacles they afford to
the emission of sounds which offers an immense advantage, allowing the production
of quantities of sounds varying indefinitely to a perfection hitherto unknown, and
at the same time of great power and great sonority, that is, so true; that it is
impossible for a most expert player to determine precisely the number of keys which
speak with this improved sound board; a harmonium with three, stops produces
effects very powerful, and as particularly very interesting the sounds are .com-
pletely modified and gain enormously in roundness and fullness, destroying with it
the crudity of sound which is generally so disliked in these instruments. The
sonorous cases, in the kind of those of the sound boards,. vary in' construction in
order to vary the sounds according to the will, of the builder.
Now in the sound space the sound is produced as before mentioned, then it goes
out. The sounding board table with movable sonorous cases made according to
this Invention is oftener applied on the sound board of the stops, and takes the
sounds at one note which correspond at another on the soundboard to the exit of
the valves, and according to the effects wished to be obtained it can be.constructed,
or it may have a certain resemblance to the sonorous case of ordinary sound boards.
The valve itself can be combined and have a double covering. As before stated
the sounding. table is divided by cases composed of partitions secured or not to the
table, and more or less apart, thus each case may.correspond to one, or to more or a
less number of notes; there would be besides a proportion to determine for the
progressive division of these cases, experience alone enables this progression to be
determined. The sounding board may be flat, or the sounding board table can be
applied on an upright sounding board; it can also have the sonorous cases formed
by partitions, but the table may also be taken in a thick case of wood as for the stop
sound board, and the cases of the machine made as for these latter.
JVJ
The effect of these sonorous cases applied to the sounding board table is so great
that from a single stop four characters or, different tones are obtainable, and very
distinct, according to the opening which allows the sound to escape.
J
"It should be noticed that the sonorous case is entirely new, inasmuch as the

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column of air is borrowed, from other sonorous neighbouring cases when the
unstopping is produced in the space where the performer touches the key board.
As, moreover, this sonorous case has only a single opening as that of the sound
board, there may be several given to it in order to vary the sound according to the
taste at the moment of the performer. Then, contrary to the case of; the sound
board, there are several exits for the.column of air, produced by an entry which is
not unique as in the said sound board case.
The sound board table with movable sonorous cases is a very great improvement;
it is by it that can be done without study in several ways, automatically
progressive .crescendo and diminuendo movements almost as well as an expert
performer can do with the expression and the double expression; on this latter it
offers considerable.advantages, amongst others the following:-Not only does it cost
much less and offers means for regulating more surely but is better in tune, in fact,
the double expression, hand expression, and the like consist in regulating the entry
of the wind by some mechanism moving small valves. progressively which allows
more or less wind to enter the reeds while regulating the entry of the latter into
the air chamber. The improved sound board table with sonorous cases, on the
contrary, regulates the exit of the sound by simple valves divided in 2 or in 4.
With the loss in the guides acting on the said valves they lower or rise progres-
sively, producing effects analogous to the expression or double expression. The
same 2 flat valves placed one on the other, one opens first and makes opening small,
then the second opening offers the large opening whereby the crescendo is produced,
and vice versa.
Second, part of these improvements.-Coupling of the keys of the key board to
the octave.
.
There is now in certain harmoniums a mechanism which allows a note to be
touched and the superior octave of the same note is obtained, that is to say, to
double the effect of this note, since if a cord instrument is played on, two cords
vibrate instead of one, and if a reed instrument is played on, two reeds speak instead
of one, a chord being struck to an octave reproduces at the superior octave. This
mechanism is sometimes called abridged.or coupled; the Americans and the English
call it the coupler.
These improvements are based on entirely new principles, thanks to which a
single note is reproduced on three octaves, besides the old mechanism would only
operate one half of the note touched, but still the corresponding note at the half
octave and the octave below, or three notes which speak together and which triple
the power of the instrument.
Suppose a key board of a harmonium composed generally of five octaves by
pressing on one of the keys starting from the third octave all the notes will operate
the two octaves above; if a note of the fourth octave is touched it operates on note
above and on note below, and the notes touched on the fifth octave operate two
notes below. In a word, by employing this mechanism a single note touched in
the three upper octaves of the instrumentalways causes the three octaves to sound;
even when making a chord it will be reproduced three times, either on the higher
octaves or on the lower octaves, or above and below, according to the octave on
which it is struck; in. fact, the sonority, the power, will be tripled, for simplicity
it should be understood that less notes can be coupled.
Suppose a series of 12 cylinders or rollers, these rollers or cylinders have trunnions
which turn with slight friction in supports arranged as follows:-On the rollers are
fixed levers either by screws or by any other good suitable mode of attachment; the
ends of these levers opposite to the rollers enter into a notch formed in the tumbler
fixed to the key;, a roller is fixed to a bar mounted on another roller which is
worked either by a register or by a knee piece, or by a pedal or their equivalents;
a spring brings the tumbler back when the coupling mechanism does not operate.
To well follow the operation of the apparatus we take the first coupling roller, and
on which three levers are fixed; it is evident that if pressure is put on one or other
of these levers by means of the key and of the tumbler the roller will be operated

page_text: and in its turn will operate the three levers, and consequently the corresponding
keys, as all the keys of the keyboard will be acted on; it is then evident that
according as pressure is put on one or other of the three keys corresponding to the
levers the coupling of the octave is produced either in the treble or bass, or in both;
the operation is explained for one note, but it will be understood that as there are
twelve rollers the complete octave may be obtained.
Third part. The bellows.
In general principle the manufacture of instruments with free reeds has some
great inconveniences, and in the first line the bellows may be placed. If it has to
supply several stops at a time, it is necessary that it should be powerful, but this
power becomes useless and even injurious when there is only a single stop to supply;
in this case it becomes too strong, from which cause the necessity of establishing a
mean for the thickness of the copper of the reeds, which is inconvenient, in fact, if
the stop blades are made very thin a powerful bellows breaks the tongue pieces and
falsifies the sound, if, on the contrary, the tongue piece is of too thick copper soft
wind is not sufficient to cause the vibration and to obtain the sound which it ought
to give.
:
The only way to remedy these inconveniences which altogether detract from
"the perfection of these instruments is to employ two different bellows in the
same instrument, one very weak and sufficient to make the very thin tongues
to speak, the other more powerful, allowing other and thicker stops to be used, and
calculated by the power of the bellows. According to this Invention four. pumps
are used, two for each bellows, the two pedals now usually employed are sufficient
to operate the four pumps. There is here represented a great difficulty, the four
pumps ought always to be aspirant without which the performer will have trouble
to make them operate, otherwise the result will be identical to that which the large
'bellows give before supplying the same stops. To obtain the desired result the
following has been adopted :-When the registers of the instruments are closed the
air chamber is open, contrary to that which generally exists, and consequently
the two bellows are dispensed with, although the air supplied by the pumps will
issue as soon as the air chambers are open. This means of annulling the resistance
of the pumps can also be applied to the pumps, or if desired to the reservoir.
the idea of annulling at will the action of the whole of the bellows is the principle
as it were of this part of the Invention. When the stop is required to be soft,
the opening of the registers special for these stops will make the soft bellows
single; it will be the same if other stops are required, the loud bellows being worked
by registers will act alone, and then the two may be caused to operate together
when all the stops speak together either by means of a third register coupling or by
a pedal knee piece or their equivalents.
This independent action of the wind for such or such stop enables one to produce.
unknown effects to the present time, amongst others an effect too important to pass
by without noticing, it is, that on the same key board there are stops not subject
to expression while others can be played with expression.
Attempts have been made to obtain in the same instrument a.suction bellows
and an expulsion bellows by putting four pumps and four pedals; these attempts
have not been successful; it was almost impossible not to succeed by pressing on
such or such pedal. An arrangement for hooking and unhooking can also be used,
but from the inventor's point of view the system described is the better, which
consists in annulling at will the pumps. and reservoirs by means of valves worked
by the registers or other means of action. This new plan can be used with four
pumps, with two pedals only, and it is so important that it solves the problem of
practically using in a harmonium a suction and expulsion bellows.

page_text: At Figure 1 is illustrated a harmonium made according to this Invention, of
which the inventor claims the new arrangements while at the same time combining
therewith many elements of ordinary manufacture, which together form a combi-
nation in their application with his improvements.
First part of the improvements, new sonorous cases and new application of
sonorous cases constructed on new principles.
As before stated, the known sound board is composed of sonorous cases, one for
each frame, supporting the keys; this case varies in length, breadth, and in the
different ways in which it is bored, but it resolves into the principle; the causing
the reeds to vibrate by means of an opening giving passage to the air, this
vibration forming a column of air by the side opposite its entry, and gives a
determined sound according to the arrangement of the case.
Figure 2 is an illustration of the application of this principle, and this is
important for it shows the difference between the sonorous case and the new
sonorous cases, the subject of this Invention.
Each sonorous case of the sound board is special to its note, the inlet and outlet
is reserved to the key, and consequently the. column of air is reduced to a small
quantity; this well understood the inventor extends the advantages resulting from
the said cases; for he has invented an entirely new instrument which he calls
"Bounding boards with movable sonorous cases," which forms the first part of the
improvements and which makes a great change in the manufacture of free reed
harmoniums, the results of which are immense.
.
The sound board with sonorous cases is intended to modify the naturally sharp
sound of the metal tongue or reed vibrating in the said case, and possesses other
great advantages.
As shown by the Drawing, Figure 2, where an ordinnry sound board is repre
sented marked with the letter d,, the rule to some extent invariably is that the

page_text: reopening where the vibration is produced is opposite to the exit of the said sound
under a valve moved by the key board; at this exit, which I will call b¹; a plain
or flat sounding board is often placed, and sometimes a box with blinds opening
automatically as in large reed organs, and according to the opening so the sound is
increased or diminished. These means, more or less' efficacious, have never yet
produced any very remarkable results, and in all cases they only produce sounds
more or less powerful, neither the sounds nor the sonority has been changed.
With this improved sounding board there is possession as it were of a product at
the issue from the sound board, then it is collected in the sonorous cases of the
table which are arranged in groups of notes, as seen in Figures 1a and 1b, where
the improved sounding board is' represented in plan; then, there is for it a certain
space before allowing it to escape to the outside.
It is precisely the arrangement of these cases and the obstacles they afford to
the emission of sound which offers an immense advantage, allowing the production
of quantities of sound, varying indefinitely to a perfection hitherto unknown, and
at the same time of great power and great sonority, that is, so true that it is
impossible for a most expert player to determine precisely the number of keys
which speak with this improved sound board; a harmonium with three stops
produces effects very powerful and particularly interesting, the sounds are com-
pletely modified and gain enormously in roundness and fulness, destroying with it
the crudity of sound which is generally so disliked in these instruments. The
sonorous cases are similar to the sound board kind, and vary in construction in
order to vary the sounds.
Now in the sound space 'the sound is produced as is shown at Figure 2, and as
before mentioned, then it goes out at 6'. The sounding board table with movable
sonorous cases, made according to this Invention, are here designated by the
letter A, usually placed on the sound board, and takes the sound at a, which
corresponds with b₁of the sound board to the exit of the valves; and according to
the effects which it is desired to obtain it can be constructed as shown in the
diagrams from 3 to 14; it will be seen that it can be as simple, as shown in Figures
3 and 4, where it has a certain resemblance to the sonorous case of ordinary sound
boards; or it may be composed as shown at Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
and 14; the arrows b indicate the course of the sound, and the valves c which may
be opened and closed either by stops or by knee pieces or by pedals, whereby the
sounds are or can be allowed to escape either almost immediately, as in Figures
4, 5, 9, or after traversing a more or less long distance, as in Figures 3, 6, 7, and 8
and following Figures.
The valve c itself may be combined, as seen in Figures 11ª, 12ª, and 13ª, where
it will be seen that there is a double covering c, c'; in Figure 11ª the valve is closed
and the sound shut up; in Figure 12ª the covering valve c¹ is raised, and in Figure
13 the large valve c is raised; the arrows indicate the direction of the escape;
in the different diagrams two valves c are shown, but it must be understood that
one only may be used, as in Figure 10. As before stated, and as represented at
Figures 1 and 1b, the sounding table is divided by cases composed of partitions
secured or not to the table and more or less apart, thus each case may correspond
to one, or to more or a less number of notes; there would be besides a proportion
to determine for the progressive division of these cases; experience alone enables
this progression to be determined; however Figures 1 and 1b give illustrations of
an average graduation. Here a sounding board is shown fat, but it must be
understood that the sounding board table can also be applied on an upright
sounding board; it can also, as shown in the Drawing, have the sonorous cases
formed by partitions, but the table may also be formed out of a solid piece of wood
as for the stop sound board, and the cases hollowed by machinery as used for these
latter.
The effect of these sonorous cases applied to the sounding board table is so great
that from a single stop four characters or different tones are obtainable and very
distinct, according to the opening which allows the sound to escape, as may be

page_text: understood by reference to Figures 3 to 14. It should be noticed that the sonorous
cases ars entirely new, inasmuch as the column of air is borrowed from other sonorous
neighbouring cases, when the issue is produced in the space where the performer
touches the key board.
As, moreover, this sonorous case has only a single issue or exit, as that of the
sound board, there may be several given to it in order to vary the sound, according
to the taste of the performer; therefore, contrary to the case of the sound board,
there are several exits for the column of air produced by an inlet.
The new sound board table with movable sonorous cases is a very great improve-
ment; by it difficult music can be performed, with the necessary expression and
without study, in several ways, automatically, progressive, crescendo, and diminuendo
movements, almost as well as an expert performer can do with the expression and
the double expression. On this latter it offers considerable advantages, amongst
others the following:-Not only does it cost much less and offers means of regu-
lating more surely, but is better in tune; in fact, the double expression, hand
expression, and the like consist in regulating the entry of the wind by some
mechanism moving small valves progressively, which allows more or less wind to
enter the reeds while regulating the entry of the latter into the air chamber. The
improved sound board table with sonorous cases, on the contrary, regulates the exit
of the sound by simple valves divided in 2 or in 4. With the escape in the guides
acting on the said valves they lower or rise progressively, producing effects analogous
to the expression or double expression. The same two flat valves, placed one on
the other, one opens first and makes the opening small, then the second opening
produces a larger opening whereby the crescendo is produced, and vice versa.
Second part of these improvements relate to the coupling of the keys of the key
board to the octave.
There is now in certain harmoniums a mechanism which allows a note to be
touched, and the superior octave of the same note is obtained, that is to say, to
double the effect of this note, since if a cord instrument is played on, two cords
vibrate instead of one, and if a reed instrument is played on, two reeds speak instead.
of one, a cord being struck to an octave, reproduces at the superior octave. This
mechanism is sometimes called abridged or coupled.
These improvements are based on entirely new principles, by which a single note
is reproduced on these octaves. Besides, the old mechanism would only operate one
half of the note touched, but still the corresponding note at the upper octave, and
the octave below, or three notes which speak together, and which triple the power
of the instrument; and to assist in making the description clear the following
example is given at Figures 15 and 16..
Suppose a key board of a harmonium composed generally of 5 octaves, by
pressing on one of the keys, starting from the third octave, all the notes of two
octaves above will operate; if a note of the fourth octave is touched it operates on
a note above and on a note below, and the notes touched on the fifth octave operate
on two notes below. In a word, by employing this mechanism a single note touched
in the three upper octaves of the instrument always causes the three octaves to
sound. Even when making a chord it will be reproduced three times, either on the
higher octaves, or on the lower octaves, or above and below, according to the octave
on which it is struck; in fact, the sonority, the power, will be tripled. For simpli-
city, it should be understood that less notes can be coupled; and to make this
description still clearer an illustration is given in the annexed Drawing. Supposė
a series of 12 cylinders or coupling rollers f, Figures 1, 15, 16, 17. These rollers or
cylinders have trunnions which turn with slight friction in the framing of the instru-
ment. On the rollers are fixed levers f¹, either by screws f2 or by any other good
suitable mode of attachment; the ends of these levers fopposite to the rollers enters
into a notch fs formed in the tumbler f* fixed at f³ to the key g; a roller his fixed
to a bar h mounted on another roller i, which is worked either by a stop or by a
knee piece, or by a pedal or their equivalents; a spring ; brings the tumbler f' back
when the coupling mechanism does not operate. The opération of the apparatus is

page_text: as follows: By taking the first coupling rod or roller f, which is called fa, and on
which, the three levers fb, fo, fa; are fixed, it is evident that if pressure is put on
one or other of these levers by means, of the key g and of the tumbler f* the roller
fwill be operated, and in its turn will operate the three levers fb, f, fd, and con-
sequently the corresponding keys, although all the keys. of the key board will be
acted on. It is then evident that according as pressure is put on one or other of the
three keys, corresponding to the levers fb, fo, fa, the coupling of the octave is pro-
'duced either in the treble or, bass, or in both. The operation is explained for one,note,
but it will be understood, that, as there are, twelve coupling rods or rollers, the
complete octave may be obtained.
The following mode as represented in Figures 19 and 20, may also be employed.
The keyboard A* is placed in a recess as usual without any alteration, and, by
means of regulating screw B× which is fixed to the keys of the sound board this
latter is brought in contact with a mechanism C*, which can be swung down by
reason of the recessed arrangement of the key board and pushes the guide. D,
which latter causes the mechanism E* on which the valves are fixed to be raised.
At the outside mechanism Cx there is also placed a screw B**, which when
desired is made to come in contact with coupling mechanism G*.
It must be remarked that at the end of mechanism Ex there is placed a second
guide D** which rests on coupling mechanism G*, and which is always connected
with mechanism Ex and coupling G*. At this stage the coupling mechanism G*
has not yet produced any effect to cause the mechanism G* repeating at the
upper octave, it must be caused to raise and take under the screw B** in the
'position shown in dotted lines, this is done by means of slide acted by knee piece
H, pedal and stop.
Third part of this Invention relates to the bellows.
In general principle the manufacture. of instruments with free reeds has some
great inconveniences, and in the first instance the bellows may be named. If it
has to supply several stops at. a time it is necessary that it should be powerful,
but this power becomes useless and even injurious when there is only a single stop
to supply; in this case it becomes too strong, from which arose the necessity of
establishing a standard thickness of the copper or other material of the reeds which
is inconvenient, in fact if they are made very thin a powerful bellows breaks them
and falsifies the sound, if on the contrary the tongue piece is of too thick material
a soft wind is not sufficient to cause the vibration, and to obtain the sound which
it ought to give. The only way to remedy these inconveniences which altogether
detract from the perfection of these instruments is to empty two different bellows
in the same instrument, one very weak and sufficient to make the very thin
tongues to speak; the other more powerful allowing other and thicker stops to be
used and calculated to the power of the bellows.
According to this Invention four pumps are used, two for each bellows, the two
pedals now usually employed are sufficient to operate the four pumps. There is
here presented a great difficulty, the four pumps ought always to be under the
control of the performer, otherwise the result will be identical to that which the
large bellows gives before supplying the same stops. To obtain the desired result 4
the following has been adopted, and in the Drawing, Figure 18, an illustration is
given to assist the description:When the stops of the instrument are closed the
air chamber is open contrary to that which generally exists, and consequently the
two bellows are dispensed with, although the air supplied by the pumps will issue
as soon as the air chambers are open. This means of annulling the resistance of 5
the pumps can also be applied to the pumps themselves, or if desired to the
reservoir, the idea of annulling at will the action of the whole of the bellows is the
principle as it were of this part of the Invention. When a soft or "sourdine
expression is desired the opening of the stop, Aa special for this purpose, will cause
the soft bellows A alone to act it will be the same. if a stronger expression is 5
required, the loud bellows B being worked by the stop Bb will act alone, but at
last if desired the two bellows may also be caused to operate together, when all the
"

page_text: stops speak together either by means of a third coupling or by a pedal, knee piece,
or their equivalents.
This independent action of the wind for such expression enables one to produce
effects unknown up to the present time amongst others, an effect too important to
pass by without noticing it is, that on the same key board, there are other reeds
not subject to expression.
Attempts have been made to obtain in the same instrument a suction bellows,
and an expulsion bellows by putting four pumps and four pedals; these attempts
have not been successful; it was almost impossible to avoid mistake by pressing on
such or such pedal. An arrangement for hooking and unhooking can also be used,
but the system described is the best, and which consists in annulling at will the
pumps and reservoirs by means of valves worked by the stops or other means.
This new plan which allows the use of four pumps by means of two pedals only,
and it is so important that it solves the problem of practically using in a
harmonium a suction and expulsion bellows, as shown in the accompanying
Drawing.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The application to organs with free reeds called harmoniums of a sounding
board with moveable sonorous cases constructed, applied, and operating, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. A special arrangement of a coupling arrangement of the key board to
repeat one or several notes at the octave either in the treble or in the bass, sub-
stantially in the manner described and illustrated with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
Third. The special arrangement of bellows which can be constructed in two
parts in order that a portion may operate the soft reeds, and the other the loud
reeds, these two bellows being capable of being united, and the mode of action
together with valve or valves regulated by the stops or their equivalents, all sub-
stantially in manner herein before described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
E. G. BREWER. (L.S.)