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New York's Old Church Organs.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Briggs Style R.
QUAINT EAST SIDE CONGREGATIONS PROUD
POSSESSORS OF MUSICAL RELICS.
There are many churches in this Borough
of Manhattan of which much could be writ-
ten because of their associations with the
past and the sturdy old Knickerbocker
families which worshipped there. This
story has to do with but two of these quaint
edifices, however, and deals with the two
most ancient organs in any of the greater
city's sacred structures.
Both these
churches are located on the East side of
the city, and the congregation of each feel
justly proud of the possessions of the
churches to which they belong.
These tuneful and very valuable instru-
ments are known to but few outside of the
regular members, as both organs are me-
mentos of the city's younger days and the
rurality of what is now a vast and enter-
prising metropolis.
The most venerable of the two instru-
ments belongs to the Dutch Reformed
Church, which is located on Norfolk street,
between Rivington and Stanton streets.
Its history is interwoven with tales of
colonial warfare and of British soldiery
who thumped its keys with greasy digits
and forced through its pipes strange and
unholy notes set to ribald rhymes.
The Norfolk street musical relic has
even had the shadow of a crime, now long
since forgotten, cast athwart its solid frame,
and ghostly fingers, says neighborhood tra-
dition, has fingered its ivories on dreary
wintry nights.
The elder John Jacob Astor, a deacon of
the church at one time, is credited with
having sang in accompaniment to the melo-
dious peals of this old organ, unmindful of
the cares of trade or the tricks of fortune
building.
The old organ was built in Holland, of
well-seasoned woods from the Black Forest
and reed pipes tuned by loving hands. It
had a varied career before it finally found
a permanent resting place in the Norfolk
street church. The elements have not been
injurious, and age has succeeded only in
mellowing its tones and adding to its
stocky, Holland comeliness of outline and
ornamentation.
The next oldest organ in the city is part
and parcel of the Hedding Methodist Epis-
copal Church, in Seventeenth street, near
First avenue. The congregation of this
edifice is naturally proud of it. Its his-
tory is somewhat clouded by a drift of
meagre and conflicting facts. It is both
denied and affirmed that its pipes, at least,
were imported from Holland. Whatever
the proportion of truth in these pipe stories,
it is certain that the organ proper was
built in this city in 1837 by George Jar-
dine, the founder of the famous firm of
organ constructors.
This Hedding Church instrument was
one of the first important undertakings
of the young organ builder. The youthful
Jardine had recently come to this country
from England, where he had exercised his
skill as an apprentice on some of the most
perfect organs in the world at that time,
One of the most popular of the many
artistic pianos which are now being manu-
factured by the Briggs Piano Co. of Bos-
ton, is style R, pictured above. This in-
strument is admirably balanced architec-
turally, and presents a pleasing picture in
that connection, while in construction and
tonal qualities it is up to the usual high
Briggs standard.
It is sufficient to say that the scale
used in these instruments, as in all the
other Briggs styles, has been designed
and drawn by Mr. Briggs, Sr., who for
years has been acknowledged as one of the
leaders in this important department of
piano construction. The Briggs scales are
noted for their evenness of tone, due to
the nicety with which they are worked out.
Style R is made in fancy burl walnut,
mahogany and oak case. It has seven and
one-third octaves, double veneered hard-
wood case, hardwood back, improved com-
posite metal stringing frame, three strings
to a note, three pedals, overstrung bass,
patent repeating action and brass hammer-
butt flanges, raised hand carved panels,
carved pilasters and trusses, ivory keys,
solid ebony polished sharps, continuous
hinge on fall, extra heavy steel bearing'
bar, patent damper blocks, plated motise-
proof pedals and guard, and Briggs im-
proved music rest and fall.
Height, 4
feet 8 inches; width, 5 feet 2% inches;
depth, 2 feet 3 inches.
notably the big instrument in Westminster
Abbey.
When the old Wall Street Presbyterian
Church was moved to Jersey City and be-
came the First Presbyterian Church of that
place, which event took place away back
in 1836, the members of the congregation
placed an order with the young English
organ maker for a high grade instrument.
With the benefit of his experience abroad,
Jardine built what was then considered
the finest organ in this country. It was
placed on exhibition at the American In-
stitute Fair when finished, and there won
the gold medal and first prize. While on
exhibition there it was played upon by Dr.
Edward Hodges, then organist of old
Trinity Church, and one of the most fin-
ished musicians in the world. The instru-
ment received widespread praise, both for
its tone and its volume, and was generally
acknowledged, says the Journal, to be a
perfect piece of musical mechanism.
by the famous Greatorex, at that time
organist of Calvary Church, of this city.
In 1850 the Jersey City church was torn
down and the organ was then sold to the
Hedding Methodist Episcopal Church and
eventually moved over to its present home
on East Seventeenth street.
Soon after the great fair ended the new
organ was set up in the church in Jersey
City and there became an object of consid-
erable attention because of its prize-win-
ning record. While there it was played
Why Profits Have Been Less.
[Special to The Review. 1
Detroit, Mich., Nov. 7, 1898.
For some time Broadwell & Wolf, whole-
sale dealers in musical merchandise, at 141
Woodward avenue, have apparently been
doing a larger business than for four years.
Notwithstanding this their profits have
been less and they were at a loss to ac-
count for it. They have now discovered
the "leak" in the person of John Sweins-
berger, a music teacher, living at 23 May-
bury avenue.
Sweinsberger has been visiting the store
on the average of three times a week, for
a long time, and admits for six months,
past has been helping himself to the stock.
Detectives Brooks and Monahan arrested
the man this morning and found some of
the stolen goods on his person, and also a
quantity at the home of the prisoner