Bob Conant's comments in 141003 MMDigest about newsprint found
inside feeder bellows brings back the experience Mike Merrick and
I had when we restored what we thought was an Artizan Factories
organ from North Tonawanda, New York.

The outside of the bellows was covered with the Niagara Falls Journal
dated 1915.  This predates Artizan's existence, but we figured the
organ may have actually started out as a North Tonawanda Musical
Instrument Works (NTMIW) organ as it had a NTMIW vacuum system and
valve chest, and Artizan was started by disgruntled NTMIW employees
who may have taken this instrument with them.

However, our speculation really changed upon opening the bellows.
Inside was more newspaper, only this time with German printing and
the date of 1883.  But the real surprise was what was glued to that
newspaper -- a light blue, business card-sized label printed as
follows:

    A. Ruth & fils
    fabrique d'orgue
    Waldkirch
    Grand duché de Bade.

Launching a deeper investigation, we soon discovered that our "Artizan"
organ was actually a Ruth organ that somehow ended up in New York and
was converted from a barrel organ to an endless NTMIW system, using the
original facade, feeder bellows, reservoir, lower case, pipe chests and
pipes.

Artizan added the NTMIW vacuum system, painted the facade with brighter
colors, then put their name on the case, thus eliminating evidence of
the organ's origins.  (When we were stripping the multiple layers of
paint, we discovered further European evidence when a partial and very
faint previous owner's identification was revealed: "Ignatz und Söhne,
Baden Baden".)

In the early 1960s, Oswald Wurdeman acquired the organ in a dilapidated
condition and removed the endless roll assembly, added a new music shelf
and placed a roll spool frame on the shelf, never actually screwing it
down.  It then sat in storage as a "future project" that was passed on
to his son, Tom Wurdeman, who knew the organ's restoration was a bigger
job than he cared to tackle.  We acquired it in October of 1980, and it
took 3-1/2 years (in our spare time) to finish the project!

As there was no way we could restore the organ to original condition
-- especially since there was no way to know just what that "original
condition" was, not to mention lack of apropos barrel music! -- we
restored the instrument to what it had been converted into, what we
now call a "Ruth-Artizan" playing B.A.B. style 46-key music rolls.

In 1987, European organ authority Arthur Prinsen saw and heard the
organ playing a B.A.B. roll.  As he approached the organ, he pointed
to the "Artizan" decal on the case, shaking his head and saying
"No, no, no!  This is not an American organ!  This is a German organ!"

We then proceeded to show him our photo album of the organs
restoration.  He could hear the fine Ruth pipes, even as it was playing
American music!

Incidentally, we left the inside German newspaper and "A. Ruth" card
undisturbed, but added the current Saint Paul Pioneer Press to the
outside of the bellows, choosing movie and grocery ads, figuring some
day a future restorer will say, "Look at this!  Hamburger was only 89
cents a pound in 1980 and that cinema classic 'Heaven's Gate' was in
theaters!"

Tracy M. Tolzmann
Sunrise, Minnesota