Dear friends:  I am pleased to announce that the carousel at Whalom
Park, which was sold piecemeal at auction in April, is expected to
reopen in the same location on July 22, with six or seven of the
original pieces on board and other spots occupied by pieces which have
been graciously loaned to us or rented by us.

Some of you may recall that I purchased the frame at the auction and
that Allyson Bowen and I have formed a nonprofit group called the
Whalom Park Carousel Association, the purpose of which is to raise
funds needed to repurchase the original animals as they come back on
the market.  Only a couple of months into the venture, we have already
re-acquired both chariots, one giraffe, and at least three horses.  We
have also worked out an agreement with the park through which they will
have the use of the machine in exchange for its care and feeding and
other consideration.  Since Memorial Day weekend I have weekly made
the 650 mile round trip back "home" to Massachusetts to work on
refurbishing the machine, and we expect to be installing the horses
this coming weekend, coinciding with my 40th birthday (July 8.)

In researching the history of the machine, I stumbled upon a most
interesting fact.  At http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/whalom.html
posted in the MMD Pictures gallery is a photo of the original carousel
building from a 1915 brochure of the park.  The caption reads "equipped
with a Berni organ" which I found immensely interesting since the organ
itself had long since disappeared.  In the five years operating it,
1978-1982, I had encountered only one customer who even recalled it.

Well, the plot thickens.  I had recently obtained a copy of a local
news article dated May 29, 1914, announcing the installation of the
machine.  I reproduce the text here:

 - - -

TO OPEN $16,000 MERRY-GO-ROUND AT WHALOM PARK

A new merry-go-round or caroussel has been built at Whalom Park.  The
total cost of the plant was $16,000.  In addition to this machine a
Ferris wheel has been constructed side of the large merry-go-round.
This wheel cost $2500.

The merry-go-round is operated from the interior, the motive power
being a twelve horse power electric motor.

This is one of the biggest machines built, having a diameter of 50
feet.  The average caroussel is thirty feet in diameter.  The bright
mirrors and electric lights around the machine add greatly to the
beautiful appearance of the pleasure car.

An imported organ, operated by electricity, which renders music as from
a twenty piece band, and costing $2500 will delight the riders on the
horses and other animals of the machines.

One who desires to ride on a mammoth dog, a camel, a horse, or if he be
long legged, a giraffe will find himself accommodated, as all of these
animals are attached to the caroussel.

The building housing the machine cost $3,000.  It has taken a month to
construct the building and assemble the machine.

Memorial day will see both the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel in
operation.  The caroussel alone cost $10,000, the Ferris wheel cost
$2500 and is operated by a seven horse power electric motor, the organ
cost $2,500, the building $3,000 so the total cost of the entire plant
will run over $18,000.  This is a great addition to the amusements now
at the popular summer park.  The machines are situated at the same
place as was the merry-go-round last year.

The Ferris wheel has a height of 60 feet, but is perfectly safe.

The caroussel will travel about 12 miles per hour.  Over five hundred
incandescent electric lights will illuminate the place at night.

The owners of the caroussel and Ferris wheel are J. M. Lynch and Louis
Berni.  The caroussel is known as the Berni caroussel.  The organ is a
fine large one made by the Berni...

(The copy of the article which I obtained is truncated at this point;
I intend to examine the original paper on microfilm at the public
library on one of my trips up there and will report back at that time.)

 - - -

I know a little about Louis Berni, primarily from Dave Bowers'
"Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments", and am aware that he
was a prolific importer of European organs, and, in the 1920s, a
Wurlitzer agent; that he shamelessly placed his name on everything he
sold as though manufactured by him; and that he did own some other
amusement interests.  In fact, I believe that relatives of Berni are
one-third of the team of investors that purchased Canobie Lake Park,
Salem, NH, in 1959.

But this article indicates that Berni himself not only provided the
organ, but in fact was the concessionaire that installed the carousel
itself at the park in 1914.  I suddenly am much more interested in
learning more about my predecessor in title to the machine.

If anyone can provide any information about Louis Berni and his various
interests, I would be most obliged.

In addition, I am very curious as to what model the organ might have
been.  Anybody know of one marketed by Berni in 1914 which cost $2500
and has a catalog description indicating that it has the sound of a
twenty piece band?  Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Mark S. Chester