I wanted to share some brief thoughts about Mr. Clark upon reading
of his stroke [100107 MMDigest], which has shocked me.  My family's
annual visits to Clark's in New Hampshire have been so important
in developing my interest of mechanical music.  I can only imagine
how much work Mr. Clark has done to assemble and maintain the great
collection there.

When my family first started visiting over ten years ago, I believe
Mr. Clark trained the bears and presented the bear show there himself;
his son and daughter now present the show, but I have always seen him
sitting ringside the last couple years, smiling along with the show
and the bears.  What a dedicated man.

One of my favorite instruments at Clark's is the gorgeous Wurlitzer LX
orchestrion in their main gift shop.  On one visit, which must have
been seven or eight years ago when I was a young child, I was standing
before that machine with my sack of quarters listening to the music and
watching the roll go by.  Mr. Clark, passing by on the way to his
office, noticed my interest in the machine and asked me if I would like
him to open it up and show me its inner mechanics.  I told him that I
would like that very much, and he proceeded to unlock the front of the
machine and show and describe to me all the mechanics.

It was so generous of him to share his time with me, and it was a real
treat to have learned more about that wonderful instrument.  He could
have walked past me into his office, but he chose to give of himself
and, by this action, I was touched by him.  I wanted to share this
anecdote for those of you reading who may not know Mr. Clark.  I will
pray for him and his loved ones, who must be devastated by his
prognosis, and I hope you all will too.

TJ Fisher