What follows is an excerpt from my November 25, 2011, letter to Hi
Babit:

Hello Hi,

I've made some progress cataloging 252 of the approximately 1,143
Aeolian master titles which exist.  So farm I've come across fourteen
of your rolls.  I will be making my third trip to Keystone tomorrow
(Nov. 26) to bring back another load of about 200 more of the masters
from the warehouse.  That's how many I can fit into my truck each trip.

I am making a computer file listing all the contents of each master
kit, while re-boxing the mylar, layout, and paper master rolls into new
piano roll boxes.  I'm using the original box-label rubber stamps to
make new labels for each box.  I am also recording things like the
arranger's name, publisher, issue date, tempo, and all items present in
each kit.  All of this information will eventually aid in publishing a
complete Aeolian catalog.

I've just used up the last of my new roll boxes and have ordered 2,500
more, which will be delivered in the next couple weeks.  The original
boxes will not be saved, since they are very musty and many are
partially crushed and bursting open.

The fourteen titles I've found which you did are:

*1507 Good Morning Starshine
1650 What, Now, My Love
1711 My Prayer
1779 Cactus Polka, The
1879 Galway Bay
1882 Bugler's Holiday
1883 Till
1889 Surrey With The Fringe On Top
1891 Seventy-six Trombones
1903 Dulcinea
*2081 Our Love
*2088 This Love Of Mine
*2094 Get Out Of Town
*3146 Fiddler On The Roof (Part 1 & 2)

I have little doubt all of your arrangements will turn up as I complete
the inventory.  The numbers preceded with an asterisk do not appear in
the printed list you sent me.  The 2XXX numbers don't appear to have
ever been issued because the lyric stamps were never cut apart and the
box label and leader rubber stamps were never inked.  For those three
titles only the paper masters exist, and no mylar master was present in
the kit.

I have not found 1945, "Some Of These Days," but it might turn up.  My
list shows catalog number 1945 was assigned to a Beatles tune, "Let It
Be."

I found sixteen of J. Lawrence Cook's masters which are also un-issued
and in a similar condition as your un-issued titles.  The thing that his
and your un-issued titles have in common is that all have a 2:1 paper
master and no mylar master.  Also, they were all dated the months of
April and May of 1972.  In researching Cook's biographical information,
I know he retired from Aeolian in 1972, and during the next four years
he did some freelance arranging and transcribing at home.  Is it
possible Aeolian ceased operations after Cook retired?  Perhaps these
masters were never sent to Oregon to have the mylars run.

Another thing these April and May 1972 master kits have in common is
that they all contained the sheet music and two copies of the job
traveler (most master kits don't have sheet music or traveler).  Cook
marked off each measure with sequential numbers as he worked through
the arranging process.  Your sheet music was usually spindled and
inserted into the core of the 2:1 paper master.  You also included a
separate sheet with the song lyrics.

One curious thing appears at the top of each of Cook's job travelers.
There is a note indicating a date paid and a check number.  The date
paid was the same date the recording was (supposedly) mailed to Oregon,
Illinois.  Was this the payment to the arranger or were they sending
a check with the recording to pay for the mylar cutting operation?
These travelers don't have the subsequent operations filled in, so I
can only conclude these titles were never issued.

I was wondering what you knew about Clyde Ridge?  Did you know him
well?  Did he use the arranging piano at Aeolian or did he do all his
arranging on a Leabarjan or similar machine?  Some of his mylars have
quite a lot of tape and editing on them.  The seven titles he did for
Disney's "Summer Magic" are quite good!  Sometimes instructions to Cook
were written on the lids of the master boxes.  On one master box top I
saw a note written by Clyde (to Cook?) saying "Original recording only
- Has cutting chart - will need pattern run, then mylar. (If you're
good you can run mylar from this.)  All new - Needs everything."
Signed C. Ridge.

Weren't the perforators located in Oregon, Illinois?  I was told the
2:1 paper masters had to be sent to Oregon, Illinois, to have the mylar
masters made.  I'm not sure where the production perforators were
located.  I've noticed "Cable Piano Co., Oregon, Illinois" is stamped
on the bottom of a few of the master boxes.  I'm not sure if you've
seen these boxes.  They are 5" x 5" x 12.5", big enough for a 10-tune
nickelodeon roll.

On another master box lid a note on the front says "See top when 1st
run."   Signed Sherry.  On the top it says "New Master inside. New arr.
Needs new word copy + S. belt.  This is ready to use."  Signed C.
Ridge.

I know some of the messages were for Cook because two of the lids say
"Cook: Ready for Ampico."  I'm not sure what this meant though.  Was
Cook converting Aeolian arrangements to Ampico rolls in his spare time?

Any light you could shed on the box-top messages would be immensely
helpful and interesting to readers of my soon-to-be-published Aeolian
catalog.

I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  Many thanks for the
autographed copy of your autobiography and CD.  Listening to the
recordings while reading your book was most enjoyable.  You are most
welcome to phone or email anytime.  Stop in next time you're in N.Y.  I
intend to re-read your book now that I have begun inspecting the
Aeolian master library to try and piece together answers to some of the
questions stated above.

Best wishes,
Larry Doe

Larry Doe