I read with interest Matthew Caulfield's comments about how aging
affects our mechanical music hobby.  He mentioned Dr. Bill Black from
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  Bill is a dear friend of mine and has
helped me solve some problems with both my small crank organ and the
larger one that I completed a couple of years ago.

Bill is not well, and is narrowing down his collection of band organs
and other mechanical music instruments.  Because of health issues, he
is no longer doing outside repair, but is still a great asset in the
form of advice and "know-how" to me.

In addition to the aging situation, another issue is how the cost
of owning and maintaining these instruments has risen in recent years.
Most playable band organs, dance organs, and nice orchestrions are
beyond the reach in cost for many younger people who might be
interested in the hobby (other than player pianos).

I was lucky to develop a friendship with Craig Smith in Rochester,
New York, who also helped me solve a bunch of problems with some organ
parts I purchased from England.  More recently, I got some valuable
advice from Taylor Miller in York, Pennsylvania, who owns Taylor Miller
Organ Company and has a staff of about three technicians who travel.

Age is catching up with me, too, as I approach 80 and find it harder
to do a lot of the manual labor needed to keep stuff in shape.  I am
concerned about what will happen to my own small collection.  This
business of aging is not for sissies, as the slogan says.  But people
continue to come and hear the organs play and that makes it worth the
effort.

Al Good
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania