Fred Hall
In 1939, Stuart was attending University in Saskatoon. He recalled reading an article in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix some years earlier about a man who made pipes out of paper.

As he searched through the Star-Phoenix  files, he remembered that he was 13 years old when he saw the article - that would have been in 1932. He found the article, and wrote a letter to Mr. Hall, having only the street name in Victoria, B.C., no house number.

He waited a year for the reply, and later, when he met Mr. Hall in person, he found that the Halls had moved to England shortly after the article was written, had lived there for several years, and had only recently moved back to Victoria. And they had a different address. Eight years had elapsed since the article was written.

Stuart would remark how different the postal system was then, for some industrious soul had taken the time to research Mr. Hall's new address!

Mr. Hall passed away in the mid 1990's.The whereabouts of his family and the thirty years of letters from Stuart that he collected over the years, is unknown.

The letters reproduced here are a tiny sampling. The file is extremely large, and transcription has just started. It is time-consuming because nearly all the letters are handwritten. Mr. Hall included doodlings and drawings in his letters, too. He was a very interesting man, a prolific writer, very humble, with a great sense of humour.

Pipes Out of Paper

Victoria, B.C.
Dec. 1, 1940

Dear Mr. Kolbinson: -

I was very interested to receive your letter and, yes, I am the man that made the organ! I am by no means a professional organ builder, but if I can be of any help to anyone like-minded I shall be only too pleased to be of any help possible. Please notice my address is changed to what it was when the directory was compiled.
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From Fred Hall 1944

Victoria, BC
Oct 29, 1944

Dear Stuart: -

Thanks for your very interesting and prompt reply. You sure were quick, weren't you! However there is no need to apologize when you are a little late in writing because I understand that you sure must have your hands full at times, particularly in the summer months.

Your letter was very interesting apart from the organ news. So one of your sisters is getting married. That means that you will acquire a brother-in-law. Is he an organ fan? If not - well, 'nuf sed.

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From Fred Hall, 1945

Victoria, BC
April 29, 1945

Dear Stuart:

Thanks for the newsy letter received yesterday. So you are back home again, eh? I hope that you had a nice time while away. No doubt you had, as you were among organs and organists. I'll bet you are thrilled to get your own organ playing, boy! that sure looks like some organ. Yes I would indeed like to see it, hear it and try and play it. In your letter you say, quote, -"you can even play Bach on it"-unquote. Sorry, old pal, I'm afraid that I can't play Bach. A trifle too, shall we say, complicated?
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From Fred Hall, 1950

Victoria, B.C.
December 10, 1950

Dear Stuart;

Thanks for the letter received a week or so ago. I am afraid I am a bit late answering. Sorry to hear that you had such a ghastly Fall(season). The weather must mean an awful difference to you in profit versus loss. We thought our weather bad enough last winter, one `cold snap' after another. It had the weather man baffled. On Jan 13th we had a blizzard. Hope it doesn't repeat it again this year.

In regard to the organ I am busy, when I get time, which seems about one night a week, making pneumatics for the chest. I sure hope they work O.K., as there is practically no means of testing them until the whole thing is put together and the wind turned on. I have as you know a total of 244 to make which takes considerable time. However we are slow, if not so sure.
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