a small sampling
1944 Contract. This organ, Casavant Opus 1775, was installed in the Stephen Kolbinson family home on the farm at Kindersley, Saskatchewan, and later moved to the Saskatoon residence. The first recital was held in June of 1945 with Wilfred Woolhouse, the 20-year-old organist at Knox Church, Saskatoon, as the guest organist. Eventually the organ was sold to St. Michael's Church in Saskatoon. In the early 1990's it was dismantled and combined with another organ donated by the wife of the late Dr. Howard Hart of Saskatoon, and is now in the Abbey Church at St. Peter's Monastery, Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada
Details of Agreement Between Stuart A Kolbinson and Casavant Freres, dated 20 June 1944
for a Two-Manual electro-pneumatic console and bench as per the attached specifications:
Compass of Manuals CC to C 61 Keys
Compass of Pedals CCC to G 32 Keys
Wired for the following Stops: Feet Pipes
(A) Open Diapason 8' 73
(B) Violin Diapason 8' 73
(C) Melodia 8' 73
(D) Stopped Diapason 8' & 16' 97
(E) Dulciana 8' 73
(F) Gamba 8' 73
(G) Oboe 8' 73
(H) Vox Humana 8' 73
GREAT ORGAN Notes
1 Open Diapason (from A) 8' 61
2 Violin Diapason (from B) 8' 61
3 Melodia (from C) 8' 61
4 Stopped Diapason (from D) 8' 61
5 Dulciana (from E) 8' 61
6 Gamba (from F) 8' 61
7 Principal (from A) 4' 61
8 Concert Flute (from C) 4' 61
9 Violina (from F) 4' 61
10 Dulcet (from E) 4' 61
11 Twelfth (from E) 2' 61
SWELL ORGAN
13 Bourdon (T.C. from D) 16 61
14 Violin Diapason (from B) 8' 61
15 Gedeckt (from D) 8' 61
16 Flute D'Amour (from D) 4' 61
17 Octave (from B) 4' 61
18 Dulciana (from E) 8' 61
19 Gamba (from F) 8' 61
20 Violina (from F) 4' 61
21 Oboe 4' 61
23 Vox Humana 8' 61
24 Vox Humana 4' 61
Tremulant
PEDAL ORGAN
25 Bourdon (from D) 16' 32
26 Principal (from A) 8' 32
27 Flute (from D) 8' 32
28 Cello (from F) 8' 32
29 Dulciana (from E) 8' 32
30 Octave (from A) 4' 32
31 Flute (from D) 4' 32
32 Oboe (from G) 8' 32
Balanced Swell Pedal
Balanced Crescendo Pedal
Case of Birch in Walnut Finish
Organist's Bench
* * *
Casavant Opus 1775
Muenster, Saskatchewan
photos courtesy
W. Thurmeier, Golden Eagle
Organ Co., Saskatoon
Stephen Stoot
Technical Director Casavant Brothers Limited
St. Hyacinthe, P.Q. February 4th, 1946
Mr. Stuart Kolbinson,
KINDERSLEY, SASK.
Dear Mr. Kolbinson:-
Glad to hear from you and to learn that your organ turned out to be such a success. From the various parts of its make-up which you enumerated it must be somewhat of a hybrid, but the results are what really count. We must remember too that some of the finest things in botany (and in agriculture) are hybrids, so take comfort in that thought.
Yes! The C.F.L. Company started a branch business in St. Hyacinthe. They rented the upper floor of a flimsy building which was constructed a few years ago for chicken raising. The upper floor was only about five feet high at the sides and a little higher in the centre conforming to the shape of the roof. It was so flimsily built in wood that no insurance company would insure it against fire. They built a casting bench and a furnace for melting on this flimsy floor and about ten days ago the weight of this fell through and, with fire under the pot, the whole affair went up in flames in less than an hour. It was situated near a corner of our lumber yard and, luckily for us, the wind carried the flames and flying embers away from our yard. Otherwise, we would have had a conflagration. The men who were there, including Walcker, lost all their tools. What C.F.L. intended to do, we have no idea because he could not build an organ, even a small one, in a hen coop. He may have been going to make pipes and have Walcker as a voicer.
So Chandos Dix talks a lot eh? Well, I saw what he did in the Cathedral at Victoria, B.C. and he certainly should not boast of being a Willis man. No man of that fine old firm would ever have done the things I saw there.
(The 2nd page is missing……this is all I have of this letter. V.)
Note: The letterhead is "Casavant Brothers Limited"
***
Lodge Road
West Bromwich
Feb. 12th 1946
Mr. S. Kolbinson
Kindersley
Sask.
Canada
Dear Mr. Kolbinson,
I was delighted to receive your letter dated Jan 31st. but am astonished that it found me amongst a town's population of over 100,000 with quite a number of `Homers' therein…. especially as it seems to have come without any lost time. I am wondering whether the information as to my whereabouts was post office or police knowledge, and feel somewhat uneasy at apparently being somewhat notorious.
I read with great interest all you had to say and envy your facilities for getting both material and expert assistance. I am not sure however that I would really appreciate the latter. I am a `lone wolf' who prefers to work alone and get quite a kick out of some new idea if it works (which it usually doesn't..) but although I enjoy any discussion on organ matters I hate having people around when I'm at work, especially as my shop is very small. I confess that much time is wasted by having ideas and then trying them out instead of continuing the construction on orthodox lines, but its much more fun, one gets plenty of exasperation and irritation but its worth it for the occasional spasm of elation and exhilaration experienced when something goes right for a change….
I know the excellent work carried out by Casavant though I did not realize that they were so large a company. There is an interesting article in the current issue (Jan) of the English quarterly "The Organ" about some of their earlier pneumatic pallet actions and also a description of a "transformer" for raising the wind pressure above that of the main supply. The article in question is written probably by a Canadian though he is known only by his initials (S.S.)
Turning now to direct electric actions, I'm afraid I should write a book on them if I attempted to give you all the data collected over the past five years or so. The direct electric actions have had a great attraction for me because of their apparent simplicity and obvious adaptability, particularly for low wind pressures. I found on coming to use them however that they were not all they appeared to be and possessed several disadvantages. For one thing, the comparatively heavy armatures means that the inertia is considerable; this results in sluggish opening (since the actual power available is really very small) but when the pallet closes, the pressure of the wind makes it slam like a door in a gale so that the action is very far from noiseless, a most serious defect in a chamber organ. In order to save a lot of typing I am sending some photos (13 in all) including various electric actions, both pallet and relay and you may be able to gain from these (with the aid of a magnifying glass) some idea of what I've been doing. So far as pallet actions are concerned I much prefer the `reversed type' which you will find on the drawing enclosed. The latter was made because it seemed worthwhile getting at least a provisional patent cover for the idea. Its method of working will be obvious to anyone familiar with organ actions so I will spare myself the labour of a full detailed description. You will however note that the `B' type …….e (hole in page here...v) es ….. a comparatively feeble magnet to operate a large pallet owing to the balancing action of the pneumatic; moreover, the latter is arranged with a simple non-return valve and adjustable leak which enables the pallet to open quickly yet controls the rate of closing so that the larger pipes (for which this type of pallet is designed) can obtain sufficient wind to generate their tone however quickly the key is struck. The action illustrated at A' comprises the ordinary commercial action (drawn full size) fixed in a small box instead of acting directly under the pipe hole, this makes it quicker opening (it does not have to overcome the wind pressure as well as the return spring at the moment of opening) and much quieter closing.
The all electric relay action for the extended pipes is modeled on the Compton pattern but uses rocking contact bars for the stops instead of metal rods which work in a vertical plane in the commercial action. This relay (on my Swell Organ) was made in 1942 and has not been touched since it was installed, not even to clean the contacts, and it has given no trouble whatever. The power required is quite small, both the key magnets and those working the stop contact bars are simple lever magnets taking 100 millamps at 12 volts. This system also has the advantage of reducing the console wiring. I am using only one contact per key. Of course if you want super and sub. couplers on individual manuals then extra multi-contact switches and extra key contacts are essential but I have avoided these and the usual inter-manual couplers (and ped.) can all be worked off the main relays, whether unison or super and sub. I seem to have typed an awful lot but have left much out, however, if there are any other points on which you would like information let me know and I will do my best to help.
I was interested to hear of your experiences with old `Mark Wicks' and I have a soft spot for the gentleman since he provided me with many happy hours in my early youth. I have Milne's book but don't think much of it, I doubt whether the author in question ever really built an organ; if he did then he doesn't write as if such were the case. I have a strong suspicion that he `lifted' much from Wicks, some pages and passages are practically identical… Dr Barnes's book I agree is exceptionally good but for real detail and fundamentals you cannot of course beat `The Art of Organ Building'. It is a pity this could not be revised, or rather brought up to date by someone equally competent because there are so few books covering in this detail modern actions.
Thank you very much for your kind words and good wishes, I can only hope that the enclosures will provide you with some food for thought (and material for work) of a congenial nature. I also trust that they will arrive safely.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
H.W. Homer
See introductory letters.
30 The Palisade Swansea Toronto Ont
Sept 25th 1948
Dear Stuart
Your parcel of valve parts went forward today via air mail as you requested.
I have been intending to write you with regard to the organ deal which has been completed and most of it has been removed from the organ loft into adjoining rooms in the building which they agreed to let me have. The only remaining parts to be taken out are the main blocks of manual chests together with the building frames and some of the casework, and believe me it is all "big stuff." It may be necessary to get a hoisting firm with equipment if you intend to take the chests. Otherwise I will dismantle them and take them out in pieces. You see the deal was arranged on condition that I have everything removed before Nov 1st and as I was tied up on another job here due to the organ chamber not being ready I just went ahead and have already spent ten days with two men on the Mammoth as you call it. Now if you are not going to come down soon I would appreciate knowing what you intend doing with these heavier parts as I am anxious to get it cleaned up to clear the way for other work which is pressing. I feel that the extra cost of handling would not justify moving it all out to your place as I do not consider you would get value and am afraid it would offset the bargain represented in the pipework. There are two double rise bellows approximately 5'x6' in addition to the large reservoir which is about 5'x10' or 12'. These are all in good condition built before the time of light modern construction. The pipework is all good with the exception of a few of the tuning devices on some of the basses. On these I would recommend sleeving.
Now as I say it is up to you as far as the action is concerned it is definitely old and my original intention to take the pipes with any of the parts of the action that I considered worthwhile. However if you think the expense would not be too great it is all there tons of it. So let me know immediately.
Am enclosing herewith my account for values etc.
Yours as ever
Cyril
Undated - Statement from Franklin Legge Organ Company 918-20 Dufferin Street, Toronto
Time $51.90
Expenses 44.00 from Kindersley
$95.90
cash from C.F. L. 25.00
Balance $70.90 (plus exchange)
* * *
Providence General Woodware Reg'd
St. Hyacinthe, Quebec Nov 20th 1948
Dear Mr. Kolbinson,
In reply to yours of Nov 17th, I am glad to learn that your dream of getting an organ for your home is coming true.
Regarding your inquiry on pipe organ chest we have no second hand one, but we will be glad to give you prices on new ones as soon as we know the number of ranks needed on each chest, and also the scale.
We have few ranks of pipe in very good condition our price for, is $50.00 a rank.
Next month we expect to have two consoles almost new, they are of the two manuals type, electric actions, around 14 stops, and 12 couplers, and we expect to be able to sell the for $725.00 each f.o.b. St. Hyacinthe,
Hoping to have the pleasure to serve you,
We remain yours truly,
Providence General Woodware Reg'd
per
Maurice Guilbaut
* * *
Kirchenorgein/Orgelbestandteile jeder Art
Weikersheim, January 31st, 1949
Messrs.
Stuart Kolbinson, S.A.,
Kindersley, Sask.
Canada
Dear Sirs,
Your favour of 9th inst. has duly reached me on 17th inst. and I have learned therefrom that you have got my letter of September 10th, 1948. You inform me that you are a friend of Mr. Eberhard G. Walcker, voicer for Casavant Freres in St. Hyacinthe, Que. The undersigned has been since 1927 in St. Hyacinthe, together with his father, who died in 1933. Please remember me to Mr. Walcker. I hope that he and his family are enjoying the best of health.
With interest I have learned from your letter that you have just returned from a trip to Toronto, where you have shipped a large organ to the Western Canada. Will you please allow me a question: Do you make the organs for your own account and do you carry on an own organ business and of what an extent? I should be very pleased to receive an answer from you to this question.
You say that you need new chests for the organ in the Western Canada, as well as a Baroque Positiv.
Furthermore you write that your Government has placed a limit on US-Dollars sent out of the country, so that you fear that your orders will have to be small until conditions return to normal.. As it is not the question of sums too important with regard to organ building, I believe you will get the import-license, the more as business transactions with your country are done in US-dollars by other manufacturers too. The prescription that payment of deliveries to your country has to be made in US-dollars has been made by the US-Military Government for Germany.
As to the formalities to be observed re. payment, I have informed you already by my letter of September 10th, 1948, which are still the same to-day.
You would like to get a quotation on the direct electric chest actions. I am making this kind of wind chests, by means of tilting magnets with ventil-discs mounted, which have proved very well. Will you, please, once let me have a specification or other particulars, from which I may see, how many stops are to be provided for each chest, the composition desired, the width and length of the chests eventually as well as which number of notes each stop shall comprise, whereupon with pleasure I shall elaborate for you immediately a detailed quotation in US-Dollars fob Hamburg, including case and packing, so that you will have still to add only the freight from the seaport Hamburg and the import-duty. There are made by me all styles of wind-chests, as f. i. purse-chests, ventil-chests and all electric chests as mentioned above. With regard to the pneumatic chests, the ventil-chests are the most reliable, because, properly speaking, no troubles may occur practically. The parts hardly wear out by use and are of almost unlimited life, whereas if it the question of purse-chests it has to be reckoned always with troubles after some time use, which makes it necessary that the purses will have to be renewed. With regard to the price, the ventil-chest according to the pneumatic and electro-pneumatic system is the cheapest chest. The dearest chest is the slider-chest.
You see therefrom that I know very well all the systems of wind-chests, for the undersigned has been for 1 1/2 years in the United States (1 year in California and half a year in New York), during which time he has traversed twice the States.
I am in a position to supply you also with consoles, keyboards, etc according to the all electric system, viz. without wind within the console and I have already got a great deal of letters of approbation from all parts of the world, proving that my customers always have been very satisfied with the very good function of my organ parts. Will you, please, once give me the chance and let me have the particulars required for the elaboration of an exact quotation. For the consoles you will have to send me the specification and an exact statement of the combinations. At the same time will you, please, state the diapason of the manuals and of the Pedal, whether a pedal keyboard has to be supplied and of which wood the case of the console has to be made.
The Pitman-chest is known to the undersigned too. In Europe I never have made this chest, because it has not been desired. If you let me have a sketch of this chest and inform me for how many stops and for which diapason you want to get a quotation, I am willingly prepared to elaborate for you an offer. The same remarks refer to all the chests. An exact price per note cannot be given. For your guidance I beg to inform you that the price of one stop ventil-chest including case and packing fob Hamburg amounts to US-dollars 50.-- according to the length and the diapason of stops. I should be pleased to get from you exact particulars for the elaboration of a quotation.
Please find enclosed my quotation for tilting magnets, loosely, viz. not mounted in the soundboards. In case of an order you will have to state how many tilting-magnets of the various types are desired, and if you should wish tilting-magnets No. 111, with ventil-discs mounted, please state the sizes desired of the discs.
I am with pleasure looking forward to your kind further news, and beg to remain, Dear Sirs,
Very sincerely yours,
Aug. Laukhuff
note: an extensive catalogue of parts is with this letter - V.
Saskatoon, Sask
May 5, 1949
Dear Stuart:
I looked for you last night, but didn't see you.
As you probably know Mr. Howatt gave the opening recital of the new organ at St. Theresa's
Church Rosetown.
Celia and I, together with two of the Nagles, drove out after supper. I am enclosing for your edification,
a copy of the programme. You may know something of this set-up, but in case you don't, Father
Provost planned to get a Casavant unit organ, when somebody suggested to get a Quinez organ built
in Quebec by former Casavant men for Thirty Five Hundred Dollars ($3500.00), a saving of about
$1500.00.
You should really see and hear this organ, as it looks as if it had been put together by the janitors.
They certainly have been sold down the river and are just beginning to realize it. It is a two rank open
and Stop Diapason unified to the nth degree. I think that you are in a good position to try and help them correct their mistake. I thought Mr. Howatt did exceptionally well considering what he had to work with.
Mr. Howatt spent all afternoon before the recital getting the shavings out of the pipes and trying to improve the regulation. The case has apparently been given just one coat of varnish and has not even been rubbed down.
I had a letter from Bill Legge the other day, saying that the chimes are ready but the striking action was not yet complete, and I will phone you as soon as this equipment arrives in Indian Head.
Hoping to hear from you soon, I am,
Yours organically,
Howard
* * *
HILLGREEN, LANE & CO.
Builders of
ORGANS
ALLIANCE, OHIO
May 28, 1949
Mr. Stuart Kolbinson
Kindersley, Sask., Canada
Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 19th has been received, and we note your interest in Pipe Organ construction.
Our Chest Action was developed by one of the men in our plant about forty-eight years ago, and we have been using this system ever since due to the fact it requires so little attention. As you are aware, it is very simply made, and there is practically no wearout to it. On every other type of Wind Chest construction a pneumatic or pouch is required for every pipe. Although the best material may be used, it eventually will wear out which means the entire Chest must be releathered. This is a very expensive operation. With our type of construction only one master pneumatic is required for each key, and when these are ready for re-covering the bellows can be removed, re-covered, and reinstalled in a very short time.
The relation of the Pipe to the Pipe valve is simply a matter of convenience. To our knowledge the voice of the Pipe remains unchanged whether the valve is directly underneath or to the side of the Pipe.
We note you are planning to make up a model, and the wire that we use is Steel Music Wire size .028; we are enclosing a sample together with several of the collars. We shall be glad to supply you with some of these if you wish. If there is any further information we can give you, please let us know.
Very truly yours,
HILLGREEN, LANE & CO.
R. L. Hillgreen
(note: file also contains two fragments of receipts - torn pages so no details - w/ date 1949 …"goods for entry in Canada under th….."
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. 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.
No, the Presbyterian Church didn't get its new organ yet, and it may be around Easter before they do. I was in there a week or so ago. Cyril Warren the organist had a letter from Eaton's asking how many of his front display pipes were dummies and how many were speaking. They told him he could tell them apart because the speaking pipes were slotted for tuning. He told me they were all slotted and said would I go and check up on them for him. I went around on my way from work that night and met him at the church. They were definitely all speaking pipes. A row of 13 in the center stood on their own little chest and had been connected to the main chest by lead tubing. Then on either side were two sets of 7 pipes which had the wind conveyed to them through about 1 1/2" pipes. I saw the old chests again, they don't look `so hot,' and are very old, originally tracker converted about 50 years ago to pneumatic, and only 58 note. The temporary Hammond speaker is parked on one of them. Cyril says that some members of the church are quite satisfied with the Hammond and want to know what they are spending over $20,000.00 for anyway!! That's the trouble, people don't know a real organ when they hear one.
There certainly looks to be something fishy about that Dix set-up. I visited him at that Toronto St. address a month or so ago to return a book of his I had. They were living in two rooms and it was like a pig-pen, bed not made, (about 11 A.M.) and kitchen in a mess. They were bewailing the way they got cheated in some house they had bought, the one I took Lauren to when we thought we were going to visit them. It looks as if they cleared out leaving some organ stuff for rent. I told a friend about it and he was immediately on his guard, as Dix had some stuff belonging to him. Queer guy, with his knowledge of organs, which is not to be disregarded, he should have been well off by now if he had been more sensible in his business. The other day we met Miss Marguerite McKay, organist at the R.C. Cathedral. I said "How's the organ?" she gave a look of utter disgust and ran Dix down, saying that her Open Diapason only sounded every other note, and she didn't know when it would be finished. Dix never came around, he has gone back to Vancouver. When we left her I told my wife, "Another one of Dix's satisfied customers." Sometimes think I wouldn't mind looking at that organ and sizing out the situation re finishing it for them. The trouble is that Dix has most likely got the thing in such a mess that only he could straighten it out again, and one could not go to him for information or advice if they had taken the job out of his hands.
The chest I am making is five rank, three on the swell and two on the great, Open Diapason and Principal on the Great, and Dulciana, Stopped Dia. and Flute on the swell, with sub and super couplers on the swell, super on the great, and great to sub and super on the swell, and of course pedal to manual couplers. I want to get the sound-boards working before I worry too much about pipes, I spend about three quarters of my time right now writing letters.
The reason of all the letters is that last October Eleanor went to live in London Ontario. Her boy-friend, or as I suppose I should say her `fiance' has joined the R.C.A.F. and has had to go to Ontario to train for a pilot. He has passed all the tests and is now on his way. (I mean on his way to be a pilot, he went to Ontario in September.) We correspond furiously, writing about two huge epistles per week. She likes it fine, had a job there before she went, in the `Victoria' Hospital, the largest hospital there. Last night I got the Xmas parcel wrapped up ready for mailing to them tomorrow. Some job. Now, of course my wife and I want to go and see London, which expense, if undertaken, would seriously interfere with the organ!!
How is Lauren? Is he coming out here again next year? Please remember us to him and tell him if he comes out here again in five or ten years we MIGHT have an organ for him to play on.
That looks like a fine console you have there. Never mind if it is a little old fashioned in regard to looks. If it works that is the main thing. I am getting rather tired of my console sitting there doing nothing. It doesn't look too bad, if I do say so myself, but is awfully useless the way it is now. Maybe some day??
Well, I have another letter to write, so must close now.
Best regards to all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Fred
* * *
Builders of
ORGANS
ALLIANCE, OHIO
November 29, 1950
Mr. Stuart Kolbinson
Kindersley, Sask., Canada
Dear Mr. Kolbinson:
Your letter of November 19th has been received, and we were much interested to have your comments on our chest action. The Organ in Regina was installed by the writer in the Allen Theatre of that city in 1919.
The brass collars and screws, used to open the valve, we can furnish for $11.00 a thousand. To pull back the action we use a spring made of steel music wire, and we can furnish these for 3˘ each. If you will advise us the number you will require we shall be glad to supply you.
Thanking you for your letter, we are
Very truly yours,
HILLGREEN, LANE & CO.
R. L. Hillgreen
* * *
August 18th 1955
Dear Mr. Kolbinson: -
Your letter of Aug. 12th has been received and I was pleased to hear from you after such a long time.
Regarding the old Casavant organ which you succeeded in buying so cheaply, it is indeed a huge job for a residence. I have the old contract form on my desk and note that it is a 4 manual of about 45 registers built in 1907 (except the case) for the sum of $7,150.00. From our old drawings, it stood in a chamber 29'-00" wide 14'-00" deep and around 20'-00" high. It seemed to have been originally blown by a 3 H.P. motor working the feeders on one of the two bellows one of which is 11'-0" x 5'-0". They are indeed huge but in those days of either hydraulic or electric motors working feeders through a crank-shaft, the reservoirs (or storage) had to be big because of the operation of feeders. This may have been changed later for an electric fan-blower, but the reservoirs would not have been changed.
You would certainly be wise to have modern separate reservoirs for each department and discard that old-fashioned huge material. We would be willing to make these for you as soon as you have planned your new layout of the organ interior. It would be necessary for you to send us a pencil sketch of the sizes and where the intake and curtain-valve would be on each reservoir. In planning their sizes you should calculate roughly two square feet of area per stop. As an example, your Swell has fifteen stops, so its separate reservoir should not be less than 30 square feet - say 5'0" x 6'0". The Choir of six stops would call for about 12 square feet, say 3'0" x 4'0", and it is also wise to keep the shape of each as nearly square as possible for the sake of steadiness; that is to say, a reservoir for about 12 square feet would be very steady if it were around 3'6" x 3'6" - still fairly good at 3'0" x 4'0" but not so good at 6' x 2'.
I think you will have no trouble in converting the action to electro-pneumatic, but do not forget to block the bleed-hole of each distributor note (by glueing a strip of leather over the holes inside) otherwise your magnets to exhaust each primary will not function well. You could run the regulating screws in to stop any recharge, but a narrow piece of leather over the small inside holes is the safer method.
You should be able to get some success from the Reisner form of coupler (which seems to be a steal from my own original form of 1916) but I prefer my own old wooden dowel roller to none at all.
We gave a price in 1951 for the complete electrification with a modern console on this job, but learned, finally, that the congregation had disbanded and the Church property sold. Anyway "it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good."
Good luck to you in your venture and be sure you plan ample space for the job.
Sincerely yours,
Stephen Stoot
* * *
January 31, 1961
Dear Stuart,
A few evenings ago, a scotchman went across the TV screen with his bagpipes and I thought of you and the times that you used to do the same in the old Grace church when the organ was being taken down. I must sincerely apologize for not answering your letter sooner, I was very glad to hear from you again. I have often wondered how you were making out with the organ and now that it is being readied for service again I would like very much to hear it once more. The day the organ was loaded in the vans was pretty wet. I had noticed how they had loaded the chests and suggested that they be turned on their sides but he said, they are up on the front deck and well padded and should be Okay. So they must have gotten into some rough roads to split one of them, they were so heavy that it would not be too hard to split them. I always find that it pays large dividends to mark everything you can when taking an organ apart and saves a lot of guessing where they go back again. Harry Gore had told me that he saw you in Saskatoon - I did not go there for the rebuilding of the 3rd Ave job, as I found that a lot of the parts are much too heavy for me now. The last rebuild job here was at first Lutheran and we had to cart a lot of the parts down to the basement and back up to the balcony where we had our workshop. We stored all the pipe work in the balcony which saved a lot of time. Being a summer job they could release the balcony to us.
We had to electrify the primaries in the Lutheran job so put in a new bottom board with magnets which simplified matters besides making a neater job out of it. Yes, you could have dispensed with the old case work. The old console could have been used but there was not much case work to it. I often think of how much of a hurry they were in to get the old church building down and now it is a parking lot.
I sold my theatre organ about 2 years ago to a chap out in St. James. He has it installed in his basement and is learning to play it. I learned a lot getting it in working order while I had it so now he is finding out how these things work for himself. I had to extend the cables to the console, he has it in another part of the basement quite a way from the rest of the organ.
A little over 2 years ago, an organ builder in Winnipeg died leaving a lot of organ pipes and other parts. Mr. Gore got a lot of the pipes, another chap and I got the rest of the pipes and some other equipment so I have started to build another organ for myself. The pipes I have are from a church organ and should be more in line for what I want than the theatre organ was. The one I have in mind will be about 4 ranks - unit type using a diapason, salicional, traverse flute and a harmonic flute, I may add an oboe to this too. I have a good supply of pipes, some of them are a bit beat up but mostly they are in pretty good shape. I have a Casavant 2 manual console and pedal board. The console had been pneumatic so will have to electrify it. It was for a 3-3 organ 3 stops on the great and three on the swell with the usual couplers. I am making up 4 unit chests and will use Reisner No 601 magnets which will make it direct action doing away with the primaries and secondaries etc - about the same idea that Wicks Company use. I have a lot of the Roosevelt type pneumatics, the same that Karn Warren used to use if I decide on doing any more later on. I also have a lot of magnets, the same type that I had on the theatre organ. They are smaller than the Reisner type. I think he took them out of an organ that he installed in a church here and replaced them with Reisner type which are more reliable and easier to service.
There is not much going on in the organ line around Winnipeg just now, mostly maintenance. There are two churches that are planning on some changes, one has an old theatre organ which was overhauled by Eatons some years ago. I usually help Harry with tuning and repair jobs and am on call for anything that turns up while he is away from the city.
My family are all down in the east, one in Montreal and the other in Oakville Ontario but we go down to see them about twice a year - Clare is an assistant Superintendent with the Northern Electric Co and Phyllis is married to a chap who is Supervisor technical training service for all Canada - they have been moved around a few times, so we have to stay in the more central part of the country, especially as we have relatives in Vancouver.
As it will be near Valentines day, we send your little 2 year old our best wishes for a happy birthday and our best regards to you all,
Yours sincerely,
F.A. Anderson
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