Dear Ben, Greetings from The Bronx!  The Cooperstown Farmer's Museum's
band organ is a "compact" Stinson/Wurlitzer "165" and has all the pipe
work and instrumentation of a full-sized Wurlitzer Style 165 band organ
but in a three-quarter size package (approximately).

I and Allen Dreyfus, assisted by Bill Maguire, had the opportunity to
tune the organ while it still resided in Long Island.  I was told this
was the one and only "165" of this size built and that Stinson would
never build another one that small.

The organ was built to accompany the New York State Carrousel.  The
figures on the front were carved by the same person involved with
carving the animals on the carrousel, all of which represent those
animals native to New York State.  The bandmaster figure is, of course,
John Philip Sousa, and to the left and right of him are George M. Cohan
and Irving Berlin.  To John Philip Sousa's lower left is an animated
woodpecker that actually pecks as it plays the wood block.

The carrousel and band organ were originally to be set up in their
own venue in Long Island but due to bureaucratic red tape and erroneous
zoning problems, and not to mention the usual insurance headaches, they
both found a more reasonably permanent home in Cooperstown.

As for the speed of the musical selection, I must concur most strongly
that it's too darn fast!  All that would be required is to turn down
the Tempo dial, as it is an electric drive spool frame.

Have a very nice day, sincerely,
Dale F. Rowe
Bronx, New York

 [ Read about John Philip Sousa's literary (prose) works at
 [ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121883111733845283.html 
 [ -- Editor (Robbie)