An AP article, datelined Helena (11/16/96), says that a state task
force has recommended that Montana spend $9.5 million to buy Virginia
City & Nevada City to preserve them from sale on the open market.  The
state's option to purchase expires next June 1.  Owner Ford Bovey says
he cannot afford to maintain the properties & must sell them.

Not only are adjacent Virginia & Nevada Cities brimming with
wonderfully preserved buildings, some dating back well over 100 years,
they also house the Bovey collection.  This includes not only the raft
of stuff that former state senator Bovey bought from BAB, but a range
of automatic instruments from around Montana.  Violanos, orchestrions, a
Wurlitzer harp, band organs & so on, are scattered in various buildings
in Virginia City, while many others are in the Ozzie Wurdeman Music
Hall in Nevada City.

Those whose vacation plans include Yellowstone, the Grand Teton or
Glacier Parks, might try to allow a little extra time to see & hear a
most interesting group of almost-original instruments while the
collection is still intact.  Virginia City is in Southwest Montana, a
few miles east of Dillon on I-15 (South of Butte).  Butte, by the way,
has a Seeburg H rebuilt some years ago by Art Reblitz in the city's
mining museum.

Stan Rhine, Albuquerque, NM