Another addendum to the future of mechanical music.  As many of you
may know I have been restoring for Jim Brady up in Indianapolis for
over twenty years.  I have to say here that I owe him a lot.  He
gave me a real foot in the door, giving me projects which no one else
would have trusted to a novice, thereby, advancing my knowledge
greatly and bolstering my self confidence.

Ten years ago, he twisted my arm to restore a Weber Unika, which came
to him in cardboard boxes.  I was afraid to do it.  He insisted that
I could.  I pulled it off and turned out to be one of my great
achievements.

He is presently in ill health and his family is engaged in winding
down his business.  Through this process I have been the recipient of
truckloads of Ampico, Duo-Art, miscellaneous player stacks and parts.
A week ago I took what I feel may be my last trip there to tweak the
remainder of his collection for resale and pick the last load of stuff.

One of the Items I acquired in the shop cleaning was a 1920s vintage
drafting table that belonged to Dr. Clarence Hickman.  Mr. Brady told
me a long time ago that the Ampico B was designed on this table.  It
gives me a warm feeling to know that this table will be a spring board
for mechanical music components that I will be copying or designing from
scratch.  I only hope that Dr. Hickman's muse still resides within.

Brian Thornton - Short Mountain Music Works
Woodbury, Tennessee
http://www.shortmountainmusic.com/