Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 260, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1916 — Gales of GOTHAM and other CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Gales of GOTHAM and other CITIES

Gotham Hand Organs All to Be in Tune Next Year

NEW YORK.—One of the really great reforms long necessary is promised at last. Every hand organ In New York is to be tuned. There are 500 hand organs licensed. One of them Is in tune. George H. Bell, commls-

sloner of licenses, is responsible. An Italian gentleman with a monkey and an organ stopped outside Mr. Bell’s residence one morning and Mr. Bell’s appetite was spoiled by the acidulous accent the <talian gentleman’s organ gave to what Signor Verdi had supposed to be among his sweetest and Mr. Bell went out’ and so frightened the Neapolitan jjy displaying a badge that the gentleman from Italy prayed for mercy, and when told it

was possible only if he had the organ tuned at once, he, the organ and the monkev hurried to a tuner for treatment. The other 499 are at or about Broad and Wall streets every business day. Why organ grinders infest the financial district is a mystery unfathomable. With one exception no one ever has been known to give money to an organ grinder to play in themeighborhood of the stock exchange. Many persons give theixi-not ta-play or to cease playing.—. The one person who is known to have given money to an organ grinder to play is an Englishman, a member of the cotton exchange. On the afternoon of December 24, 1914, (full of Christmas spirits and patriotic sentiment, he thought it would be a noble thing to have an organ grinder he had met In South William street play “Tipperary.” He gave $1 to the music master. Every time the Italian stopped or tried to switch to another tune the Englishman gave $1 to him. From early in the afternoon until nightfall that machine ground out “Tipperary.” By that time everybody but the Englishman was an earnest supporter of the kaiser. It always has been supposed that the news of the large sum that one Italian got that day has Ted other organ grinders to hopethat some day something like that will happen to them just as the report of big winnings on the race track or the stock exchange leads persons to persist in playing in the expectation that someday they will be the lucky ones. Mr. Bell declares that he never will issue a license for. a hand organ again unless that hand organ has been tuned. All licenses expire December 31. 1916. He will withhold renewals until the grinders bring certificates that al) the bile and distemper have been removed from the torture