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Clinton News Record, 1981-02-26, Page 12PAGE 141—CIMTON NM -RECORD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 19M • attle hist starti BY J!MT1] The first piane that asemby line last week Sber104-Maaning piano f ma havesignalled the re dead eanadian Washy. -But the revival s a big gamble for the three Orden men -and their Toronto in - valor, flying against the wind of high intertest mtes, a sagging economy, less consinner disposable income, and ebeap imports. Murray and Carl Draper, and Joe Reid, together with Torontonian Norman Hathaway, watdehed last week as Lois Hathaway stroked the keys on the first piano that came off the line of the revived factory and pronounced it superb. Mrs. higher inventories of supplies and finished Hathaway IS a member of the Draper pianos, and with interest rates nearinglhe family, along with Murray and Bob who 20 per cent mark, getting more operating are of the late Caryl W. Draper. capital b out of the question for the time The first piano represented a great being, Mr. Reid said. amount of sweat, blood and even a few The Sherlock -Manning name has been tears-iterDraner PrAlleTWUrai Reid. as 0-setwiated"wilifiligh (MAW musical in _ • rolled off the at the revived ctory in Clinton 'val of a nearly they now mil titemselves, and its one of the only two eiano manufacturing, companies left in Canada, the battle is just begin:Wag. Joe Reid, the ma a winManages the infant firm, said the Shedock-Manning name is highly respected instals -Lc circles, and a tour through the plant soon shows that quality and craftmanship are foremost on the maaufact tiring line. "We've already got $) orders from dealers 's4ho are very loyal. They are pleased with the product and the price," said Mr. Reid, who has been connected with the local businessfor over 20 years. The present staff of 16 full and part4ime employees turn out two pianos a day, but increasing production requires carrying .d e comes second to getting day's work done One W9uldiftlfi:k that the craftsmenISand eniftswomen who are spending their days and making their living creating fine pianos would be able to sit down and play the finished product. But it isn't so. There is only one em- ployee at Sherlock -Manning in Cinton that can 'lay the piano and that is the tuner, Dianne McLennagban. The 25 -year-old INYtit womal. Iearned,. her • craft at the fkitAnnan factory, in, Hanover from the five iiianotuners that Worked there before --HelAtehlanwelltikhder Watt' She then joined the Draper Brothers and Joseph Reid in' Clinton and is enjoying herself more there. "It's small here and friendly," she says ef the factory which iimedeys about 10 people thus far, 10;811ms much time and patience to tune a n6W1y7Made, piano and Diane says that the braPell sh that • uilders &melts for 60 years, and in 1934 when the late Caul Draper dentoed and built the first elmartmentesized Anno, the name spreadffiroughout the world. The cempauk was the result of a merger ofthe Doherty Piano and Organ Company, which had been manufacturing in Clinton since 1869, and Sherlock -Manning Pianos of London, Wade. Production was. consolidated in the Clinton plant in the 1920's. In 1967, William Heintunan bought controlling interest, and in 1978, hutting bought the remaking shares, he merged it with Heintzman Ltd., and moved the whole opertation to Hanover. Meanwhile, Caryl Draper's two sons, along with their former manager Joe Reid, purchased the Clinton plant and equip - meal from Heineman after the move. There they manufactured furniture and !repaired pianos, as well as supplied the Heintzman operation. Last fall, ileintman went bankrupt, and the Ilta-notier SklanPeppler, a furniture manufacturer for 15 cents on the dollar. Sklar says they still intend to turn out pianos. When Heinztman went into receivership last fall, Draper Brothers and Reid, together with Norman Hathaway, bought the Sherlock -Manning name from the receiver, and set out to make pianos at the Clinton plant. "Manufacturing pianos is a highly skilled, labor intensive operation," said Mr. Reid last week. "We expect before the end of the year we will have at least 25,, people back on the payroll. Turn to page 13 91, The first piano Whfie lois Hathaway plays the keys of the first piano to come off the line, the owners watch, including, Joe Reid, Bob Draper, Murray Draper, and Lorne Hathaway. (James Fitzgerald photo) theicaninati —their highstandaids. • Only when doesDiaine admit to, . a certain iirViiiiWifierk.-"iren.-1 guess do iave the last sarbefoie they pack a . piano." She is like the other employees in - her shyness. "It's Alin a day's work," insists Harold Freifllin who has worked at the factory ----sinetethkentief WarktWarlIe-qt,s-rt good Clinton News -Record thing for the town. But I don't think too much about 11.:.well, yes I guess it makes me feellgood."en, • . Fremlin's father matie player pianos in Clintilbifit 'Set his son to work there after the war. He works on the `belly'Anfot Piano, rtatOting intricate holes and wedget ridge,of the piano. the SherlodcWarming factory et, !Menne McLennaghan tunes pianos at the "v•I'14.11hiftitielkaafifitrififtfilie—taif learned her craft fro 'in five other tuners at Heintzman In Hanover. (Photo by Cath carved piece of the instrument and ran his hand over it. "This wood has good character," he said. Jean Alexander has worked at building Sherlock -Manning pianos for eight years. She enjoys her job and enjoys the people she works for. ,"They don't keep you going," she says of Murray and Bob Draper. Jean is currently putting together the backs of pianos though she tries to learn about other jobstoo. -.."It'w fascinating," she readily admits. "I can tell which pianos I did. It's kind of exciting." clefsc1oSd.iflChflt�fl for two years, Fremlin stayed on as a piano repairman and woodworker Wide there was work. Bill ADA,' is another employee who remained at the factory • during the in- terim, Austin has worked there for 13 years as a finisher. He laughs and 'Smiles when asked if he feels proud when he finiihesia product. "Oh,.I. don't know. I guess this job is something to conciliar. You're always improving something by re -finishing it and 7 -yoirgaitseeit.so-easily."--Austin was in the process of re -finishing an older piano that had layers of stain of the wood. He held a Wooden) , ' ..• ,. , ' ,,,,,, A., OA ;Igoe- %.•*fe •WO- twid e ,„ : f't ran Hill Is one of seven Sherlock -Manning employees that worked for Heinzman in Hanover while the Clinton factory was out of business. Here, Ian attaches the strings. (Photo by Cath Wooden) - • Feature page BrOther§.where.th6i: to be - • BY CATH WOODEN Murray and Bob Draper do not like to talk about themselves. Murray and Bob Draper will tell you anything you want to know about pianos and about their factory. Murray will show you his little 'gingerbread' cottage called The Music Box and its history of recorded music inside with enthusiasm, but don't ask to take his picture. At 63 and 61 years .of age respectively, Murray and Bob Draper have formed a company with Joseph,Reid and re -opened the Sherlock -Manning piano factory in Clinton. They could have continued repairing pianos and refinishing furniture until they could retire, but they chose to start -op 'the business again and pick up where they left off as Canada's finest piano makers. Neither one of them can think of something they would rather be doing., "It's a complicated work," says Murray. "But it's nice." Murray works on the 'action line', assembling the hammer and key actions while Bob works wherever he is needed on any number of the jobs. Neither one of them can play a note. "Never had time to learn," says Bob. "I was into sports too much." Murray may not be able to play piano, but he knows everything there is to know about the intracacies of creating one. He has also made a hobby out of music, a valuable hobby. For 30 years, Bob Draper has been collecting music boxes and gramaphones and also has two organs, a player piano, and a military band organ. He keeps his collection. Una cottage called The Music Box in Clinton. Murray explains that the first recorded music invented around 1820 was in the form of a cylinder box. He has nine of these ranging in size and age. They were made in Switzerland. Good ones "are awfully hard to come by," says Murray and most of his were purchased at antique shows and stores. He says collectors get to know each other and develop a line of communication among themselves. Gradually, the cylinder boxes expanded in scope to include bells and organ music. He has an 1U0 box that he bought in New York and restored. In P;0, the Germans invented the disc box which replaced the cylinder type. Owners could buy more discs for a bigger variety of music and this type could also play much louder. An American company improved fur- ther this type in 1904 and manufactured a 9990 disc box which eventually evolved into the gramaphone. Murray also has some of these and several records mihich are very thick and played at 78 r.p.m. The Edison CoMpany came out with a cylinder gramaphone first in 1904 and then in 1912, introduced the flat disc model that had a permanent diamond needle. Murray also has a roller organ, which was a common and cheap home en- tertaiment. The owner had to stand and crank the organ to make the music. Murray has had at least 500 visitors in this room of the cottage and three times that many in the room that holds his organs, player piano, and marine band. The player piano is a Sherlock -Manning that was Made in the London ,factory although the same model was built in Clinton. He has two Doherty organs made in 1886 in the Clinton factory which stood where the high school is now. He re -built and re- finished the home organ which islarger and more ornateAfin the chgrch orgaghe found in a shed in Holmesville. It is the military band organ that can stand up to any teenager's stereo speakers for ear -blasting power. Murray's band organ is one of three custom made models ,moomotiovaiomeagoamogaw 04„, built in 1973. It is a copy of a 1921 model and plays original rolls. . Military band organs were used in skating arenas to provide music. There are only a very few original band organs left today and valued very highly. Varnetnenne • nminte,ata kaa_ltwk%..slennt00. • ; ;VI t."t ; T..; I • • Elaine Green of Clinton makes an adjustment to one of the pianos coming off the end of assembly line at the recently reopened Sherleck-Manning piano factory in Clinton. The factory turns out two planoe a day, and has iold their first run of 70 pianos already. (Jemes Fitzgerald photo) . • •