In the late 1890s and early 1900s, Peter F. Welch had an interest in the Rio Blanco Sampling Room. A euphemism for a Meeker saloon and gambling establishment. I believe this one was located at Sixth and Main where Steamline Realty has its present offices. The location is a little fuzzy because Peter didn’t own the building at that time, he leased it from the Baer Brothers.
With Meeker surrounded by ranches, single cowboys and travelers, Meeker had quite a few saloons to help the cowboys part ways with their monthly pay. Every Western town had their share of saloons. “Gunsmoke” and Sheriff Matt Dillon gave us a glimpse of that life. I don’t think Peter had anyone like Miss Kitty running his establishment, but it did have a bar. As a matter of record, Peter owned the building contents, which were described in 1903 as a bar, back bar, mirror, safe, desk, railing, liquor case, showcase, counter, shelving, icebox, bar fixtures, lamps, chairs, tables, tools and implements used in the saloon business. All of this is leading up to the subject of this column.
There is a loan recorded with the county in March 1904 for a purchase Peter F. Welch made from the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. out of Cincinnati, Ohio. The purchase was detailed as one tonophone, serial number 9087, oak, cylinder #249 and extra cylinder #250, with motor 120 volts AC. I was intrigued. The Wurlitzer name I recognized as a manufacturer of theater pipe organs. I had no clue what a tonophone was or why it needed cylinders. Through a little digging, I was able to fill in a few blanks. The tonophone was a piano which played “automatically” when a nickel was inserted. It was advertised in newspapers as a source of entertainment and revenue. It was touted to be the “King of Electric Pianos.” Wurlitzer partnered to the sell the pianos under their trade name for $600.
The piano was probably sent by railroad to Rifle and then hauled by freight wagon to Meeker. The leading freight company at that time was Harp Transportation.
The invention of the tonophone dates back to 1899. It was exhibited by the Eugen de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. at the 1901 Louisiana Purchase Expo. The piano hammers were operated pneumatically with the use of a pinned cylinder like a music box. The concept was adapted from barrel organs. Street entertainers cranked an organ tripped with pins on a cylinder (picture the organ grinder with a monkey on his shoulder in New York City). To accommodate all the keys on a piano the pinned cylinder of the tonophone was four feet long. Each cylinder had several tunes. Peter had purchased an extra cylinder to double the number of tunes. The cylinder, mechanisms and hammers were visible for added entertainment. It was a technological wonder for that time.
I can imagine a cowboy riding 30 miles to plunk down a nickel to watch the keys move by themselves. It wasn’t nearly as portable as my old Walkman CD, although both are antiques today. I would recommend watching one playing on Youtube. Look up Roberts Musical Restoration Wurlitzer Tonophone. It is a marvel, even 120 years later. There are only four known tonophones left in the world. I wonder if one of them is old #9087?
By ED PECK – Special to the Herald times
