REFORMED CHURCHES. 



667 



Organ." Their extensive advertising, com- 

 bined with various improvements made by the 

 trade generally, have greatly increased the pop- 

 ularity and sale of reed instruments. Other 

 makers changed to the organ form of case about 

 the same time, and now it seems likely to en- 

 tirely supersede the melodeon. 



0. Peloubet (afterward 0. Peloubet & Son, 

 now Peloubet, Pelton & Co.), once well known 

 as a maker of fine flutes and other wind instru- 

 ments, began the manufacture of reed instru- 

 ments in 1852. "While making melodeons he 

 gave much time and attention to larger in- 

 struments of the organ class. This house, as 

 far as known, has made the only three-banked 

 reed organs. Mr. Peloubet was the first to tune 

 reeds in equal temperament, first introduce^ the 

 twelfth and fifteenth in reed instruments, and 

 made various improvements in voicing and in 

 variety of tone, especially in getting a more 

 pipe-like quality in the pedal. They make 

 many organs with two and three banks of 

 keys and pedals. 



S. D. & H. W. Smith, of Boston, Mass., are 

 well known as one of the oldest, largest, and 

 most successful houses in the trade. 



Estey & Co., of Brattleboro, Vermont, have 

 been long established and have made many 

 instruments. Two other manufacturing firms 

 have grown out of this ; one the " Burdett," lo- 

 cated in Chicago, 111. Many other smaller 

 firms are scattered over the Northern States. 

 By this sketch it will be seen that, although 

 a few instruments were made between 1818 

 and 1846, yet the manufacture of reed instru- 

 ments has grown up almost entirely since the 

 latter date, and also that it is essentially of na- 

 tive growth. An examination of the Patent- 

 Oifice reports will show with what activity the 

 subject, has been pursued. Similar wants have 

 suggested similar remedies to various parties, 

 till almost every important part of the instru- 

 ment has been invented several times. A cu- 

 rious illustration of this, and of the little value 

 of a patent not indorsed by a judicial decision, 

 is afforded by the so-called " automatic swell." 

 Invented by Mr. M. O. Mcholls, in 1850, used 

 by him for some time and then abandoned for 

 the "knee swell," it was patented in 1857 by 

 Mr. Stanley A. Jewett, and again in 1862 by 

 Mr. George Woods, then with Mason & Ham- 

 lin. The business is now so well established, 

 it is the ability to sell a good organ, quite as 

 much as the ability to make it, that makes the 

 successful firm. The number of reed instru- 

 ments per week, now made, may be set down 

 at from 500 to 600, with an annual value of 

 $3,000,000 to $3,500,000, while six or eight 

 nouses are kept busy in making reeds and 

 reed-boards for the trade. 



REFORMED CHURCHES. I. THE "RE- 

 FOEMED CHURCH IN AMERICA." This is the 

 present title of the denomination formerly 

 known as the Dutch Reformed Church. The 

 statistics of this Church, in 1868, were as fol- 

 lows: 



The total number of churches was 440. The 

 total amount raised for congregational pur- 

 poses was $764,447. The Board of Publica- 

 tion reported the number of copies issued of 

 new books and tracts, 6,600 ; reprints, 44,100; 

 amount of sales, $16,085.43. The receipts of 

 the Board of Education, from collections and 

 donations, were, $10,608.40. The receipts of 

 the Board of Domestic Missions, $28,476.18. 

 The receipts of the Foreign Mission Board 

 amounted to $53,472. The de,bt at the close 

 of the year was $16,000. The Board sustains 

 missions at Amoy (China) ; Arcot (India) ; 

 and in Japan. The Amoy Mission, China (or- 

 ganized in 1844), occupies the cities of Amoy, 

 population, 200,000 ; Chioh-be, population, 60,- 

 000 ; Chiang-chiu, population, 200,000 ; Tung- 

 wan, population, 60,000. The field traversed, 

 that is, the territory surrounding these cities, 

 has a population of about 3,000,000 souls. 

 Connected with this mission are four mis- 

 sionaries and two American assistant mis- 

 sionaries. Churches and stations, 6 ; mem- 

 bers, 701, an increase of 75 ; benevolent con- 

 tributions, $654.82. There are 3 schools, with 

 57 scholars. This mission employs 12 native 

 helpers, and has 7 theological students. The 

 Arcot Mission, India (organized in 1854), occu- 

 pies North Arcot District: area, 5,017 square 

 miles ; population, 1,000,716. South Arcot 

 District: area, 4, 91 6 square miles; population, 

 1,102,184. Churches, 13; out-stations, 34; 

 number in congregations, 1,712 ; communicants, 

 439; scholars in vernacular school, 416; con- 

 tributions, over 936 rupees, or $468. The 

 three schools (boys', girls', and preparandi) 

 have 105 pupils. The Japan Mission (or- 

 ganized in 1859) has stations at Yokohama 

 and Nagasaki, and three missionaries with 



