ession of the sole
rights of his invention as soon as he should obtain his English patent,
which he got in the following year. Barker, however, repented him of
his bargain, and the exclusive rights were eventually waived by the
Brycesons, although they retained the right to use the patent
themselves. They made considerable improvements on Barker's action,
the chief defects of which seem to have been the resistance of the
pallets (which had to be plucked from their seats; he did not even use
the split pallet) and the cost of maintenance of the batteries, which
rapidly deteriorated from the action of the powerful acids employed. A
full description and drawing of Peschard's and Barker's action will be
found in Dr. Hinton's "Story of the Electric Organ."

This same Paris Exposition of 1867 is also responsible for the
introduction of tubular-pneumatic action into England by Henry Willis.
He there saw the organ by Fermis which induced him to take up that
mechanism and develop it to its present perfection.

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 drove Barker from Paris, his factory
was destroyed in the bombardment, and thus at the age of 64 he was
again cast adrift. He came to England and found, on attempting to take
out a patent for his pneumatic lever, that all the organ-builders were
using what they had formerly despised!

He succeeded, however, in obtaining the contract for a new organ for
the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, and it was arranged
that he should receive a certain sum in advance, and a monthly
allowance up to the amount of the estimated cost of the instrument. He
seems to have had trouble in obtaining expert workmen and only
succeeded in getting a motley crowd of Frenchmen, Germans, Dutch and
Americans. They spoke so many different languages that a Babel-like
confusion resulted. Hilborne Roosevelt, the great American
organ-builder, was at that time in Europe, and in response to Barker's
earnest entreaty, came to Dublin _incognito_, so as not to detract from
Barker's reputation as the builder. Roosevelt's direction and advice
were most invaluable, being moreover given in the most chivalrous and
generous spirit; but, notwithstanding this and the excellent material
of which the organ was constructed, the result was anything but an
artistic or financial success.

[Illustration: CHARLES SPACHMAN BARKER.]

Barker built an organ for the Roman Catholic Cathedral at Cork, which
was no better, and th