"hurdy gurdy" aka barrel piano-- facts (OT)

[Ron Nossaman]

> > Beethoven wrote Wellington's victory for a huge version of this (built by
> > the Metronome inventor, Maelzel,) called the Pan Harmonicon which included
> > gun fire from the percussions.
>
>Sounds a LOT more effective for scaring enemies than a formation of men in
>skirts squeezing asthmatic bladders with screeching inverted-udder thingies!
>Can you imagine a platoon of soldiers dragging Gatling-gun-equipped barrel
>pianos into battle?!  :-)
>
>Peace,
>Sarah

But an enemy that would be intimidated by either isn't realistically worth 
the effort to fight. It just ain't sporting when a scary hat and  a pair of 
Groucho glasses would send them scurrying into the underbrush just as well. 
 From my perspective, I'd gladly dump the personnel whackers, pull up a 
basket of lunch and a bottle of wine, and enjoy the pipers until they got 
tired of playing and joined me.

Ron N