In the “choir organ” there are nine stops, viz.:  Wald flute, fifteenth stopped flute, oboe flute, principal, stopped diapason, hohl flute, cornopean, and open diapason, making together 486 pipes.  The “swell organ” contains 10 stops, viz.:  Hautbois, trumpet, horn, fifteenth, sesquialtra, principal, stopped diapason, open diapason, clarion, and boureon and dulciana, the whole requiring 702 pipes.  In the “solo organ” the principal stops are the harmonica, krum, horn, and flageolet, but many of the stops in the swell and choir organs work in connection with the solo.  In the “pedal organ” are 12 stops, viz.:  Open diapason 16ft. (bottom octave) wood, ditto, 16ft., metal, ditto, 16ft. (bottom octave) metal, bourdon principal, twelfth, fifteenth, sesquialtra, mixture, posanne, 8ft. trumpet, and 4ft. trumpet.  There are besides, three 32ft. stops, one wood, one metal, and one trombone.  There are four bellows attached to the organ, and they are of great size, one being for the 32ft. pipes alone.  The Town Hall organ had its first public trial August 29, 1834, when the Birmingham Choral Society went through a selection of choruses, as a kind of advance note of the then coming Festival.

Orphanages.—­The first local establishment of the nature of an orphanage was the so called Orphan Asylum in Summer Lane, built in 1797 for the rearing of poor children from the Workhouse.  It was a very useful institution up to the time of its close in 1852, but like the Homes at Marston Green, where the young unfortunates from the present Workhouse are reared and trained to industrial habits, it was almost a misnomer to dub it an “orphan asylum.”—­An Orphanage at Erdington was begun by the late Sir Josiah Mason, in 1858, in connection with his Almshouses there, it being his then intention to find shelter for some three score of the aged and infantile “waifs and strays” of humanity.  In 1860 he extended his design so far as to commence the present Orphanage, the foundation stone of which was laid by himself Sept. 19 in that year, the building being finished and first occupied in 1863.  In addition to the expenditure of L60,000 on the buildings, the founder endowed the institution with land and property to the value of L250,000.  No publicity was given to this munificent benevolence until the twelve months prescribed by the statute had elapsed after the date of the deed, when, on the 29th of July, 1869, the Orphanage and estates were handed over to seven trustees, who, together with Sir Josiah himself, formed the first Board of Management.  At his death, as provided by the trust deed, seven other trustees chosen by the Birmingham Town Council were added to the Board.  The inmates of the Orphanage are lodged, clothed, fed, maintained, educated, and brought up at the exclusive cost of the institution, there being no restriction whatever as to locality, nationality, or religious persuasion of parents or friends.  In 1874 the building was enlarged, so as to accommodate 300 girls,