In the interest of lightening things up a bit, the Herald’s editorial board would like to thank all the respondents to the question of the ‘mystery organ’ posed by Robert Ambron of Altamonte Springs, Florida (Herald, Mar. 19) reflecting upon his 1977 visit to Durango, a stop to see friends on a cross-country bus trip. We were delighted with the number and detail of the responses and have assembled them here, for all.

Dans Jones was the first to respond at 4:56 a.m. Wednesday with the name of the “Cat and the Fiddle,” indicating he lived upstairs at the time. Christina Browning said it was located at 636 Main, the site of the current restaurant 636 Main (the former Ken and Sue’s and Father Murphy’s).

Butch Keller wrote that the Cat and the Fiddle was the home of the world’s “largest” rising organ. He believed the owner was Don Hartley and that Don, around midnight, would begin to play the organ in the basement and rise out of the floor and return on a lift. Others confirmed so.

Tim Smith shared an article from DGO Magazine, “A day in the 70s” that also referenced the “world’s largest rising organ.” Beth Emrich wrote that the Cat and the Fiddle was not a typical bar and had a bit of a rough crowd, but was worth the adventure, for sure!!! (emphasis Beth’s).

Unsure if this could be printed (we are, it’s the 70s and about a bar no less), Beth shared that a friend of hers asked the bartender if they could see his organ. She was not alone in the double entendre department. Bob Cordalis, with a smiley face emoji, shared the Cat & the Fiddle sold hats and T-shirts emblazoned with “Home of the world’s largest rising organ.”

Betsy Kimmick said she remembers it well and that the proprietor usually played “Sweet Georgia Brown” as the organ emerged on its platform. Jill Tripp remembers Don playing “Up the Lazy River” by the Mills Brothers to the delight of patrons who would gather around the organ to sing along. And Scott Smith also remembered the Mills Brothers, though on the Jukebox.

Cathy Soldevila wrote that her uncle owned The Galloping Goose across the street and she patronized the bar on occasion. So did Jodi Zuber, who wrote she got to see it once and it was ‘pretty memorable.’ Greg Hoch, 30-year City of Durango Planning Director, shared that in the 1970s and 1980s, in the mix of the Cat and the Fiddle, there were eight live music and dance establishments downtown. And Michael Schulz, also a former patron, wrote that Don spent a year installing the pipes in the basement and building the lift that raised him and the organ through a trap door in the floor.

James Forleo said, “it was truly amazing … jaw dropping, really,” to be in this great dive bar and to hear loud organ music coming from somewhere. He said that people started to cheer, the floor opened up and a full size organ with an organist rose out of the floor.

Charles DiFerdinando, Visitor Services Manager at Animas Museum, confirmed Hartley as owner and that he bought the 1920 Robert Morton theater pipe organ in 1972 in California from a theater that went out of business. He also shared that Don and his wife Muriel were from England and when Don passed away that was the end of the Cat and the Fiddle.

Except, not quite. Bob Cordalis, wrote that in the 80s, the location became the Buffalo Bar. He was a musician and said late one night after a gig, he and band members got to see the organ firsthand and ride it up out of the floor. It worked, he said, was a little rough, but it did still play.

In people’s memories, too. Jill Tripp said that over the years, she’s asked wait staff if the organ was still in the basement and they looked at her as if she were crazy. Not so.

Additional thanks to Michael Black, Brian Honold, Caroni Adams, Ray Gallegos, Antonia Clark, Debi Ellis (with her husband, both proud patrons), Pascale Bauman, George Johnson, Rick Feeney, and Joyce Dunn, the 25th and final respondent calling at 9:20 a.m. Thursday, for your responses not all printed to avoid duplication, and especially to Robert Ambron for initiating a trip down Durango’s memory lane.

Ah, the good old days … We will for sure pass all of this along.

In other lighter fare, read Jim Cross below. And wasn’t it so nice to see NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore return to earth? Some good things do come to a safe and satisfying end.