Story of the Flute
Böhm nowhere states definitely that he obtained no hints from Gordon's flute, but in a letter of May 20th,Conclusion
of the
whole
matter 1878, he does say, "I never had used anything of M. Gordon, but he had to thank me for what I have done for him." On the other hand, Gordon himself never even hinted that Böhm had copied his flute in any respect; on the contrary he definitely states that he (Gordon) had adopted certain devices of Böhm's flute with Böhm's permission. The truth would appear to be that the same main ideas occurred to both men simultaneously, and that Böhm carried them out successfully, whilst Gordon failed to do so. Böhm's flute was practical and workable; Gordon's was unpractical and much too complicated to be workable.
When it is recollected that to Böhm alone are due the ascertainment of the correct acoustical positions for the holes and of the best bore for the tube; that with these—the vital part of the improvement—Gordon had nothing whatever to do, as he was either in a madhouse or more probably dead when they were ascertained; that, moreover, the mechanical key-action, to which alone the controversy relates, had all been foreshadowed by previous inventors—when these facts are borne in mind, the entire dispute fades into insignificance and becomes "a storm in a teacup." It is to be noticed that Gordon's partisans—Coche, Clinton, Ward, Rockstro—all produced rival flutes in Böhm's lifetime. Was it jealousy that caused their opposition to his claims?
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