DRUMMER CAFE

Several years ago I was at Country fair in northern Maine and in one area there was a group of homemade percussion instruments.  One was made of 10 to 12 logs, the lowest note was 4 or 5 feet long and graduated down to about 2 feet or less.  The biggest log was at least 3 or 4 inches in diameter and the diameter got smaller in relationship to the length.  They were suspended by ropes threaded through two drilled holes and set up like a Marimba.  The amazing thing was the sound the logs made when struck with sticks that had a leather mallet tip.  They had a very musical tone and the notes seemed to be fairly evenly distributed - you could hit any two or three and there wasn't any dischord.  I have searched on the web and haven't had any luck in finding information about how they were made, what kind of wood used, etc.

There was some really interesting and innovative things in the same area as this Log Marimba; a row of hot water tanks with designs cut into them so there were various notes (hard to explain) when struck, another row of 55 gal drums that when struck had notes - sort of like a steel drum but they weren't flattened, just cutouts.  I saw this display twice and I couldn't find anyone around to talk to about them either time.

Does anyone have any ideas?