Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1882-01-10

the fddles; but no such sacrifice was
ever made. The scrawny mountain
sheep of Italy and Germany furnish
the sinews of violin music, their intes.
tines being carefully prepared for the
purpose.
There is a violin called the Pagan
ini which has universal fame. Paga-
mini was for twenty years confined to
prison cell. When he went in he
was allowed to take his violin with
him, and he played sweet strains to
soothe the other prisoners. Practice
soon made him perfect, but when the
+ string Of his violin broke, he was
not allowed to replace it, so he played
on the other three. The next to brake
was the a, but, nothing daun ted, the
lonely prisoner played on, until finally
but one string was left the strongest
and most powerful, ID. On this string
Paganini developed the wonderful har-
monica notes for which he afterwards
was famous, playing the whole air on
one string and holding the sweet
hageolet tones, as Ole Bull later
charmed the world with a single thread
of lOng-drawn, quivering music of al
most infinite sweetness.
The fiddle furnishes the best music
to dance by, as it carries the air and
is most inspiring in its effects. 1t is
almost impossible to resist the witch
cry Of its rollicking strains, and grave
as the Scotch people are and unim-
pressible, let a travelling fiddler hap
pen into tap-roOm where company
of them sit, and tickle the strings of
his "feedle," and their heels will soon
twirl to its music. In Scotland it di-
vides the honors with the bagpipes.
There have been many famous vio-
linists, and there are some at the pres
ent day, but it is doubtful if there is
one worthy of the mantle of the SIM
pie. child-like Ole Bull Next perhaps
to the dead player comes Wilhelmj.
Many ladies have become proficient in
playing this instrument. Little Daisy
Davidson, Of this city, now studying
at Leipsic, promises to become vir-
tuoso. One Detroit lady, who is fine
performer, owns violin that cost
$1,000. 1t requires more than a fine
ear and an accurate understanding of
the principles of music. There must
be ar exactness of touch that is al
most inspirational, and practiced
hand.
There are several musicians in this
city who make violins for sale. The
wood is seasoned Norway pine,
spruce or maple. The strings are inn
ported. AS simple as it is there must
be made in the case as well as the
bow. The best are hand-fnished
and glued together The distinction of
loss in width of the thickness of a
sheet of paper will mar fine instru-
ment. In spite Of this boys will 60
on making them out of cigar boxes.
They can be purchased in our music
stores here at 81, from that up to $500
and $1,000, but a fine StradivariuS, if
at all celebrated, costs $4,000 and up
wards The older the instrument the
better-the wood is full of vibratory
music. The finest fddles are like the
without ornament.
The old songs used to be sweetly
sung to the low touch of the fiddle, and
occasionally we hear an Italian street.
player improvising in that way, and
always with the violin reversed. The
fashionable musician plays in the
virtuoso style, with the body of his
violin tucked up under his chin, his
head on one side and smile of fatuity
resting on his upturned face, while he
runs an agony of thrills and tonings
across his high strung Cremona 1t is
quite unnecessary to innict this upon
audiences, but it is done nevertheless