Dodge City times., 1882-11-02

now in existence may be Strokes of good
fortune that the old ma .Aers themselves
could not always certainly effect. You
see that the bridge of my cello here is
not a particularly fine-looking bit of
wood Some time ago when | hap
pened to drop into an instrument
makers shop. he said: Il have got
splendid piece of maple one hundred
and fifty years old. Just the thing to
make YOU new bridge" Well. he
made the bridge and it looked right.
and seemed to Iii right. but when l tried
il the strings didn't sound right. i
worked with it some time, hut finally
had TO give it up. Then the bow has a
great deal to do with the tune. Its
wood must be strong. and at the same
time slender and light; ii must be firm
without being rigid, and must have per-
feet evenness OF texture. so as 10 give
the same quality OF percussion from
whatever point it MAJ be applied to the
strings. There are celebrated makers
of bows as well rs of instruments. The
Lupot bow is famous. The maker is a
Frenchman who flourished in the first
quarter of this century. He got hold of
fine lot of Pernambuco wood. and all
his bows We're made of selected pieces.
A good Lupot bow is worth one hundred
dollars. An ordinary bow, which would
look as if it were just as good. can be
bought for five dollars.
1T is hard thing TO get hold of fine
old instrument" the virtuosa went on,
the cello strings now sounding in mel
ancholy chords under his straying
fingers. IL believe told you that Will
heimj PLAYS Stradivarius. Remenyi
has quite a collection. but generally
| plays an Amati. Ole Bull had a large
violin by one of the earliest makers OF
the Cremona school, Gaspard de Salo.
| Some fine instruments are in the hands
of amateurs MISUNDERSTANDING of
State Hunter has violoncello of Stradi-
varius tone. if not of that make. En-
Mayor Havemeyer. of New York. al
though not himself cello player, be-
lieve, paid about $500 for Guar
nerrs. Ii is the rich amateur who runs
up the price Of such instruments until
they are out of reach of the poor artist.
There is manufacturer of garden tools
in Hartford who has splendid collec-
ton of violns, and yet, so far as his own
playing is concerned, an ordinary fiddle
would do him just as well as Stradi-
varius. In his collection is the famous
King Joseph Guarnrius violin. 1t Is a
wonderful instrument. | can't describe
TO you the power, softness. and sweet
ness of its tones. They are exquisite.
suppose he could get $1,000 or $4,000
for that violin at any time. 1t is
almost impossible TO appreciate the
value of such an instrument. He has a
collection of fifteen bows thai would
bring from 800 to $4,000. No in
struments could be better cared fol
than those of his collection; but,
strange rs il NAV seem, there are per.
sons with mania for collecting instru
meuts who don't know how TO take care
of them when they get them. l knew
Baltimore collector who had violins
all over his house. often i'm places where
thev were liable to be broken at any
time. l was upstairs in his houst
once, and was going TO sit down on /
bed, when he shouted TO me to look
out--that violin was in there. Sure
enough. violin was stuck under the
bed-clothes because he was too careles,
TO get bag Tor ii. l once came acros:
a fine cello in town IN Central New
York. owned by man who can't pla,
il, doesn't take proper care of IT. anC
vet won't sell il If III were not for suci
men artists would not have 10 maxi
great sacrifices TO get Instrument
with which they can realize their con
ceptions. OF course they must hav,
fine instruments Nothing less vii
content them. even though audience
should be Just as well satisfied to hea
! any well-made instrument as the divine
voice OF q Siradivarius. .'-BdltiBi0r