Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-28
MAKING FIDDLE STRINGS.
The Process simple hut Far from Easy
SILK limitations and Foreign
Strings.

Silk limitations and Foreign
Strings.
From the New York Sun.
The Maine ''catgut." as applied to the animal
fiber strings u-ed on musical instruments. is al
together misnOmer. The cat is in no wise re-
sponsble for the string, and, as much as the fact
Is TO be deplored, the manufacturers of such
strings refuse to utilize cats for the supply OF
their material. That disposes Of the last ex-
cuse for the existence OF the cat. Aminadab
Sleek, amended to accuracy, should speak of
''they who scrape the hair of the horse upon
the bowels OF the lamb'-not the ''bowels of the
cat" Catgut Is OF no use to any body but the
cat hence no consideration of damage to val
liable raw material need hereafter stay the
hand that hurls the avelging bOOtiack at the
nocturnal serenader on the back fence Violin,
guitar. and banjo strings. and, In fact. all
sorts that come under the general head of
gut" arc made from the entrails of lambs and
cattle, from the delicate threads used for sew
ing racket ball covers up to the halr-inch
thick round belts. After a lamb is seven
months old its entrails are no longer lit for
making strings for yiolins: consequently this
branch OF the manufacture can only he carried
on few months in each year. Whether 1t can
or not is about te become matter of indiffnr-
ence rs far as the industry in this country is
concerned, fol the only man who now carries
IT on says that he cannot without tariff pro-
lection. compete With the cheap labor OF Ger
many AID france, and he is going to give 1t up.
Mr.. Biumenthal. a leading importer. who has
sought to build up this industry here. went be-
fore the rowing tariff commission to plead for
a duty on gut strings for musical instru-
ments. but did not succeed in having
it recommended. Some fourteen Years AGO
there was duty of b per cent. but for Il dozen
years there has not been any. In that time a
nuJlber OF Germans have come over and tried
TO start the manufacture They could get their
raw material cheaper here than In Europe but
the work admits OF no mechanical aid. must be
done wholly by skilled hand labor and the men
they could have hired FOR 50 per week in Ger
many or France they here had TO pay SIS or $40
week TO. That broke them. The Importation
OF this class OF strings into the United States
amounts 10 more than $500 000 per annum
During the past year the home manufacture
amounted only 10 $4,000, and in the year be-
fore to $l2, coo.
Pew people, said Mr.. Turner. manufac-
turer here. have any idea OF the many uses to
which gut strings are row put. They are used
to hold up clock weights. for betting. for the
lacing on lawn tennis anu racket bats. for Ia
crosse scoops for weaving fine whip covers. for
sewing covers on balls. for jewellers drills and
for a thousand things. suppose. that even Go
not know Of. One downtown manufacturer
uses from S7,oo0 to $1,000 per annr,m just for
making lawn tennis, racket, and battletOre bats,
Anglers leaders, or snels!' No, not at ALL al
though most people have an idea that those are
made OF gut. That material would never do for
such purpose. 1t would get soft In the water
in a few minutes and the fish would eat it off
liz TACT don't know but what it would be good
bait. Most so-caed gut leaders are made
from silk, and the best from q marine plant
"All the Nork of making cut strings is about
the same, but greater care has to be exercised
III preparing those intended for musical instru-
ments than others. The process of mannfac-
ff9m easy. When the entrails. for which good
pliCe has 70 be paid, are thoroughly cleaned
they are split with & razor. Only one half is
lit Tor use il violin strings That IS the upper
OK smooth half The lower hall is fatty. rough
and of unequal thickness. The strips are
put through rollers, Turned ny hand, for eight
or nine days to take all the stretch out Of them
lhen they are spun or twisted. Five or six
strands go 20 make ell 7 string, eight or nine
an string, and twenty are put into a d string
Then they 90 through bleaching bath Of sui
phur fumes. After that they are twisted again
Then they are softened in pearlash water. again
subjected 10 the action Of the sulphur fumes.
twisted again, dried. and finally rubbed down
smooth With pnlnice stone Altogether 1t takes
ten or eleven DAYS 10 make a sing. When
done they are each q inches long tunr lengths
Tor a v.olin-and thirty Of them coiled sepa-
fasely and tied together make up the bundle
OF the trade. We can make lust as good violin
strings here as the best that come from Saxony
or any other part Of Germany. and very
much better than any that are made In
France. bur We cannot compete with the best
Italian strings in point Of quality. Except in
the latter. not more than one in three will
tie absolutely correct and equal in tone through
out; bht there is one maker in Italy who, By
some secret process Of his own. secures and
guarantees perfect accuracy throughout for
every string he makes. He does not make
more than 90 or 100 bundles a wear, but. his
strings command S1o per bnndle here-cost
that to the importer, While other italian strings
are worth only IS or "a and Others ONLY 81 80
The Italian makers have one great advantage
That the raw material IS thin. fine free from
TAT, ana evenly smooth all around so that they
can use the whole, instead Of having to split it,
as we must. That gives to their completed
not attain. No gut harp strings are made in
this country.
good many f strings now used on violins in
this country are made OF steel wire. That is the
finest string and most liable 20 break The wire
is, Of course. the most durable bv far hut if
lacks tile tone OF a gut string. Perhaps the
strongest recommendation in favor Of wire
strings is that they eau be furnished for about
fifteen cents dozen. The frequency with which
gut strings are softeaed by perspration on the
myers ana broken '!nring play in the summer
time has cansed the very general adOptiOn of
SILK strings for Use during the months of July
and August. They have not 20 good tone as
the gut. but are better for use in that season
l ne manufacture OF them is protected by a 40
percent duty. but great quantities are imported
as gut. You could hardly tell them from cut.
Indeed don't know that l myself could with
certainty.
Heavy betting string Is made from beef en-
trails, and some Oft brings as much as nifty
cents per foot. In that we are not required to
be so particular about getting line light color
as We are when making musical instrument
strings. Musicians cannot be made 70 under
stand that the dark strings are the most dura-
bic and best. but such IL the fact PERHAPS
some OF them may know 1t. but all the same.
they lave the common american preference for
the pr"trlest thins, whether II is really the best
Or not"
Time and Ebeath.
From the Now York Sun.
In graceful article on The tributes Of respect