Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-04-04
UIe Buii.

The first instructor in music of Ole
Bull was Dane named Paulsen. man
thoroughly qualified in his profession,
but given to drink. At one of the week
" quartettes Paulsen imbibed SO freely
that he was unable to play. In this un-
fortunate dilemma Ole was halfjoking-
" told to take his place, and the violin
was placed in his hand, with the promise
of a stick of candy after the perform
ance. Ole accepted the command in
earnest. \ quartette of Pleyel which
he had heard several times was chosen,
and his memory served him faithfully.
To the astonishment of all he played
each movement correctly. He not only
executed the difficult passages, but
marked the rests. 1t was a wonderful
triumph for the S-year old boy. He
was made at once an active member of
the club. Soon after he became the
owner of a little red violin. He slept
in the same room with his parents, and
the night of its purchase he could not
sleep for thinking of it. After all was
quiet in the house he crept out of bed
and into the next room where the in
strument had been deposited. But let
him tell his own story:
when | heard father and mother
breathing deep, rose softly and lighted
candle, and in my night clothes did
go on tip-toe to open the case and take
one little peep. The violin was so red,
and the pretty pearl screws did smile at
lie so, | pinched the string little
with my fingers. 1t smiled at me ever
more and more. l took up the bow and
looked at it. 1t said to me it would
he pleasant to try it, across the strings.
So | did try it, just very, very little,
and il did sing to Inc Sweetlyl Then
did creep farther away from the bed
room. AT first did play very soft /
made very, very little noise. But pre-
sently | did begin a capriccio which l
like very much, and it do go ever louder
and louder; and | forgot that it was
midnight and that everybody was asleep.
Presently / hear something go crack,
and the next minute | feel my father
whip across my shoulders. My little
red violin dropped on the floor and was
broken. | weep much for it, but it did
no good. They did have doctor to it
next day, but it never recovered its
health"
In 1881. when he was q years old, he
went to Paris to pursue his musical
studies, but his money soon gave out,
and he had no means of replenishing his
purse. lie was unknown as musician.
he could not even teach, and he was at
last reduced to the very verge of star
walton. The tide turned at last, how
ever, and by a series of curious accidents
he was enabled to gain a hearing before
some rich and powerful connoisseurs III
music. After successful concert tour
through Italy he devoted himself Il
study with an intensity which wrecked
his health. Visiting Bologna he won in
the most extraordinary way the great
celebrity which followed him ever after
ward. 1t seems that at the time of his
stay in Bologna, Malibran and DeBeriot
were both there, and were advertised tO
appear. The two had violent quarrel
however. and refused to go upon the
stage.
s.Ole Bull had now been fortnight
in Bologna. He occupied an uppel
room in a poor hotel, a sort of soldiers
barracks, where he had been obliged to
take temporary refuge, because of the
neglect of friend to send him a money
order. Secluded from society, he spent
the days in writing on his concerto; and
when evening came, and the wonderful
ltones of his violin sounded from the
open windows, the people would as
lsemble in the street below to listen
One evening the celebrated ColbraI
(Rossini's first wife, and native of Bo
logna) was passing Casa Soldati ant
heard those strains. She paused. TIL,
Isounds seemed to come from an instru