The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-08-07

TIE cRE6aoNA SECRET.
DnesyoEy ~ Tie Material Or which 7heso
viollns.vere Aade.
1he Cinoinn1H Cbxrser, which il tho
odicial organ Of the College Of Music in
that city, has recently publ shed IN in
teresting statement as to the discovery
of the long-lost secret of making the
Cremona violin. The statement is to
the effect that the secret of the sweet
ness and power Of the Crelnona lies in
the wood Of which the violin is made,
and that two violins have been made
in Cincinnati which in every respect
are fully equal to the best specimens Of
Amati Stradivarius or any other of the
celebrated makers.
A representative of the Telegram who
Is much interested in the viol clipped
the art Gle from the Cincinnati paper
and forwarded it with short note. to
3violn como ssenr of tn g city who
pr des b .nself upon as valuable col
lection of rare instruments as can be
found in the country. A few days
later the connOissaur wrote to this cor
respondent, requesting him to call and
| spend an even ng with him at his resi-
dence, near Madison Square.
The article had been carefully read
and considered by the enthusiastic col
| lector.
1T is true statement in the main. !"
said he, "but should Ike to make an
L nA IN tkaf svxt ock
ing not only to the alleged discoverer.
but to all Others who have speculated
upon it.
you know the Professor OF the.vio-
lin in the Cincinnati College of Music?
Well. some years ago he was the head
master of the violin school of the Leip-
sic Conservatory. He had been long
time among the enthusiastic searchers
after the lost secret. and had studied
the various instruments in his own cole
lection and in those of his friends with
the assiduity of monomaniac. One
| day he made proposition to one of
his friends that for the moment was
astound ng. 1t was that they should
take a Stradiyar.us to pieces. After
long elaboration and at the expense of
many tears and heart pangs, the two
friends broke up the sweet-toned treas
ure whose wondrous vo ce would never
gladden. mortal ear aga n. and the
sweet secret was theirs. 1t lay IMPLY
in the wood of which the instrument
| was made. It was that of q balsam
pine that grew in Italy in former days.
but had disappeared. On removing to
Cincinnati the professor fell in with an
instrument-maker who hal made .
study of our American woods, and who,
on examining the jagged pieces of the
ruined Stradivarius, said at once:
Why, this is American wood; If not.
we have something SO nearly like it
| that there is NO material difference be-
tween the two. This is identical in
weight. texture and grain with our
balsam pine, which grows in abund-
ance to the north of us.
well, it was not long before . re-
QUESTION was made upon the land of
the north for . subsection of balsam
pine tree. 1t was carefully and ten
derby sawn into slabs, and these were
cured with m earnest attention that
had never been bestowed upon pine
slabs before-at least in thus country.
Two viOlins were made in the best
style, and, alter having been tested.
they were played upon by the
professor, In presence Of . num-
Der Of the most critical connois-
eeurs IN Cincinnati, who had ample OPP
| portunity to compare them with Gre
monas. The comparison resulted jim
tho unanimous verdict Of tho critics
that tho American-made instruments
were fully a sweet and pure in tone As
the Cremonas, but inferior in power.
This inferior ~, however, all believed.
would be not iceable no longer when the
now instruments were adyantaged by
time snd use.
Tho beautiful violin which the pro-
lessor persuaded his friend to destroy
had . market value of @3, 600. But
what is that to the value Of the dis
Icoyery. VII Oh he 20 nobly aided his
friend to makefr
Up to this point tho writer had IN
Itsr,ected NO remark to interrupt the
dow Of his friends interesting talk.
ssBut said he. had no other e.
forts Ia the same direction been made
TO discover the secretf'
DOZENS. said thu connoisseur. 'sbut
there has been nor sacrifices made It
| II not every violin-lover who will do
etfoy : q, 600 handful az delight Just
e CRAFTY friends fancy. IN 7.
Telc0runA
FAMILY SKELETONS.
~ stsrv sf TAess who Hsvs Gone Hopes
ae>unnv IN - Rnd.