The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-06-25
Paganini Outdone.
| reached the citv of COLOGNE.

L reached Inc city or Cologne, writes
correspondent, by steamer down the
Rhine at in the afternoon. This gave
me an hour before dark in which to Wis
1t the great cathedral, whose lofty
spires had been before me since twenty
miles away. Then | had an hour for
dinner, which / ate with great zest at
the Hotel du Dom, nearly opposite the
cathedral. Two hours and a half were
then left before | was to take the night
express for Brussels. What should |
do In that two hours and a half? The
porter to whom | addressed this ques-
ton said l had better 60 around to the
Cafe Chantant for an hour. so told
him to lead the way. The Cafe Chant
ant found to be a large room, or small
hall, whichever one might please to call
1t. At one end was a sample stage,
like a concert platform. The floor was
filled with small square tables, with
two or three chairs at each table. The
chairs were nearly filled with people,
men and women, OF very respectable
aspect The scene was strange and
orderly and proper. and the concert,
which | staid an hour to enjoy, was of
high musical order.
The piece on the programme which
entertained me the most was a per-
formance on the violin. 1t had just be-
gun as | entered the room. The per-
former was handsome young fellow,
dressed in a grotesque suit of many
coiors, and he was talking away to the
audience as l came in in q very ami
mated manner. 1t seemed, as nearly
as l could understand him, that he had
lost his violin bow, and unless he could
ind some substitute for it he could not
do his part in the concert. Did anv of
the audience happen to have a violin
bow with themp No! Well, that was
too bad! What should he do? Would
anything else answer instead of bow?
Couldn't somebody lend him some
thing, etc. OF course, all this was made
up. The object of the violinist was to
get hold of some nondescript objects
with which he could play on his violin
instead of a bow, and so show his skill;
and all his talk was simply to entertain
his audience so much the more. Pres
emily somebody handed him up visit
ing card-a common, plain visiting
card. The violinist took it, looked at
it moment inquiringly, tried its edge
with his finger, and then applied the
edge to the strings of his instrument.
1t answered the purpose very well, and
he played quite nice tune. At the
end there was a burst of applause.
An officer of the army, who was sit
ting near the stage, passed up his
sword, and with the sword for a bow
the clever young violinist, after mo-
ment or two's experimenting, played
another nice tune, over which there was
more applause, louder than before
Then he handed the sword back to the
officer and asked for something else.
A lady handed up an umbrella. An
umbrella! How could anyone play on
the violin with an umbrella? But this
man did. He opened the umbrella, and
finding a smooth place a few inches in
length on the handle went to work with
it with ease, and succeeded surprisino-
~ woII. rno osPtla,ssyu, VIM. ,.,s2.
finished, was heartier than ever, and
what had been before a scene OF Acre
amusement on the part of the audience
seemed to rise into something like ad-
miration.
And now the violinist good-natured-
ly offered to try once more. And what
do you think was handed up to him this
time? A shoe; an old shoe! Surely he
would have to give up now. For mo-
ment he looked as if he would. After
examining the shoe with care for mo-
ment, the violinist found place on the
inner side, between the heel and the
toe, where the projecting sole furnish
ed short, sharp edge. When he lad
found that, and felt it with his finger,
he looked up with pleased expression
as if to say, L guess that will do. And
do it did; for with the shoe for violin
bow he went on and played tripping
tune that set everybody's feet agoing,
and when he had finished filled the
room with a deafening round of APP
plause. With low bow and q pleas
ant smile, in a momen he was gone.