, 1885-03-11
TIT CREMoNA SECRET.
THE LONG HIDDEN MYSTERY OF
5TRADVARiUs DISCOVERED.
breaking to Pieces a $4,000 violn-rhs
whole Secret Concealed in the wood
of which the Instrument
Was sitds-


lNtN AoNA ANttaiAW4l
The Cincinnati Courier, which 8 tho Of
fetal organ OF the College OF Music = that
city has recently published an interesting
statement as to the discovery Of tho long
lost secret OF making the Cremona violin.
The statement ID 10 tho effect that the sec ct
OF tho sweetne s. and power Of the Cromona
lies in tho 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 the work Of
Amau Stradivarius or any other Of the cele-
bratod makers
A representative of The Telegram who is
much Interested In the violin clipped the ar
ticle from the Cincinnati paper and forwarded
II, with a short note, 10 a violin connoiseur
OF this city who brides himself upon as
valuable a collection Of rare instruments as
can lie found in tho country. A few days
later the connoIssour wrote to this CORE
spondent. requesting him to call and spend
an evening with him at his residence. near
Madison square.
Tho article had been carefully read and
considered by the enthusiastic collector.
sit Is a true statement In the MAN, said
be: but ! should like TO mako an addition
to It that may provo interesting not only to
the alleged d~iscoverer, but to all others who
have specialized upon II.
aYou know the professor OF tho violin In
tho Cincinnati College Of Muster Well.
some years ago he was head master Of the
violin school of the Leipsic conservatory.
He had been a long time among the enthusi-
astic searchers after the lost secret, and had
studied the various instruments In his own
collec ton and in those OF his friends with
the assiduity Of a monomaniac. One day no
made a proposition TO one of his friends that
for the moment was astounding. IL was
that they should take u Stradiyariua
10 pieces. After long elaboration and
at the expense OF many tears and
heart pangs, the two friends broke
up the sweet-toned treasure whose
~wondrous voice would never gladden.
mortal ear again; and the sweet secret was
theirs lt lay simply in the wood Of which
the Instrument was made. 1t was that Of a
balsam pine that grew in Italy In former
days, but had disappeared. On removing to
Cincinnati the professor fell in with an in
strument- maker who had made a study OF
our American woods, and who, on examin-
ing the Jagged pieces of the ruined Stradi-
variua, said at once; Why, this Is American
wood; II not, we have something so nearly
like 1t that there is no difference between the
two. This is Identical in weight, texture,
and grain, with our balsam pine, which
grows in abundance to the north Of u.s.
1Well, it was not long before a requisition
was mnoo upon inc lunu OF Tue uOTtu iOf u
subsection of a balsam pine tree. 1t was
carefully and tenderly sawn into slabs, and
these we're cured with an earnest attention
that had never been bestowed upon pine
slabs before-at least in this country. Two
violins were made In the best style, and,
after having been tested, they were played
upon by the professor, in presence Of a num-
Der OF the most critical connoisseurs in Gin
%cinnati, who had ample opportunity TO com
pare them will Cromonas. The compart
son resulted IN the unanimous verdict Of the
critics that the American-made instruments
were fully as sweet and pure in tone as the
Cremonas, but inferior In power. This in
feriority, however, all believed, would DO
noticeable no longer when the nav instru-
ments were advantaged by time and use.
aThe beautiful violin which the professor
persuaded his friend 10 destroy had a
market value Of 5000. But what is thai
to the value OF the discovery, which he so
nobly aided his friend TO makel"
Up to this point the writer had INTERCEPTED
no remark to interrupt the flow Of his
friends interesting talk.
aBut," said he, chad no other efforts In the
same direction been made to discover the
sscreti7
Dozens said the connolsseur, but there
has been no sacrifice made. 1t is not every
v~iolin-lovor who will destroy a $1,000 hand
full OF delight just to crafty a friends
fancy.n