Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-27
SKILL In NOMINATING.
A LESSON IN CONSTRUCTION BY A
MASTER OF THE ART.
An Explanation of Observation-Disclosures
Nature of the Instrrmen;-A Chat on
Woods-A Valuable Piece OF Spruce
Varuish Strings and Bow.

/ An Explanation of Prineipies-DelicAt
Nature of the Instrrmen;--i Chat o.
woods-A Valuable Piece of Spruce
varuish, Strings and Bow.
Mr. P A Josephs violin-mak Of Sal
/ Fran isco, was recently interviewed by
reporter Starting az the beginning the re
porter asked the first principles Of the tusi
ress
We'll. sir replied Mr.. Josephs, i ca:
safely say, after forty years Of expsrienca
Z that the first thing l should impress upo.
tyro is that fddle-mzking is a trade. ans
that violin maxim, Is an art You can uaSs
Z a fiddle by u.achiDerc and use a steam
T chest TO mold il, but violin must he naais
( by hand, ami guarded from moisture a
carefully as though it were pe-ishabls
article. IL j. the most sensitive OF 81 in
struments Of sound, AID the only perfect
one II is superior 10 = piano or an orcan
because they can not BE- perfectly tun u
Neither perfect tniris nor perfect fiftsls can
lie attained, AMI il such instruments are
perfectly tI,nei they must consequently lie
out Wind instruments do not enter into
the competition II all, a. they can be too
easily blown sharp or lat by thu per
former
AN EXPLANATION or PRINCIPLES
The walls OF building" Mr. Josephs
went on TO say. control its acoustic proper
ties. do they not. \ e.. well i. l. the Same
with a violin Plans for violin are &c
terminci by the rate OF tie vibration o. the
wood 20 be used, the shape and si-o Of the
air-chambsr, and the victims generally are
all dependent on thess vibrations Thu
wool Is put in clamp and tested for its
resonant properties, and II il does not come
up 10 the mark Of course no labor Is wastei
in shaping it When the pitch OF TIE wood
If determined, then thu calculations come
in Even the f. holes IN the belly depend on
this test. In the calculations, also, must en-
ter model OF the violin which IS the amount
Of concavity and convcxity put into the
back and belly. This Is the reason that
mere coPyist never makes perfect violin
OF course. If h. were sure that he had ex-
actly the same material as the old master
that he enjeayors TO initiate, ami that the
wood was OF the same resonance, his violin
might DC as good rs the copy; but thess con-
d,tions are impossible. Consequently, an
arts. never mascs two violins exactly
alike. They might lie the same 10 all casual
or even close, o servers; the expert Will sec
the difference ct glance
How do you mold the arches In the back
and bellies"
They are not nodded but cut on. with
gougcs and tiny planes The arches run
both ways, from side TO side and ed -
end, and the WORK toward the finish is ex-
tremely delicate Each back AMI each
telly consists of two pieces, glued together
so neatly as 10 give tho appearance Of
solid s.aA"
In support Of his assertion Mr.. Joseph
exhibited several pieces oinet as no aiel,
and so artistically that the junction was
scarcely d.sceTni5le, and probably would
not be when the varnish was put on over it.
Every thing about the body OF the ins;ru-
nent is fastened with glue, not "a tack or a
string entering into ths composition. Com
menting On the delicate nature Of tho in
struinsnt, Mr.. Josephs said that the pres
sure produced by this tension OF the strings
Of modern yiolins amountei to ninety
POUNDS, and the frail shell would not come
anywhere near sustaining such a weigh.
but for the fact OF arch aud tie presence
OF the lass bar and tho sound post, which
the air-chamber.
CHAT ON WOODS, vARSfsH. ETC.
The chat on woods that came next was a
back neck, sides, ami scroll Of good violin
are Of maple and tho sounding board. or
Top, l. OF spruce There is need of a grrat
amount Of experiences in the selection Of
wool, ami when "a maker sscur, s "A fine stick
le giIards i; as he would a child OF faycrita
Iewel
Mr.. Josephs was happy in tho possession
Of piece OF spruce that he Lad positive in
nj al a. ~ ffxs..
years Tie stick was found doing service I
Is beam iii barn, way UP in the northern, {
1art of Maine The two woods arr selected !
'or their mutual resonance, and 90 develop 4
his the most perfect conditions are nsc,s- /
AIRY.
There are several kinds Of spruce" went 4
IN the artist, "hnt only one VIII 30, ami /
wen then the conditions must lie exactly 80. /
Che tree must grow In certain latitude l
md in n certain soil and the asonin II q
naitsr OF the greatest importance In 1
'utting the tree the must BE- laid in the
pring, when all the sap il at the top, going 4
o feed the young shoots at the extreme end I
4 the trunk The reaSons for this are 4
eyeral, the main ones being that the wood 4
S left drier aud better seasone1 and tho
scension of the sap carries with Il all the
in the 6bcrs, such grit, for
Instance, leaving the wood at its olcanost
his branch 81 the subiect was left with the
ssertIon by tho hos: that American wool
vas the best in the world for violin-making
The Narnsh was the next branch Of the
ubjsct, and package Of brilliant Icl gum
ras exhibited a. the colorins mater for
he finest instruments IL was genuine
ragons blood, now out OF commerce. and
be little package was all that Mr. Josep,s
Eas able to procure Ia yehrs SeaTch Of
be shops Of EuroPe The making Of tho
Amous Crcmoun vGInish does not appear TO
ave been e secret, but the knoNleIse OF its
appears 10 have b IN lost f1r
bout a century, and the money that has
zen spent In seeking b resurTect IL woa.d
,ake several heavy fortunes
One common error prevails ia regari %
be strings. usually termed ga; gut by the
ulgar. In reality they aro made frofu the
atrsis o; European sheep. AMI tn ,ntraiIs
I a sLcsp over six months I'D caH rot te
ouyert-d into -E@ strings The sheep Ia
his country 10 not produce COOL strings.
nd only certain parts o. Europe y oi1os
Ne very best The bows &ere tn lsss sf's-
ood was their LASTS IT'S world over It's
% TOUCHES. and stiiIest wood Of il sh.
this world AMI 4 rather a valuable arr.
+ IL "a a natural dyswool. IA 81 requires
D coloring III. fine whit hairs that ea-
n into tn COM o.-lti5H cona from france.
" coars.r black ones bang NJ foE nothing
ycep. doabie bass Lows Alta Californian