The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-06-04
ODD SOUNDS.
Description ofTricEx INSTRUMENTS Common
ly Used In First-Clsss Orchestras.
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One of the instruments which Davis
plays is commonly called the bells, or
orchestra bells; In Germany called the
''glockenspiel." It consists of a number Of
short bars of steel resting on straw ropes.
The bars are played upon by short ham
mers, the metals Of which are connected
with the wood handles by whalebone.
The full chromatic scale, two and a half
octaves, are represented by the bars
which are toned By size. The instrument
most like the bells is the xylophone, which
consists of a number of pieces of wood
strung together by two cords and restin z
on ropes of straw. The method of tuning
the xylophone is curious. If a note be fat
it is corrected in tone by having section
sawed off; if sharp, it is notched on the
under side by saw-cut.
The anvils in an orchestra are far from
being such smiths play upon by the side
of forge, though their tones are remark
ably like those of the real article. The
anvil which Mr.. Davis has are two pieces
of hemi-octagonal brass, hollow and about
eight inches long. Hemi-octagonal may
not be the scientific term for describing a
tube which would be octagonal if alike on
both sides, but which looks as IL it had
been octagonal and sliced down it's length
and the first side covered over. That is
what they are. They are contained in a
little plush-lined case, and might be car
ried in an overcoat pocket, but when
struck with a little hammer give out a
sound like an anvil. 1t tells a story of the
times that there has been so much music
written of late relating to champagne
drinking that instruments have been de-
vised and patented to initiate the sspop''
of a champagne cork. Mr.. Davis has two
such instruments. One is a simple wooden
cylinder, piston working in one end and
a captive cork in the other. 1t is as SIM
pie as boys pOp-gun, but the sound has
a fve-dollars- a-bottle bang that is
most captivating. The second pop
imitator, recently invented, can
be worked more rapidly and
made to initiate the sound around
race-course bar just after the field has won
against long odds. This is a long brass
cylinder, the piston running through the
cork and having bolt on that end to pre-
vent the cork from flying off and hitting
the ringer in the eye. The piston, pushed
in rapidly, causes a deceptive ''pop," and
being as rapidly pushed back, plugs the
cork tight in again, ready for another bat
tie, which action can be kept up faster
than the thirstiest crowd could cut the
wire.
The crack of a whip is a noise that is
heard under very different circumstances
on the stage. 1t may be a chorus deserib-
ing rollicking sletgh-ride, a Lady Gay
Spanker, who emphasizes a story with e
flourish of a whip, or the overseer in
"Uncle Toms Cabin" Whatever the oc-
casion, the man sitting at the end of the
orchestra supplies the "crack." Mr.. Davis
does this with little instrument that
looks like big razor strop. split down to
the haddle and there hinged. 1t is worked
with one hand, for very frequently, at the
same time, sleigh-bells must be heard, and
the other hand is employed in shaking
belt of silver bells right 1nerrily.