The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-01-15
WAsHlNeToN.s VIOLIN.
A CFemonR Which the Father Of His Coup-
try Is said to Have Owned


try Is said to Have Owned
An old violin, worm-e eaten case,
some historical letters and an affidavit
vouching for the violin's history-all in
possession of a violin-maker of this
rity-will probably lead to some histor-
ical researches concerning the musical
inclinations and abilities of George
Washington. for the violin is said TO
have been his. The violin and its case
are now owned by a son of Gemunder,
the Astoria viOlin-maker, and that is
presumption enough that young Gem
under is up on victims. His surname is
George, and that possibly gives him
authority to speak concerning the
Father of his Country" 1t was not
known generally, until this violin
turned up, that George Washington,
like Thomas Jefferson, was unsteady
inclined, but the affidavits and letters
In Mr.. Gemunder's possession seem to
make out pretty strong case in favor
of the tradition that General Washing
ton was something of musician. Mr..
Gemunder showed the violin and case
to a reporter recently, together with
the letters and affidavits. and told the
violin's history. 1t came to him
and his father at Astoria, N. Y,
about two years ago, sadly in
need of repairs. The owner, Thomas
b. Washington, of Charleston, w. Va,
wrote them at the same time all about
therviolin and its case. They tried to
buy the instrument, but Mr.. Washing
ton would not let it go then, because
he said that it had always been in the
Washington family's possession since
the Generals death. But a short time
ago the Gemunders succeeded in get
ting it. Thomas b. Washington, when
he sold it, gave the Gemunders an afli-
davit vouching for the Instrument
having once been owned by the first
President of the United States. The
story runs that as the Father of his
Country was ridin 1gone day through
Southern Virginia, he heard a sweet
concourse of sounds issuing from
negro's cabin, which made him an
amateur musician, for he alighted from
his horse, entered the cabin, and
bought the violin, which was being
played by an old negro" History is
General played on his violin, and the
traditions of the Washington family
do not furnish any information as to
whether the Father of his country
"whooped her up for the boys at barn
raisings, huskings, and Fourth of July
celebrations. But it seems that after
he died the violin and its old case went
to his nephew, Judge Bushrod Wash
ington.
Judge Washington called it the "Old
Cremona," because he found a slip of
paper glued inside the violin bearing
the inscription, Jacob Steiner, 1875"
n Cremona maker. Mr.. Gemunder,
however, thinks that it is a Tyrolean
violin made in imitation of the Gre
mona school.
Judge Washington had a nephew,
Thomas Z. Washington, father of the
one who sold the violin to the Gemund-
ers. Thomas B. thought that he could
play the fiddle if he only got it. so
after persuasion the old Judge turned
it over TO him. On his death his son,
Thomas B., got it He could not play
it, but preserved it as jealousy as if it
were the apple of his eye, or part of
the historical apple or cherry tree, or
the famous Ratchet itself. With the
violin he turned over a newspaper slip
from the Spirit of Jefferson, paper
published in Charleston, in which the
editor reverentiallY speaks of the relic
rs once the property of President
George Washington.
The violin is under the usual size,
but it is called ''full size," and it is of
shapely model. The back is made of
maple and the top of spruce, and it is
stained brownish black color. The
case is shaped like leg of mutton. 1t
opens at the end, too, just as if slice
had been cut off the big end. The vio-
lin is valued at one thousand dollars. -