The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-15
THE PASSING THRONG.

"There are violin makers in this country and
Europe who, IN my opinion, can turn out an
instrument quite sweet and resonant and
farreaching as any of those produced by the old
Italian MASTERS" said Mr.. 4. /. Durant the
music dealer yesterday. "violinists understand
the general differences OF construction OF the
various models of the old masters, and accord
ing to the taste, or ear, or needs Oh the per-
former, modern makers can produce an instru-
ment which will be satisfactory in every case
August Gemunder makes violins as ne has been
doing for fifty years past, and as he seems likely
to do for at least a score OF years to come, mod
eled upon all the old masters, and he has
model of his own of 1874 This model has
greater breadth than the famous Stradivarius,
its tone bling as closely as anything can
think Of the diapason OF great
organ, mellow. clear, far-reaching and
pure. The late Dr. Leopold Damrosch owned
q genuine Maggini and several other old and ex-
cellent instruments. For his last public appear
ance as n solost, however, he used an August
Gemunder violin. The chief criticism leveled
against modern violins, even admitting the
correctness of their model, is that they do not
compare in material aud finish with those of
the old Italian masters. This is utter nonsense
The August Gemunder, which DR.. Damrosch
treasured quite as dearly as he did his Mag
gini, has finish which in HIS opinion was super
ior to that of the original instrument It lis
ment. that the Cremonese art OF vanishing IL
lost"
Rev. and Mrs. F. Fairman, Of Big Rapids.
Mica, are at the Arlington hotel on their way
home from the Presbyterian general assembly
at Portland. Since the close of the convention
they have been travelling in California Mr..
Fairman has been at Big Rapids for the last
nineteen years, and though he is q director OF
the Mccormick Theological Seminary, an In
stitution nearly as conservative as Princeton,
he himself is inclined to be liberal on many
points. He belonged to what DR.. Briggs called
"the Spartan baud,' the eighty-seven men
who steadfassiy voted to refer the ap-
peal of the New York presbytery
to the New York synod. Last night Mr.. Fair
man said: "The difference between DR.. Briggs
and many OF the other clergymen of the Pres
byterian church IN some OF the points for which
he is criticized is largely a matter of form OF
statement rather than OF actual belief. Then,
too, others who secretly agree with him have
not the courage to state their convictions as ne
does. He is accused of not believing that Isaiah
wrote all of the book attributed to him. and
Briggs on that count He is a very mild man
nered man, genial and cordial"
party from Toronto, consisting OF David
Carlyle, Alexander Wheeler, Robert Watson
and George Hardy, arrived at the Northern
fornia and they go from here to Victoria, from
which place they return to the East by the
Canadian Pacific. Mr.. Carlyle is one OF the
aldermen of Toronto; Mr.. Watson is manu-
facturer, and Mr.. Hardy a builder. Mr.. Wheeler,
who is a furniture manufacturer, is active in
the Reform party, and was a candidate for the
Dominion parliament last fall. He has held the
position OF license commissioner at Toronto-a
purely honorary place. He said last night:
"The Reform party is for free trade. while the
Couservat yes are high protectionists. 1t -
curious fact that while the Liberals have the
ascendaucy in the provincial parliaments, the
Conservatives hold their own in the Dominion
parliament One reason is that the protected
manufacturers give large contributions to the
Conservative campaign funds"
L. Diller one of the veteran hotel men OF
Puget sound, said last night: 81 believe that in
the old days there was more OF a demand for the
best whiskies-in proportion to the population
than there is now. 1t Is curious to see how Gus
toners change. My father had the first distillery
in Ohio. In the old days-say In the early
forties-he used to make 800 barrels a year and
sell it at II or Is cents gallon. The farmers
would buy barrel or two piece and keep it
for family use. At meals whisky decanter
would be placed on the table, and
every one would drink, not such lit
tie drinks are taken now over
bar, but whole glassfuL Men would not
get drunk on this, because the whisky was pure
and they took it with their meals. They did
not use to drink so much between meals az
they do now"
". Reilly, the deputy collector OF customs at
New Whatcom, is at the Occidental hotel In
speaking of the rapid growth of the cedar shin
gle business on Puget sound he said last night:
"Three or four months ago the Canadian Pacific
railroad in the course of a whole month carried
out of Whatcom county sixteen Car loads OF
shingles. In the last month 100 car loads went
out over that road, and probably as many more
by the Lake Shore and the Northern Pacific.
At this rate the yearly output of the Whatcom
county shingle mills will be worth at least
$500,000'
Yesterday the Misses Reeves returned homo
from Stanford university at Palo Alto to enjoy a
well-earned vacation. They came by way OF
Portland with about forty other stanford stu
dents from Washington and Oregon. Rufus
Buck and the sons OF DR.. Calhoun came at the
same time, but Bert Frink stays in California.
1t is expected that next years freshman class
will number 500.
II. S. Huson, the newly elected mayor OF Ia
coma and Percy Dickinson, Of the firm of King
& Dickinson, Northern Pacific contractors. were
at the Northern hotel yesterday. Mr.. Huson
says that Tacoma is making great preparations
for its Fourth OF July celebration.