The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-25

best fiddle until the fiddle is made and the
bow drawn"
BY TINS time Captain Goodsell had led his
visitor into his studio. There, on the big
piano, were what appeared 10 be very mis-
celaueous collection OF vi0lins, that you Or
might hesitate about paying 500 for.
In large closet, with glass doors, could
be seen more iddles and back In the work
shop were still more. Here. too, were many
scores Of disabled and partly constructed
yiolins, vioins without necks, necks with
out bodies and many sides aud backs with
out either necks or bodies.
For the captain Is maker Of violins as
well as a collector but you cannot buy one
Of his make, because they are not for sale.
The captain has lived in this city for forty
odd years. and when lie first came here he
got possession of some land. Now he is
rich and he makes violins only because be
likes il.
It's easy to see that the captain has pas
sion for 6ddles, though lie Is not player
Of much renowR.
In 1860 began TO make my first fiddle"
said he TO The CALL man. Since then
I've tried 1872 different kinds of wood. I've
exhausted the entire list Of trees in Califor-
MA.
'And the result l have arrived at is the
same result that the others have come to,
that tie Eastern spruce makes the best
yioins.
'Ive been trying to make violin that
should equal some Of the famous makes.
Have L succeeded? Well that's for others
to say. My judgment On the matter isn't
worth much, for I'm apt to be preiudiced
Yet couple Of the fddles that l have
turned out seem 10 me to have very good
tones
''But. of course, the valuable fddles in
this collection are not the ones that l have
made.
This one Is worth nearly $1,000" said he,
exhibiting very ordinary locking instru-
ment. with an inlaid drawing on the back
and the following N otto inlaid on the sides
Viva fue syivis Dec.
The inscription is in the antique Latin,
and not quite clear, say the translators.
Indeed, the captain never has had it trans
lated. +. Marcowiiz, translator for the La
Raza Latina Of this city, has kindly fur.
DIShed the following, which he calls q
liberal translation:
Living. it Is worth to stay before God:
Dying its place is with the devil.
That instrument was owned by Maxi.
milan once. He bought it from an Italian
SOLDIER. and when he died it passed into the
possession OF Mexican, who sold il to me
for $1,000 ia cash.
IF you know anything about yiolfns YOU
viii recognize the rare clearness and sweet
ness OF tone Ia that instrument when
draw the bow"
On the back OF this fiddle on the inside
are the nearly obliterated pictures of Maxi
milan and the Grand Duke of Austria.
Here is very good instrument an imi.
tatlon Oh Disalo. who was the first maker
of yioiins. It's tone Is very good, probably
as gooa as many real Disales, though i
could be bought for less than $1,000
What makes the fddles of the master
makers valuable? Intrinsically. they have
no more value than any other good violin.
II is purely a fictitious value. like tina!
which attaches to rare postage stamps.
inns much, OF course, is true. When
ever you ind Stradivarius, or an Amati, o,
a Maggini you will find very coed instru-
Inent. And that is easily accounted for by
the fact that only good instruments of any
make are preserved.
There is not Stradlvarlus In this coun-
Try, and L have standing offer to buy any
nddle that is better than this one which
once belonged to Macmillan.
Here's a splendid violin. It has the rare
qnalily oil throwing ont its sound and filling
an entire concert hall without being too
loud to those who are near it,
This was made by an old master. MOI
perhaps the greatest of them but vet one
whose works now are very scarce, IL is
about 200 years old.
"One day l was playing it for the amuse-
iient OF some friends. one of whom asked
TO look at 1t when / had finished As
soon as he examined il he pointed out sew.
eral features by which he recognized il az
having once been his own.
he was IN need of money once wien ur
north and had old it for two other violins
worth $50 apiece and 5000 in casn. He
told NE the name of the man he sold it TO
and sure enough. upon looking ND my old
receipt. found 1t was tie same person who
= sold il TO me.
You see there's great deal of cbaracte,
IN violin. They have as many differences
as men and women have, and those wh(
know them can tell them just as readily.
No: age does not improve a violin. A
good violin is in is best condition when it's
iD-ifs prime-that Is, when IL is about three
years old. BY that time its hoarseness and
rougAness has been worn away, and IL the
wood is good II is a better violin then thar
itever will be again.
Remember. irs all In the wood The best
maker ia the world cant make good in.
stsuHeBt out Of bad wood. and you can get
tso' pieces from the same tree and get a
COED and q bad result from them.
'Ige Ia the vibration Of the wood. The
piece ~ rood lig4s Ysfs.es most makes the