The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-05
THE EITHER.
A Blind Girls History of It's Develop
ment from Ancient Days.

In giving the history OF the either.
from its remote ancestors down to its
present state of perfection, 1 find great
pleasure in describing my favorite in
strument and also feel justified by the
fact that, though we have numerous
accounts Of the homes and histories Of
nearly all the musical instruments the
either is hardly mentioned among them
even in descriptions of it's near rela-
tons, the modern guitar and the old
fashioned flute. The either is proba-
bly, of Asiatic origin; the word being
derived from the Persian Sch, meaning
three. and tar. a string. We might eX-
pect TO find the either mentioned with
the harp and psaltery of biblical times,
but as much in those early days CON
sisted merely in producing loud tones.
the softer notes of the either did not
1--WE may SUPPOSE figure very generally
in those ancient orchestras. but when
this instrument had found its way to
the more enlightened land of Greece,
where IL became a kithera with FIVE
and later with eight strings il was far
better known and appreciated. We can
now imagine the fond lover choosing a
kithera TO serenade his lady fair. first
with soft, caressiYe tones, but by and
by as fervent devotion increased. the
volume of sound was also augmented
by the use of a plectrum or quill.
This instrument was first a triangular
shape and afterward that of a half
moon, but its course is not traceable
beyond this period, until about A. -.
600, when one existed in the monastery
OF st. Blasius in the Black Forest, Ger
many. This instrument was destroyed
in the monastery fire of 176S, but a
tracing, indicating its rUdimentary
character has been preserved. IL con-
sisted of long, narrow sounding board
containing 80
slightly at the back or part where the
strings are longest while the front
or fingerboard side was straight, having
also a small, straight handle protruding
from the left side. Five centuries later
the cithern, as il was called, was known
in Venice, the south of France and
parts of England. but was much better
appreciated in Austria and the Tyro-
lean Alps a century or two later. A
person standing in a wide stretch of
land and calling to some one at a con-
siderable distance will use for the first
syllable a low, and for the second a
much higher tone. Now. from this two
note call the wild, fascinating Alpine
music has been developed. The either.
with it's power of sustaining notes. can
render these jodies with an added
charm.
1t was natural that the either should
find a home in the hearts of these sim
pie peasant folk, one of whom, PETE
meyer Corn in 1910. with natural mu-
steal ability, did much to make this in
strument more widely known through
out Europe by playing his native laend-
lers or country dances in most of its
principal cities. At this time the either
possessed twenty-eight and later thirty
three strings. The finger-board, or part
which contains frets, formerly pos
sessed three strings and a whole tone
to each fret; but now il is enlarged
to five strings in length and two semi
tones I'm breadth. Finally, in the COM
mencement of 1893 J. Gerbel, a either
teacher of New York City. conceived an
idea of constructing an instrument of
maplewOod, with a spruce sounding
board. This has given the Instrument
an added fullnesS OF tone without de-
tracing from its former sweetness, and
it also makes it grow more melOdious
with age. 1t is therefore, my hope
that this charming little instrument
may become more and more used, as ii
can render equally we'll the melodies,
both gay and sad, of many nations,
and il thus speaks a language which is
understood by all.-Louise III. Lee in
the Brooklyn Eagle.