The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-24
[special Corre,pondanoe.l

SCISSOR Of violin throughout the world
Contemporary with Guarneri was the
great Antonio Stradivarius, whose fame
has been sung alike by poet. artist and
musician OF an example of this great
masters skill LOngfellow wrote:
marvel OF the lutisi's art,
Perfect in each minatost part,
And in Its hollow chamber thus
The maker from whose hands il came
Had written his unrivalcd namo-
"Antonius Stradivarus."
Curious Facts
These are some of the names reverel
by violin lovers. and whose productions
are priced not only by musicians for
their superior musica! qualities, bat by
these cOnnoisseurs who love violins fc.
their beauty of form only
There is something almost supernat.
ural about a violin At least that is
what violin makers have held from tia
days of its early development 70 tho pres
ent time 1t is vel! known that ir con-.
parison 20 the great number OF violirs
turned ont by th5 old masters only a
few were considered worthy Of being
known as products Of thor skill Ii was
all III account of lack OF that pccul-
iarly elusive quality Of tone which was
sc necessary &c distinguish the violin
from the fiddle The cid makers
found the same difficulty &c contend
with which frets the modern violin
builder.
Two violins may be made from the
saEia materials and by tho same hand
and one will possess all the qualiiica.
tions of first class instrument, while
n rf nil y i,r
worthy only of place In she category
Of fiddlos " To still further illustrate.
A slab of perfectly seasoned Swiss syoa-
more may be split in half and ono half
taken for the back of one violin and tho
other half used for the back of another
instrument
The bellies Of tho two Instruments
may be fashioned from opposite halves
of slab of seasoned Swiss pine. This
rule may be followed throughout III the
construction of all of tho IS separate
parts of a violin. The completed instru.
ments may have been calipored to
within a hairbrcadth of each other
and be identical as to form and dimcu-
sions, and yet upon tho application of
the bow one will be found to be worth
$500 and the other So. One has tho tone;
the other has not. Why this should be
is secret too profound for scientists or
philosophers to fathom.
a Connoissnur.
found Mr.. Brady i'll his little work
shop at Palisades Park. Bergen county,
N. j. among his beloved vioins.
He was surrounded by Instruments OF
all sorts and conditions, from the com
mon shop fiddle to a dclicatoly modelled
and highly priced Cremona
The old Cremona was there to be used
as standard of excellence which would
be reached by the cheap violins before
they passed from under his magic ma
nipulations
Sometimes he said, II can hardly
realize that it has been loft for mo to
invent the simple device which, had it
been known 800 years ago, would have
spared the old makers many bitter dis
appointments Here it is 1t isn't
much to look at, is it?' and the old
gentleman took up little piece OF met
al eli peculiar form and Weighing less
than an ounce troy.
1t appeared to be mado Of boil metal,
and rs he balanced it upon the tips Of
his fingers and struck it lightly with
pencil it gave out sound rather like
toy cymbal.
1.-THE principle is we'll known" con.