The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-12
MUSICAL ODDITIES.
CURIOUS "Erro1s EMPLOYED 70
PRODUCE AND UTILIZE SOUNDS.

u,...,f.... ,t.,..r.,. ,..,t..-
"' '''Hi th' i4 ''n''f lini ing on
Fifteen Drums at uur Iiwc. u.que PER-
furiu4r,, Of a ttIfpl -fust,Iao
Iu .u. DOB lt"l. whom f.H JIcIhns
tI.f.."i .l..r torn. Ht Paris f.. nrtion.
,. convention. Lafayette who u#s lu com
rlud Hi tlH l1uy NJ tN' fruurg and sew
f.d of Dis r"nUul officers pIIUrd Tho
French army iu disgust They r.ra aeized
hy The hur Of pus-in frm Dim trans
icrrd fn .ua custody of Austria. and long
confined iu tHo castle DI OlmafH iu Mora
VIA
Although each ul Che prisoners was kept
solitary tct fhUlr apartments T..' sI ar
ranged ihnt tHay wuw uIl within hearing
oi each other whDn standing n' the win
dovs NJ their respective ohlmhers. Ia inn
prove this advnniag0 thoy hous Do ui the
/ Following plan Ih'r was a' Paris
number ui tunes called Airs o. thD HHut
Neuf, ur those popular ballads That were
sung at the cprnrrs ~ thostrrots and other
public placc-. Tho words belonging to
these airs were su well known thHI Co strike
up tcw Of the notes was TO recall 20 mcm-
ory the words that accompanied them.
BY This means the captNcs at DlmuZ
gradually composed for themselves vocal
vocabulary, by whistling thc-r notes at
their Windows, and this vocabulary. after
% short time became s1 1c1mpleto and even
comprehensive" thnt two or thuo notes
from c1ch air formed their alphabet and
effected their intercourse. by this means
they communicated news to each other
concerning their families the progress Of
the war etc, and when lF good fortune
one uf them had prcuud Casgtt" he
fI.sfNF fa..F I'd D. HfH
In captivity.
The comuandant of the fortress was
constantly Informed Of these uuaccounta-
BILE concerts. Iic listened, hc -at spies, but
the whole thing being "a languag. Of con
vcntiOn the most purticed musician
would have failed lu detecting the iutyu-
tion and real expression OF the notes heard
In vain was whistling prohibited. and At
length the Austrian officer weary OF con-
lecture, intrrpD~od no further o. prevent
what he could not c1mprhcud
one of the most peculiar and unique
concerts which think was ever given was
what might he called pig concert. The
abbot Of Bignu, "a man of wit and skilled
in the construction Of new musical instru.
ments, was ordcrrd hy Louis NI, king of
France moro in jest than in earnest, TO
procure him "a concert Of swine voices.
The abbot said the thing could doubtless
be done, bat that Il would take "a good
deal Of money. Tho king uulerd that he
should have whatever hc rcquirl for the
purpose.
The abbot then wrought "a thing as sin
gular rs ever was seen, for out of great
number OF hogs Of several ages, which he
got together and placed under tent or
pavilion, covered with velvet. before which
ne had liable of wood painted with a GER
tain number Of keys, hc made an organic
al instrument, and as he played upon tho
said keys with little spikes, which pricked
the hogs, he made thCm cry In such con
sonancc that he highly delighted The king
and nll his COMPANY.
About 80 years ago lcnn Henri. The Ia
nous tmbour major oi the Emp rur Va
/ ppleun' cNhlbitcd MS great talents az the
| London Lyc'um theatcr OF his perform
ances we are told That, avoiding the noisy
and monotonous sound OF the drum, he
raised the exercise OF beating II toamusic-
al art by playing at one time on 10 sur
rounding ana inherent toned drums IN as
SOFT ana harmonious style forming IN ct-
feet noyel ana complete instrument lie
accompanied n fun band and went through
several such extraordinary cyolutons as
to nstonlsh the audience, particularly In
beating one RAPID lnhrch.
Among other unprecedented iehts he
caused p drumsticks To hy in the air in
all directions catchlng them IN peculiar
manner under ms arms ana bctWecn his
| legs. Playing ON his various drums, he
hs'ed rom one 10 llo other WIN such
amazing rapluliy lhhi thoc eye" OF the spec
tit"lS' IL Is Nhu ephd seNrc'ly lolipw the
m"tionoi his BODY ana hands, and they
| Were ieit 10 wonder now the very novel
enect was produced
Musical ana mechanical prodiglcs thcHe
nave beeh IN plenty hut II i not otten
that both these attributes are combined IN
/ one person, ana still more rarc-pcrhaps
altogether singular--that these should be
combined In the person Of a man who was
blind. John Watson, a native Of Dundee
scotland who was born IN the closing dee
adc OF the last century lost ms sight by
the smallpox when only years ot age.
/ Al the age pi 10 years nc was admitted IN
To the asylum Tor INC bllnd at tdln-
burgh' where he soon distinguished HIM
sell by his knowledge ui mechanics and
the improvements which he was able TO
make upon any piece Of machinery sub
mitted to nm. lie also showed talent
Tor music which, however from the ne
cessity ui Ellhlhs hNelihood by the lapor
OF his hands hc was unable to cultivate
Tor some time.
f'''' ~ '' '''N I'm '''''' '' .N'''
at the same tlmr The stops, says the re-
ened the strings Of his viuluncellu have
been fitted with more than ordinary ele-
gance and precision additional springs
have been added TO assist ana relieve MS
leg in the operation uf bowlng ana the
bow has been fastened To his foot 10y new
machinery which insurcs morn powerful
and steady execution.
lndeed, Irmarks the writer OF the
story, tho whole Of this machinery was