The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-10

work in the known world, and I have
them here that have taken years to make
1t is Justly the king OF musical instru-
ments. and this Is because 1t most nearly
resembles the human voice, WONDERFUL!
Yes, the longer i live and think about II,
and the more I have to do with them, the
more wonderful II becomes TO me, ana
I'm sure / see enough Of them TO know:
l never tire of the fiddle, and L do OF
some other instruments"
And you have some strange customers!
queried the visitor
Yes, but 1 can generally tell what they
know about playing any OF the inStru-
ments, although there was one man VINO
fooled me once. He came in here one
day and wanted his gorgeous SoInet POI 5
ished. He wouldn't leave II, and never dld
at any time. If | couldn't do II right OF
he'd take a walk with it and come PACK
again in time. He staid by II until the
work was done, and all the time regard
ing IT with the greatest affection. whlch
persuaded me that he must be some great
musician. / thought him fine musician,
you see because he seemed TO love MS
instrument So. One day a friend OF mine
came while the man was sitting warning,
and he knew him. Who Is heF l asked
when the cornet man had gone out.
" "A swinette player of no account
was the reply and then l knew l had
been fooled for more than year, lot
a swinette player Is a man VINO mas no
ear for music and can't play for sour
apples. There are lots OF swinettists, but
no instrument called by the name, that
1
of a pigs tail, but ! don't know how"
The old instrument maker paused In
his work here, to take glance at a vio-
lincellO that was wanted for the matlnee
that day, and then went on:
When they come in here with violin
In a box l generally watch to see what
sort OF a bed they We maze lot MN, anu anu
n II Is tenderly wrapped over with nne
silk handkerchief and the man lifts his
fiddle out as If II were a tender young
baby. / say that the man loves his violin
he "a 70 L
not because it is worth a thousand dollars
to him. ole Bull couldn't get any more
music out of his violins-the best from
CremOna-because he used DOW with a
diamond at the end Of It worth thousands
of dollars and I'll bet he loved the music
nc brought out of a fiddle with a plain bow
better than the notes he sent through
the air with the diamond-studded one.
1t seemed more like his childhood days to
him" -,.. In.
poor artists, perhaps" suggested the Visl-
'Yes." he replied land I'll tell YOU. one
story that is as good as telling thou
sand one night, five years ago, l was
working after hours in this shop. II was
a severely cold and bitter night in Janu-
airy. The door opened ana IN came q
cello, wrapped up in shawl, followed
by a little thin man in a linen duster. lie
was a German, but looked ike a boiled
lobster and shook al over with the cold:
While / was thinking that the TWO should
have made an exchange of outer garments
the moor fellow unpinned the shawl with
his frozen fingers and asked how much
it would cost to fix his big baby. l was
dumfounded at the appearance of the two
. strange objects, and particularly the man,
so / did not say much at once, put 10 ask
the man 10 warm himself at the stove in
the shop. Then he wanted TO know again
how much IL would cost him TO have GER
tain repairs made to the instrument.
There was not much work over II, and
named a low figure. With look of bitter
disappointment he began to wrap up the
instrument again. ] pitied the man and
told him that | would repair 1t FOR any
price within his means His hands even
trembled with JOY as he uncovered his
cello again, and then he sat down and
waited until ! had finished the job, and
then took il and drew his bow across IL
half a dozen times affectionate ly, and as
If he loved It, 1t was no common instru-
ment. / never heard such grand notes
come out Of any cello either before or
since. The occasion and my sympathy for
the poor man may have had something to
do with it, but / never heard diviner
artist or a finer instrument. He fairly
lifted me from my feet and forgot where
/ was. The man was uncommunicatiVe,
ana it was with great difficulty that /
learned he was of rich and high parent
age, with no relatives on this side; and,
fused to do something for a living in Ger
many which he thought was lowering to
him, and so he came over to this country
.Why to starve? Are not musical art
lists well paid here?' asked the visitor
in surprise.
well, some of them, perhaps" was the
reply, but, alas! too few. Your great
artist is too proud to proclaim his own
merits, and art is his worship. What /
mean is a good artist will not be found
blowing his own bazoo, and the great mu-
sician, like the great writer or other man
of intellect, is never paid what he deserves
for his efforts. After death? On, some
times. Well, this old man came in 20 see
me and play for me, once in a while.
and for repairs to his beloved cello, but
once / did NOT see him for a long time,
and then a coroner came after me.
found his body laid out Ia an attic room.