Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-28
REMENYI AND HIS FIDDLE.
1t Was Restored by the Skill Of John
DircIl, the + Street Hermit.


''The illness Of Remenyi, the violinist,
out In Iowa, and the greatest of them all
after the famous Ole Bull,' said a we'll
known local musician to a Star reporter
recalls to my mind visit he made 10
this city some years ago. When perform
ing in Paris. his principal violin and the
one on which he relied the NEST suddenly
became dumb. 1t Fattened out so in sound
that Remenyi could not make it's music
heard in the large concert halls in which
he appeared. and the loss of the instrument
seriously interfered with his business He
consulted number of artists of renown
in violin circles as to the cause of the
trouble and remedy for it, but failed to
get any valuable advice or assistance.
Ole Bull took the violin in hand and tried
his utmost to make it speak, but it was
no use, the violin did not respond, even
at the masters touch.
Lay it aside for six months said Ole
Bull. and II will cure itself. 1 have mad
the same thing happen to me several times
and the rest cure did the work
My engagements are SUCH answered
Remenyl. that L cannot spare it for so
long time. Can't 1 hurry its cure up
any way"
:" The only possible thing I ran recommend
in the case replied Ole Bull. is that YOU
take it to the United States and to Wash
ington. There is one man there who can
put life into it, if any one can. 1 don't re-
member his NAME but the music stores
there will tell you his name. and where
you can find him.
'Remonyi returned to Paris, finished his
concerts and started in less than ten days
for this city in search Of a man whose
n; me and address were unknown to him.
On arriving hare he was directed to the
haunt Of John Birch, hermit, who had for
manyyears lived in a tumbledown shanty on
f street, two or three doors east from 10th
street. The rear part of the lot ran down
Fnrd'S fyan Z
street was bill board. and was covered
up by show bills. In this place Birch and
his sister lived for many years. Though
the sister, Mary, was now and then seen
On the streets, John never put in a public
appearance except on Christmas and the
Fourth of July. He was generally regard
ed as insane. though there was not much
evidence of it in his conversation or man.
ner, except that he persisted in living the
life of hermit.
His pastime was music, the invention and
repair Of musical Instruments. though his
leisure hours were devoted to the working
out of q machine for perpetual motion
One of his inventions was bass instru-
ment in size not much larger than the or
binary ACCORDION, by which he thought
sounds equal in volume to the bass violin
could be produced.
Though Birch had lived in the same
house for over forty years, there We're but
very few persons who had ever seen or
ever heard of him.
I'm an hour after Remenyi had arrived In
Washington" continued the speaker, "he
was i'm Birch'S Shanty, and had produced
the dumb violin from its case. Birch look
ed 1t over carefully, and said it could be
cured.
Return in a half hour he said to Re-
menyi. and IN have it fixed. But RemenyI
declined to allow his violin to be that long
out of his personal control, and urged
Rirch to fix it while he was present This
Birch consented to do provided Remenyi
would not look at him while he was at
work on it. In less than five minutes he
handed the violin to Remenyi, with the re-
mark. Now try it, and see if It is lot as
good as ever Remenyi did try it. and IN
his great pleasure he found that it was as
good as ever.
He feared to let Birch touch it again.
thinking that possibly he might take. the
charm of lie ort Of it, but playe several
of his best selections for Birch Though
Birch had been repairing violins as well as
other instruments nearly all of mis- life. he
had never before heard great performer
play. In the enthusiasm and excitement of
the moment Remenyi packed up his violin
and walked away. In talking about the in
cident afterward, Birch told ME that Re-
menyi, in his inlescribable pleasure. had
actually forgotten to pay him for his cure.
That fellow said Birch, is the widest
fiddler 1 ever heard of or saw The only
thing the matter with his fiddle was that
the bridge was too high. He had nut in a
rev bridge without thinking of it, and sun
posed the old bridge was i'm all of the time
All did was to take it out and sandpaper
1t off at the bottom"