The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-11

sicians, and it has been proven that
/ they are capable of attaining as high a
/ degree of proficiency in this profession
as the men, Being endowed with fine
sensibilities, they are especially quail
ned by nature to administer to the
needs and comforts of the sick
A piano tuner is in many senses of
the word a physicdan-physician to the
poor, half-huTnan and frequently i'll pi-
ano. And TO this particular branch of
the profession Off 1 may be permitted
TO put it uhus) women seem particu-
larly adapted. 1t is distinctly a new
field for them. And yet there is much
to consider in taking it up as a life
work.
Miss Nellie Jay Hatch was born near
Marfposa, Gala, but is really of New
England parentage. Her present home
is at Seneca, Kan. In 1887 she entered
the New England conservatory of mu-
sic at Boston, wher she graduated two
years later under Professor Frank W.
Hale, and received a diploma in piano
tuning.
To obtain this one not only has to
study harmony, theory, vocal and in
strumental music, but become so thor
oughly familiar with the construction
of the action as TO be able to adjust.
regulate or even make any of the va
rfous parts if necessary. So one must
necessarily be considerable of a me-
chanic.
The first Of.the rudimentary work of
a student taking up piano tuning is to
study pitch-tO learn to discern the
right and wrong tones. They are usu-
ally kept at this for six months.
Next comes the distribution of inter
vals-learning the difference in pitch
between two tones, the student being
furnished an old instrument upon
whiOA TO practice. The only true way
to tune is to give a certain number of
beats to each interval, and the only
pure intervals are the octaves and uni
sons. Then repairing, restringing, reg
ulating, etc.
While to master the art of piano tun-
ing (for it is more of an art than a
profeSSiOn) one must have the Unborn
talent and a true and sensitive ear
capable of approaching the incest diff
ference of pitch and tone color, these
would be of little avail without the
requisite musical talent, together with
adequate physical endowments.
The needed physical qualities are per-
feet health, strength and endurance
conditions impaired by a cool constitu-
ton They are necessary for the long
hours of standing at the block are both
an intense physical and intellectual
strain.
Miss Hatch possesses all of the above
and has in addition the requisite sensi-
biiity of the highest artistic tempera-
menI.
Since her graduation in 1889 she has
been actively at work in Kansas, trav-
cling over the state mucn after the
fashion of commercial travellers, but
resents being classified as one of them
except by her mother. who calls her
Our Travelling Man
Miss Hatch has charmingly impress
sive personality, and there is much
about her that is individual and dis
tinctive. She is TALL with a very erect
carriage, black hair, brown eyes and a
beautiful complexion. She is of an eX-
traordinary happy nature-full of the
laughter that reminds one of the con-
stantly bubbling-oveT spring and has
a mobility of feature which contributes
incidentally to her Irresistible charm
as a conversationaliS1.
JAMES COURTNEY CHALLISS.