Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-03-08
A BARREL FIDDLE.
Ingenious Scheme of New Eng
lander to Provide Himself
with Music.

A fiddle made from an ordinary barre
and few odd pieces of lumber has jus
been constructed by a Massachusetts
genius, and, greatly to the surprise O.
all, himself included, it is success.
ii. ii. HeuSted is the name of this en-
terprsing amateur instrument maker
who, however, is no amateur musician
but, on the contrary, a violinlSt and cello
player of no mean order.
1t was the lack of a cello which was
indirectly responsible for the production
of this unique instrument Although ar
enthusiastic player, with abundant time
at his disposal, he had no instrument with
which he could beguile the long and mo-
notonous hours of his work as assistant
station agent at Prospect Hill, East Som
erville, Mass.
The station is in the residential portion
of the city, and throughout the day there
are long hours when the station agent has
| practically nothing to do. He often
thought Of the amusement to be derived
| from the possession of a cello, and the
more he thought of it the more ne want
| ed one. So he finally decided to make
one for himself, and after much planning
selected a barrel as the most promising
thing for the purpose.
The specimen chosen was what is
known as a half barrel. 1t was of elm
| wood which from long standing in the
garnet of the Heusted household had be-
come thoroughly seasoned. In the middle,
just between the hoops, the cello maker
cut an oblong opening about four inches
in length and three in width. The barrel
was then scraped and sandpapered inside
ed up and treated to a double coat of
the best yarnish. The body was then
complete, and after being thoroughly
dried was ready for the finishing touches
which were to transform a sugar barrel
into musical instrument
Of 01y
with very little work and a common
jackknife, converted into a tailpiece. For
the high bridge piece of we'll seasoned
spruce was used. The same kind of wood
was used in making the finger board;
The neck was made Of white pine, and
the keys were Whitfield out of rock maple.
These various parts were then put togeth-
err with glue and securely fastened to the
barrel in their proper places, after which
the whole affair was put away to dry and
'set" before having the strings put in
place.
Mr. Heusted had to stand lot Of good
natured joking from his many friends
while he was waiting for the time to come
when he could bring forth his barrel cello
and confound the skeptic by producing
sweet sounds from this seemingly. crude
product Of brains and jackknife. No
sick child ever watched with more care.
Every draft was excluded, and the room
in which the final drying process was go
ing on was always kept at an even tenn
perature.. Finally, however, the strings
were put in place, sad the curious instru-
ment ready for trial.
It was with no little trcpidation that
the creator of this odd looking affo..@s
brought it forth and drew t.ae pow across
the strings. The sound produced was
not at all u11pp..easant, and after the
strings Fad been properly frightened the
Whole was found to be very respectable
cello, upon which could be execut, | al
m ment a Wien aa IS ye i in tn eonnee s
with the violin, the music is very enter
tanning, and Mr., Heusted has no reason
to be ashamed Of himself as musical in
strument maker.
Ordinary cello strings are used on this
barrel fiddle, which is net half so I'M
calmly as one might imagine.