The record-union., 1899-02-06

to have the great sStrad,' and many
of them intimated that If we would at
| once forward a check for $1,000 the in
strument would be shipped to us.
"A few months after the appearance
of the article an uncouth old man came
into the store. Leaning forward in
confidential attitude he exclaimed to
the elevator boy: I've got it, sonny!
I've got it, sure!'-and he tapped the
| long bundle which he carried under his
arm. The elevator boy only grinned,
and silently wondered what it was
HE soon found his way to my room,
and greeted me with the same excla-
nation: Well, sir, I've got it!' He
seemed utterly astonished that I did
not instantly know what he meant by
| it. There was no doubt that he was
under the impression that we were sit
| ting up nights for the man who was
| to bring in the famous old 'Strad. OF
course I had to invite him to display
the instrument. It was swaddled in an
old red flannel shirt, and he would not
permit me to assist in removing the
wrappings. A young mother could not
have been more tender in the treat
| ment of her first baby than the old
man was in his handling of the fiddle.
AS I proceeded to examine it he
watched to see that made no reckless
moves with it. When broke the news
to him that the violin was not worth at
most more than 50 or So it was ter
rible blow to the poor old fellow. From
the appearance of his face it was plain
that he had mighty struggle to keep
himself from breaking down. He came
6apoorouS1 p6or fpiufinr and when
sufficiently in command of himself to
talk with composure he told us that
he had not for a moment doubted that
he held a sure fortune in the old in
strument. To bring the fiddle to us he
had placed a mortgage on his farm.
not having the ready money for his
railroad fare.
while we have. parallel cases from
almost every part of the United States.
Kansas seems to be the home of more
deluded fiddle cranixs as we call them,
than any other State in the Union. In
the closing year of the Worlds Fair
long. Tank Kansan came into the office
and announced that he had 'Strad
that was better than any other he had
ever seen or expected to see. 1t was
apparently great concession on his
strument. He insisted that I should
give him my candid opinion on the
fiddle. When / told him the plain truth
to the effect that it was a cheap, fac
tory-made German imitation of a
Stradivarius he became furious, and
pulled his long whiskers as if he were
itching to get his fingers into my hair
At length he declared that could not
L 49,
uine 'Strad' And in this he was, of
course, quite right, for it is wholly i'm
possible to convey to person ignorant
Of all the delicate earmarks by which
an expert determines between genu-
inc old masterpiece and an imitation,
the subtle but certain factors which
enter into the problem.
4.The farmer left the office in a rage,
declaring that did not know my bust
ness, and couldn't tell a real 'Strad'
when 1 saw one. Then l told him that
if he wished to see magnificent and
authentic Stradivarius he could do so
by visiting the Particle exhibit at the
Worlds Fair. A few days later he
presented himself at the door of my
room with an expression of supreme
contempt on his face, and exclaimed:
I've seen that fiddle at the Fair, and
] want to tell you that wouldn't give
mine for a bushel-basket full of old
trash like that Then he turned about
and left without another word.
1T would hardly be thought that 1t
is sometimes positively dangerous to
tell man the plain truth about his
violin, but such is the case. For months
I was haunted by a tall, gaunt old
Yankee, who wore a rusty silk hat, and
never appeared on the street without
two violin ca3es in his hands. He had
about as sinister look in his eye as
/ ever saw. This gave him very for
bidding appearance. For a long time
he contented himself with telling me
about his wonderful instruments and
showing me their history. The latter
was recorded in small black book
which was suspended about his neck
by a silk cord. He evidently talked of
his violins wherever he went, for sew
eral acquaintance brought me reports
of the instruments, and asked me if
had seen them. They told me that the
old man lived in very humble way on
the West Side, and that the entire COM
munity knew of his fiddles.
cat last, however. he brought the in
struments to me for examination. They
were very ordinary German limitations,
and was indiscreet enough to tell him
so frankly. He flew into terrific pas
sion, and abused me in the most vigor-
Gus fashion. AS he went out of the
place he remarked to one of the boys
that he would fix me. His appearance
and conduct had been such that / felt
obliged to look out for him carefully.
But his visitations were fortunately
brought to an end by an amusing cir
cumstance. One day he came into the
store to buy some strings, placing his
two violin cases on the floor A sales
man came along and slipped them be-
hind the counter, where they were less
in the way. AS soon as he missed
them he made the store ring with the
shout: My God! where are my Strads?
You've robbed me of my Stradsr He
has never been in the place since that
day.
Nearly all the owners of violins be-
lieved to be old and valuable have an
idea that the expert wishes to secure
a masterpiece for song. One day a
woman brought in q carefully swaddled
violin, and said that it had been given
her by her grandfather on his death
bed. and that he had exacted solemn
promise from her that she would never
part with it or. allow it TO go outside
the family. He had inherited 1t from
hts eyroof r oro pdfo thor aorordipr RI 4Ea