Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-20
THE JACKKNIFE ARTIST
Is Also a Successful Maker of
NiOlins.

DIR. willis of Shelburne Falls, Former
Iy of BrRttlebOrO, Uses Wood from the
Old Church Built in Nottingham In
1908.
DIR. A. +. Willis, the "iackknife artist"
of Sheburne Falls, besides being a skilful
and artistic whittier, has made some rare
violns, and has now some "on the works"
The doctor has been practicing physician
in Sheburne Falls many years, with the
exception of the time which he spent in
Bratteboro few years ago.
Several years ago the doctor made two
and then rested from that form of labor
till recently he has taken it up, and, hav-
in6 secured some rare old timber from the
Lewis Cass cabin in Detroit and from the
first church ever built in Nottingham, is
taking up violin making again. The tim
Der from the old Lewis Cass cabin is cedar
and was sent to him by friend of Mrs.
Willis's. The timber obtained from Whit
ingham was taken out of an old church
which was torn down about three years
ago. AS the building was erected in 179S,
the wood is well seasoned, a point very es.
sential in the making of good violin. He
has some curly maple that was cut by Bax-
ter Newell in Nottingham and had lain in
Bakers mill for 2G years. The cedar came
as the result of wish expressed to friend
that he could get some cedar such as he
saw in Michigan. There are As pieces i'm
a violin, and the work is largely hand
work, though violins that retail for 90
cents can hardly be turned out by hand.
The top or face of the instrument is of
soft wood, spruce being preferred by many,
and the back of hard wood, maple being
handsome and producing good tone. The
top and back are fashioned roughly and
then carved to get the swell The utmost
care has to be taken in fashionng these
parts, and the tone is made right by scrap
ing and sand-papering. The secret of vio-
lin making is said by the doctor to lie in a
proper graduation of the top and back.
There must be complete harmony in their
adjustment if fine tones are TO be produced.
The violin maker works along scientific
principles If his aim be to secure a good
toned instrument as the result of his la
bors. The ribs are made of the same wood
as the back, and is first sawed into thin
strips of the requisite thickness and width,
and then worked down to a small 10Th of
an inch in thickness There are six of
these parts, glued together after being bent
in frame shaped like the outline Of the
violin. The neck of the instrument is of
the same material as the back, and in
fashioning 1t the maker has chance to ex-
ercise his artistic nature, for much of the
beauty Of violin depends on the shape
and form of the neck. When the differ
ent parts are ready they are glued togeth-
er. Glue is all that holds them together.
The staining or vanishing is a matter on
which the good looks of the violin depends
very largely, and also care has to be taken
to not spoil the instrument by the use of
| improper varnish as instances are on rec
ord of very fine violins having been ruined
by the use of wrong varnish. DR.. Willis
has had that experience himself. Anoth-
er violin maker is Prof. Lamb of New
York, who spends the summers in Colrain.
A violin of his make sold last summer for
$500. He has timber from the old Whit
ingham church, and gave DIR. Willis enough
for several violins.
There is one popularity of the work of
DR.. Willis, and that is that he never sells
his work. He loans his violins, but won't
sell. Mr.. Hoffman, who plays in Meehan's
orchestra of Shelburne Falls, has laid aside
his own violin and plays one loaned him by
the doctor. In jackknife artistry there are
many specimens 10 be seen in the doctors
house. Here the cedar from the Lewis
Cass cabin has been freely used He has
drawn his models from many sources. 1t
may be rustic vase of wildwood with a
figure of a japanese dragon exqusitely
worked out, and below, ferns and lilies Of
the valley; or it may be a panel on which
is depicted the scene of the shepherds
watching their flocks by night on the plains
of Judea at the birth of Christ; it may be
the figure of an American eagle choking
Treason in the shape of serpent He
has medallions of himself and family and
also of Prof. Norton, to whom the likeness
was shown, and who expressed great salts
faction with it. DR.. Willis has been look
ing for side view portrait of G. W. Cur
It's from which he could work out a me-
dallion as companion to the one of Prot.
Norton, and having done this he would
present them to Sanderson academy, but
thus far he has been unsuccessful in find
ing the portrait.