The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-03-23

we were ready to start for home and
then climbed up onto the seat beside
cruner so as not to have to talk.
Ibid you get it.? asked Bruner IL
. whisper a. soon as we left the stable
yard.
"'Yes. It's under the hay down
there ] replied, pointing to the front
of the sled at our feet.
| There was so much to talk about
that the boys did not think to ask
about the shotgun, and / thought ]
was going to get home without their
knowing Of the fiddle until we
stopped at little crossroads grocery
called Shanghai to warm up. Then
Burners curiosity got the best of him
and he simply had to see that fiddle.
He brought it in from the sled and
opened the box beside the stove.
"Such looking fiddle as that was
you never saw. There were no strings
on it, no keys, no tail-piece, nothing
but the bare frame, and that looked
sadly out of tune. was about heart
broken and the boys were mad be-
cause / had not bought the shotgun,
SO l got no consolation from them.
But Bruner said not to mind it, as it
might be a pretty good fiddle if it
was fixed up little and he had the
necessary fixings.
1t was nearly midnight when he
landed me at home, but he was SO
anxious to try the fiddle that he told
me to go to bed and he would be back
just as soon as he could put his team
away and get the parts that the fiddle
needed to put it in shape for playing.
1t was not more than half an hour
before he was back at the house again.
and little later he had the old in
strument strung up and going in good
shape. / was surprised at the music
he got out of it, and was very much
pleased with my bargain when he
pronounced it "a pretty fair sort of
fiddle after ALL
Il never had great amount of use
for violin, never playing one except
Tor my own amusement, but I hung
onto that old instrument through the
financial trials of many years. That
never pawned it is due probably to
the fact that one can get practically
nothing on violin from junk dealer.
l do not suppose that it had cost the
man OF whom got it more than the
price OF a meal or two at the most.
"As 1 say, hung onto that old
nddie, and it remained nothing more
than fiddle until 1894. 1t was sadly
out OF repair at that time, the strings
were gone and it lacked key or two.
and as | looked it over one day / |
thought / would have it fixed up and |
get little amusement for myself and |
annoyance for the neighbors out of it |
again. With that purpose in view / |
one day took it down to John Bow
man; he then had musical repair
shop on State street near VanBuren,
and asked him to fix it up as best he
could. He unwrapped it and, without
saying word to me. picked up one
Of the tools on his work bench and
began cutting the top of.
What are you doing there?
asked, rather amazed at the treat
nent the poor old thing was receiv-
ng.
do you want to sell this?' he
'sked in reply.
No. ] said, I want it fixed up 80
can play it, but you don't have to
tut 1t to pieces to fix it, do you?'
I don't believe you know what
Tou have here, but If am not mistak-
N you have one of Matthias Neuner'sl
Instruments. and want to see the in.
cription that should be under here
md he continued his operation until
he lid was off,
No, the inscription is not here
e said when the top was off, but it
Neuner violin just the same. The
inscription is up in the neck. where
does not belong. If you want to
ell this will give you $500 for it, he
dded.
No money could have bought It
hen. The old fiddle that had pur-
based long years before in country
awnshop for ten dollars-the first
IN dollars ever earned--had sudden
changed into violin of great price
a musical treasure over which great
rtists rave.
Before left the shop Bowman
ave me the history of that violin, and !:
lterward found the inscription which ..
roved the truth of his story up ON !.
le neck of the instrument, where. as
said, it did not belong. Matthias :,
euner was violin maker of Mitten-
aid, Germany. in the latter part of
e eighteenth and the early part of :
e nineteenth century. In the year
06 he turned out but six violins, all
special pattern. But three of !.
ose could be accounted for, and they +
ere held at fancy prices by connois- :,
urs in musical instruments. l had :.
e fourth one. =