The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-02
RIDDLES A DOLLAR APIECE
APPRAISED AT THAT BY PAWN
BROKERS.
Too Much Danger of Being Buncoed
by Clever Counterfeits of Rare old
Makes-The Modus Operandi.

ION a violin l will loan 81; no more. 8"
declared a little old pawnbroker of the
local Latin quarter, replying to the
question of a casual curio hunter who
was looking over the strange medley Of
odds and ends that Uttered the dusty
counters. "Yes?" said the visitor 20
litely, but you refer, L suppose, to the
general run of violins. When an in
strument is of real value you make an
exception, of course" "Of course I
do notH retorted the pawnbroker
sharply. ITO me a violin is a violin,
and 81 is what l lend. Oh to be sure,
they protest-often! Sometimes, they
shed tears. They assure me it is old,
rare, worth l don't know what. Very
WELL l reply, then take it to a must
clan. Mel am a pawnbroker and 1
lend 81 on fiddles, provided they are
in good order No, 1 did not always
have this rule" admitted the old man
smiling grimly. Il thought once that
/ knew something about Violins my
self. My father was a musician and
played for twenty years in the orches-
ira at the French Opera House. 1 was
brought up, as you might say, among
fiddles, but, pshaw Let me tell you
what they did. One day a man came
here with a dirty old case under his
arm He took me back in the passage
to open it and said: 'Sh-s-s! it is a
|
was a very fine-loOking instrument. L
examined it carefully and it had all the
marks. 1t was signed "A. s. As for
the man. he told the usual story
poverty and so on-but he told it we'll.
l was more than half convinced. Still,
took him to my friend Edgardo, who
had a repair shop on the next corner
and was a known cOnnoisseur. When
Edgardo saw the fiddle his eyes stuck
out. Antonio Stradivarius!" he whis-
pered in my ear. / led him into the
hall. Are you sure it is genuine" |
asked. L stake my life said he. Well,
1 lent the man $500 and promised to
keep the fiddle for him six months. In
week or so another musician in dis
tress showed up-a friend of the first
man. He had Maggini burnt-amber
Varnish, seventeenth century l took
| him also to EdgardO, who, was en-
chanted You are in luck he said
privately; there is a colony of these
fellows, just from Europe. They are
very poor and have magnificent tiddles.
You will get them all. l lent $3.50 on
the Maggini. In a month l had three
more-a Guarnerius and two Gaglla-
no. Altogether l advanced 1913 on
them Then one day the orchestra
Leader from the French opera came in
to the shop. He was a distinguished
man and wore the red rosette of the
Legion in his buttonhole. We got TO
talking about violins, and to surprise
him. / brought out the 'Strad.' | give
you my word 1 thought that man
would never get through laughing But
1 was already on my way to Edgardo's
and what do you think?-his shop was
closed cleaned out, for rent! l never
saw him again, nor the five worthy
musicians The fiddles l sold for 90
apiece. 1t seems there is a FACTORY III
%, rrrba them
gross Since then I have established
nv rule-a violin is a violin, and as
collateral it is worth 81, if in good re-
pair When they protest l say: Go TO
musician. I am not musician. am
a pawnbroker.'