The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-06
OLD ViOLIN-MAKER

OIO StOI!it-mAN6h
For him was levere have at his bedes
head
Twenty boxes clad in black or reed.
OF Aristotle and his philosophye
Than robes richie, or fithele, or gay sau.
frye"
The golden-tongued Chaucer declared
this cheerful attitude Of mind as being
that of the clerk of Oxenford, who was
full of all moral virtues, but it would
have been different haG he been the maker
of the '-fthele." For the vioIin-mak-
er first of all loves the fiddle When the
artist draws the bow across the magic
strings he listens with eyes closed. COM
pletely obvious Of all else save the rich.
sensuous sound given out by the mellow
toned Gagliano, the stunning Strad, or
the brilliant Klotz CT Amati The tone
is the satisfying element, for however
shapely may be the back, however grace
full the top; however beautiful and ex-
Quisitely formed the Eeck. it is the tone
that is the final test with the maker as il
is with the artist and the public. Bat
the back, the top, the neck, the finger
has significance to the violin maker
that is shared by only few privileged
ones, who must have the soul for tone and
q love for the feeling of the stringel
instruments.
William l.. Peters of Hartford for forty
years has been a maker and repairer
of viOlins. and he has handled many of
the most celebrated instruments in the
world during his many years of work
He has repaired or treated as he terms
ii, some 100 vioiins, valued at from $50
to $1,000 each, and he has made with his
own hands some 3oo-odd violins, which he
has sold at prices ranging from $50 to
$500
y visit to Mr.. Peters little shop in the
Charter Oak Bank building reveals the
violin maker in all his enthusiasm for the
art he loves. He carefully takes from
the case a precious "fithele' almost as old
as the ChauceIian lines at the beginning
of this article
Look at that good and hard. You may
not see its like again" says the maker,
and he takes the ancient bit OF pine and
maple from a case and places it in the
visitors hands. Gazing critically at the
graceful lines of the top, the eye discerns
the label inside. "Antonius Stradivarius,
Cremona. 1899" 1t seemed to the stranger
almost like shaking hands with old An
tonius, and he wondered at the beauty of
the instrument and the art of the cele-
brated Italian who made IT. For the VIC
lin was of about the time that Stradi-
varius was changing from the works of
his earlier period 20 those of the grand
en-brown on amber and the top is made
Of Swiss pine. In the back and ribs the
of figured wood was used, the
back being in one piece. The ''f'' holes
are-beautifully cut, the purfiing being in
laid with much skill. The edges show lit
lie wear for so old an instrument, which
indicates that it has always received good
treatment. There are three checks in the
top running with the grain but Mr.. Peters
has repaired them in most artistic man.
ler, and the instrument has no flaw OF
my kind. 1t is one of the best examples
If the Stradivarius make, and is valued at
A, OO0 The artist played HandeIs Largo
N the Strain, and the old violin makers
yes closed, and he listened enraptured
It the beautiful tones Of the solemn melo- |
ly. When the stranger finished the in
aluable Strad was again placed in the
7eivet-lined case, and tenderly put away.
But here's beautiful Gagliano 1t has |
, tone like the voice of a great contralto |
singer" said Maestro Peters. and he plac- |
d the full-sized and Enthusiastically |
shaped violin that made Nicholas Gagli- /
mo famous in the hands of the young |
nan who has previously played. The /
wood in the back and sides showed an ev-
My marked frame which is said TO be |
eldom found in violns of this class. The |
op is spruce, the Yarnish lustrous yell |
ow. blended to a deep red at the center |
'outs. The workmanship is well finished \
md the preservation is remarkably per- !
ect The tone proved to be strong and /
# fine body. anu compares favorably |
With that of the Stradivarius or any other /
Italian vioiin. Twelve hundred dollars is /
he value of this violin. and compared |
With the s4,e0e for the Strad.. il should /
e rare bargain, if one were making a
objection, or seeking fine old GagliaDo /
or concert use.
But there were other good old violins
! French Instrument made in 1850 by Jean
'aptiste Solomon of Paris. from the col
action of Julius Schmidt. United States
onsul atSeville. Spain. vaieGats300:a
onsul at Seville. Spain, valued a $500: a
enuine Klotz. bearing the date ITO or
10. This is a fine instrument. having
delightfully."- strong and at the same
ime mellow tone. A very good orchestral
lstIument indeed
Mr.. Peters has had many curious ex-
eriences with viollns. Michael Reidle.
rell-known violinist of Worcester. Mass
rought his violin to MFR Peters to be
reated. The latter locked Il over. and
aid: That looks like an exceptional vio-
n"
Mr. Reidle said he thought it was pretty
God. better than the average. and that
G bought for S3S which he considered
ute bargain. But the violin was in
adj share. and had TO be taken down.
'eated. and then set up. In the work Of
,raping out 4 lot of CRIME that had set
cd under the f. holes Mr. Peters was
stonished to find the label "Hieronimus
matt Cremona. ISIS And when that
ioiin had been PUT in perfect condition.
turned out 10 be one OF the finest in
-ruments in the world. and the valua-
on went up from SIS TO $500 in quick
me. But Mr. Reidle holds that violin as
eyoGd price.-IIartford Colrent