New-York tribune., 1905-08-06

or not the FIRST in the field a. regards an ,r,a-o-
ment in the manner OF quilting the bz-a.s,s.
upon which invention he seems 10 have bee, az
posed 20 lay great stress 10 is no. e. - 80.
time to say with positiveness He se,as ~. ..-
gestion for method OF frser,trw -,
in the jacks Of the BroadWOods In Io.nlo, : t-N -
IL appllsd 10 his instrument; but when The s,
makers return tne narpsichord with his suegestio,
carried out they tell him that his invsntIo, -
been anticipated IN a manner which no a. -.
compelled 20 confess is an Improvement or "a,
idea. Like scores Of others he is dstre..ed b -
instability OF qutils and hunts for a substi+r,o -,
terlal. finding il al length In sole leather a -
Frenchman Tasqun did later about the sar,.
time. HopkinsOn. however. was soon 1issass.s,
with the substitute and finally hit upon velvet co-
covered with leather II is almost divertlna ~ 49,.
him and his great friend Jefferson Giscoursi,9 -
the boon % humanity which his invention had co..
ferred. all innocent Of the doom which alr.adx
threatened the harpsichOrd and overlook il githt,
a decade or two. The fact has little interest," noz
in itself. but Indirectly 70 II knoRledge -
a side Of JeffeTsons character which those who
know the politician and statesman only can scarce
" have suspected The writer Of the Deelatatio,
Of Independence was interested in music IL M.
musical himself, and associated in Paris with soma
Of the heroes Of musical history. Witness a Ist-
ter TO Hopknson dated september 3. 1TS5:
1 do not altogether despair OF making something
Of yOTr method Of quilting though as yet the
prospect is not favorable. 1 applaud much your
perseverance IN improving this instrument and
benehting mankind almost in spite of their teeth.
mentioned TO Puccini the improvement with which
therefore did not feel himself personally Interested
hope better opportunity VIII vet fall in nv
way Of doing IL justice. had almost decided on
his advice. 70 get pianofOrte for my daughter;
effect. pause nv '''' -
The pianoforte had come. and come TO stay: ths
harpsichord went the way OF mortal things. IN
spite Of Hopkinson's First Unison with sole
leather well rubbd with black Lead the secOrd
Unison. a kind OF soft Morocco Leather. for tho
Piano OF the Instrument. & the Octave with wood
en- Tongues poiish'd with black Lead. for giving
ViVacity to The whole-aH mounted on Springs"
according to the learned judges model
One OF my boyhood recouections IS Professor
Reardon and his Tumbleronicou." Inst r,lnert and
performer are recalled TO me By references 10 soma
OF the musical diversions OF Benjamin Franklin
contained in the correspondence between jefferson
and HopknsOn- When Mr. jefferson gets the COM
mission 10 exploit MS friends invention in Paris
he makes trial and reports his FIRST failures undsr
date OF July g. 15SS:
do not despair yet OF availing you of il as soon
as can get acquainted with some Of the principal
beginning OF winter as ali the beau monde Leave
Paris in the summer. during which the musical
l. communicated 70 boctr Franklin your idsa O
probably because his affairs have been long packed
& packing, as do not play on that Instrument
with him a pretty little instrument IL IS ths
stccado, with glass bars instead Of wooden ones.
IS the want Of extsnt having M but ,B-ee 6caTss
wish you would exercise your ingenuity give II
substance which Will yield tones IN those parts %
the scale, bearing proper affinity those OF glass
bars. the middle octave is very sweet.
Think of the great Franklin weighed down with
his duties American Commissioner to France,
playing on his "sticcado." and two other sgnss
Of the Declaration Of Independence solemny IL
teresting themselves in what we would
slider an idle plaything. But Franklin was himself
the inventor OF a similar instrument scientno
Improvement OF the ''tumbIeronicOn' which
Professor Reardon' still played in the days Of nv
youth. In fact, the "tuu4bIerOnicOn'' was
version OF the musical glasses "harmOnicon
which Franklin turned from toy into musical
instrument which maintained sort OF popularity
through two decades OF the nineteenth century
The old musical glasses were gOblets tuned 70
scale. which vbrated that they produced
musical tones by rubbing with the moistened
fingers. So Professor Reardon" played his m
strument in the COS OF the last century Benia-
min Franklin fastened the tuned glasses TO a
spindle which was 70 revolve by treade. Ihs
lower rim Of the glasses passed through trough
of water and the player touched those which 10
desired to sound as they revolved before MN 0'
means OF Frankln's Improvement chords Ssi'
made possible and the instrument at once took "a
serious interest. How serious? Serious enough
command the attention of the greatest composers
of the period. Hasse wrote music for MaFianI9
Davies who travelled in Europe a vrtuoso 0A
the instrument. and Mozart for blind pefioin..
named Mariana Kirchsassner. AT Darnns.aas
writes Grove "a harmonica formed part OF =
Court orchestra; the Princess Louise. af'eIs~
Grand Duchess was a proficient upon IT, = =
Pohl SEN the PrinCess's music master was -
gagged exclusively for the instrument as la's
ISIS" Even Beethoven found Use for it. comp0s
little melodramatic dirge for Il to be used ~ -
drama by Duneker entitled "LeOnOra Proha-s Il
fOfa hp lnVeuLNo
of Judge FIopknson for space. He suppA~s
with KEYS furnished with artificial nnses =,
seems 20 have stopped short or conple'e -
though jefferson grew so enthusiastic on 80
tnarv report that he called II The grea'eS' 80
which has been made 10 the musle@i "O
century not excepting the pianOforte stl
n, nudge Hopkinson's skill as a composer ~
lat The Tribune readers judge for thehSo' s,,a
reproducing OF the songs from 0'O vasb-
he published In 1TS4 and dedicated 70 S'e''e on-r
inrton The song MIR. SOnneck urges wa" no
posed In 1853. and II may be set do"a .ss-ssy 1
product OF the nrst American composer ~ ,a-
the works OF both Lyons and Billings Wonlu 90
tedated That this was HOpkinson.s own ~ sa5s; Il
"However small the Reputation may ee eessSe -
shall derive from this Work cannot ,ss ot ths
United States who has produeed a Nss Tor ths
poSit9WH IN naS ,5SSnioUsIv and xrssefuly says
But my dear Sir II you had any doubts Ssh--
the reception which your work woSia H' ',sat yos
should need any assistance 10 defend NSN IN ne
not acted with your usual good JudgnlsHs, nreigs
choice OF a COadiutor: tor. should the tiue %
dice not iOw In favor OF 10 (and 50 various, hs
tastes, opinions. whims OF men 'hae ,,ssrsai Oe,
currence) what alas I do 20 suPpole ssingls
can neither sing one OF the songs nor fas,
note on any instrument To convince the Whicns
ing But I have. however, one arsa-letHIt It.sst m
win prevail with persons OF true ,aste 'as 'as,oSucton
Americal-I ten them that Il Is the Pr ~ n x
OF Mr. HOpkinson.