The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-23
HE MAKES YIOLINS
EVERYBODY WANTS
VERMONT FIDDLER TURNS OUT
GREAT WORK IN LEISURE HOURS.
He Buys the Finest Woods from Italy
and Norway-He Shapes His Violins
After Stradivarius, Carves Them Elk
quisitely and Has Refused 5000 for
One. .. ."1k"
Dispatcb to BOSTON Herald

Ludlow, Vt. Few musicians In the
United States possess such rare col
ments as does Edwin P: Saunders, who
g Ludlow Violin Maker.7 Violin
making is his hobby, and while his
friends spend their leisure hours in
reading, playing cards or indulging in
any amusement, Mr.. Saunders devotes
all his spare time to making and cary
ing the instruments.
He has often been referred to, as
modern ''Stradivarius,'' and musicians
have offered him as high as 5000 for
one of his hand-carved, sweet-sound-
ing violins.
Mr.. Saunders is an interior painter
and scenic artist.
The The e: Lag HddleI,u as he is
making. He was born in Whitehall,
N. Y, sixty years ago and when quite
young his father bought him violin
and secured instruction for him from
competent teacher in the town. The
boy became so determined to learn,
that within year he became a mem
Der of the town orchestra. ,
His Fiddle Smashed at Dance.
! During the intermission Of dance
one night Saunders violin was acct
dentally kicked over and broken, and
it was thru that mishap he became a
violin maker, The young man did not
have the ready cash to have the violin
repaired, and because his parents, priced
dare to tell them what had happened.
Under the existing. circumstances he
saw nothing to do but attempt to re-
pair his broken instrument, and he sue
ceeded in doing such an excellent job
that he, was afterward called. upon by
other violinists to repair theirs:
so remarkable that his next attempt
was to make one, but he himself says
that it was such botch. that he found
no other place to put it but in the
stove. His next attempt was years
later, and he had such success that
duriing, the past twenty years ne ma:
the advice in Edward II. Aliens BOOB
on the manufacture Of instruments thai
he perfected himself. He succeeded il
getting the exact dimensions Of :;
Stradivarius $4,000 violin from it,
owner, NJ. Santon of London, ant
along those lines Mr.. Saunders ha
made all his instruments.
to find, and he has spent hundreds o
dollars in securing the best material
possible. All his wood is imported, an
J unless the guaranteed age is more tina
. 200 years, he does not want it. Italia
white maple and Norway spruce
! considers the best material. Thes
woods, thoroly seasoned by age, he find Il
tones. The Italian maple is used fo
the back, while the spruce is superiC
n for the top, sides, sounding post an
bass bar.
Superb Carving Excites Envy.
Of To make a violin during his leisu1
hours, evenings and Sundays, Mr.. sau!
to eight weeks. After. cutting and Il
ting ali the parts he then deVotes COZ
siderable time to the carving befo]
putting the several pieces tpgethe
With a set of tools he finds no create
amusement than carving the backs ar
arms 50 exquisitely as to excite. II
envy Of many who are in the buslne
~ as profession.
" It was his carving that first caugl
80 the eye of Andrew Hyde, the famo,
50 who died recently. Mr.. Hyde was ira
- cling thru Vermont when he heard
Mr.. Saunders and made it q point
= see him. The make, carving and sou1
= of every one Of Saunders violi
II, that he at once made him an offer
% 90 to Northampton and become
90 partner.
90 90 Thru Mr.. Hyde Mr.. Saunders reput
20 ton spread turnout the country a
Is representatives Of the leading VIC
00 manufacturers all over the . nited Stat
~ gave him calls. After he had refus
e5 their offers, Mr.. Saunders friends urg
rs him to devote his entire time to
90 making of violins, but he declares tf
20 3 the business would not be proftah
>. owing to the high price of the mater
.s5 and The time consumed, as we'll as
.3 difficulty Of commanding his price VIII
20 the instruments were placed on
market.
80 The carving, according to Mr.. Sal
- ders. is by Far the most trying pa
''o and. because of the fine work VIII
20 he executes, he is obliged to do all
.o5 cutting under powerful magnify
90 glass. Unless the greatest care IS tai Il
and it is an easy matter to MAKE such n
her botch that the whole art effect IS II
as "He, too. is only too Wiling TO
sist anyone inclined in making VIC
and thruout the village at times ne
had as many as dozen boys and yo'
men around him, teaching them how
cut the wood. fit it and put 1t togetl
A small collection of their awkw
)ut attempts is among his collection,
while none Of them are or any va
MI. Saunders prizes some OF tt
nail equally as much as many OF ms
me make, and finds pleasure In snow
per them and speaking of the labor the 0
SO of the village had in attempting TO
low his instructions.
sent y