The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-17
A MAKER OF YIOLINS'
Indiana Farmer Turns Out
Superior instruments.
JACKKNIFE HIS MAIN TOOL
sitting by the Kitchen Fire ut Night
lie Fashions the Wood for Riddles.
Can't Play Them Himself, but Can
Identify Them 10y sound when
They Are Played for Him.

They Are Played Tor Him,
An Indiana farmer makes violins with
such skill as % cause weli-known musi-
clans to discard costly instruments and
make use OF those made on a little six
teen-acre fruit farm in Carroll County
Not long ago some OF the best-known
yioIinists in Michigan City heard of the
/ instruments that were made Of wood
chopped out of Hoosier forests, and they
experimental The farm fddles were Of
swteter tone. their construction on absu-
lutely correct lines. and they threw away
the creations Of established factories and
adopted those made by man between
sixty and seventy years old, who works
beside kitchen stove, using only jack
knife and other tools that he originated.
The most singular fact concerning the
strange talent Of the HoOsier farmer,
says the indianapolis Star, is that he is
not able 70 take any kind OF an instru-
ment and play tune He cannot play
the violin, hundreds of which he has
made. not Il his life depended upon IL.
But he knows I'm an instant when an
instrument gives out It's proper sound.
James Calvin Kerlln is the name Of this
odd character this aged craftsman who
has made the homes of hundreds Of IN
diana and other people &c ring with the
sweetest notes of the musical day. His
farm house is two and half miles out
of the city Of Delphi. in summer time
he is accustomed TO raise berries and to
market the product of his farm in town.
Il has often occurred that ne has driven
to town with crates Of berries IN one
part Of the vehicle and finished victims
in the other
His Daughter started II.
i daughter of the old violin maker was
the innocent cause of this farmer trying
90 emulate the craft OF Stradivarlus. This
daughter IS now Mrs. Leonard Neff. When
she was mere girl she had made several
cornstalk hddles. and one day she climbed
up on the bench az which her father was
working and begged him to make her a
real violin. lie finally consented, and he
has been making them ever since. His
efforts ia this lire induced him 10 expert
ment with the sounds Of different woods,
for, as all violin makers know, there are
certain combinations of wood that render
them Of particular tone when fashioned
into an instrument. Indiana wO0dchop-
pcrs have split timber IN Indiana woods
that to-day forms some part Of what is
considered a perfect instrument. The tops
OF some Of the Kerlin viOlins were made
OF material split from discarded telephone
poles These poles were hauled 10 tie
Kerl.n farmhouse and were split up at
the convenience Of the patient worker.
Other parts came from the apple and pear
trees OF bis own and adjoining farms. and
some Of the hickory for which The Hoosier
domain is famous is now component
part of some of the instruments used Ia
Indiana orchestras.
Ia making yi0lius Mr.. kerlin accom-
pllshed whac no other violin maker seems
10 have undertaken. He carved out
permanent chin rest for his Instruments.
/ This also was the result Of "a request
made by his daughter, Mrs Neff, who, in
an accident. had suffered the fracture Of
her coilarbone. This resulted ln great
difficulty ia holding the instrument, and
she asked her father 10 carve a sort OF ilp
on the top cover that enables any player
20 hold the instrument with the chin
alone
Works by Lgmplight.
A great deal Of the work done by the
old fiddle maker is transacted 1T night
by lamplight He sits by the kitchen stove
and scrapes away AZ piece of wood
until He has worked # down TO the proper
thickness. Frequently he holds the piece
20 the light % tell by his eye how thin It
is getting To be- lie has worked as late
as / o'clock in the morning until Ger
proper slender proportions.
After the worker has spent night after
night on an instrument, and az last il has
been hung Up ana the daughter is asked
10 draw the bow across the strings. the
maker knows in an instant what degree
OF excellence he has attained. If there f.
anything wrong with the sound it is his
car THAI detects 81. He is accustomed %
send his daughter into a different room
Of his house with half q dozen or more
OF tie yiolins he has made. He knows
exactly which one she is playing, and
when she attempts 10 deceive him by TAX
ing up the same instrument and using it
FOR two different pieces be is quick 70 say,
jocularly. You didn't change that time.
my lady" Despite the fact that he is
unable 20 play on the instrument that his
bands make. he is able 10 distinguish the
sound of each one OF them.
Mrs. NcG took lessons from 5irs.
Samuel Jenkins. Of Delphi, and became "a
good violinist Mrs Jenkins bought one
Of the Kerlin viollns, and uses it to-day.
Began rs Carpenter.
By trade, Mr.. KerlIn is Il carpenter.
In his early days ne had gone TO a sing
ing school in Juniata County. Pa, where
he was born and raised, but he sang or
whistled but little. lie spent most Of his
life ia farming and Embarrassing,
The people of Delphi tell some interest
ing stories of the love of this farmer
fiddle maker for string instruments. For
years it has been customary for travelling
musicians to appear in Delphi. They be
long to bands Of medicine and other
vendors There generally is a man who
knows how to handle violin. Mr.. Kerlin
when be happened TO be in town, would
get closer and closer 20 the fiddler, watch
ing his every movement, and apparently
would catfn every sound. When the
player would finish his tune, KerIin would
reach up to the owner and ask him To
allow him To- examine the instrument
and then the farmer would spend a
quarter Of an hour examining it with evil
dent pleasure.