The Opelousas courier., 1907-08-10

Can Identity Them by Sound When
Played for Him.
An Indiana farmer makes violins
with such skill as to cause we'll
known musicians to discard costly in
struments and make use of those
made on a little sixteen acre fruit
farm in Carroll County. Not long
ago some of the best known violin
lists in Michigan City heard of the
instruments that were made Of wood
chopped out of Hoosier forests, ant
they experimental. The farm fddles
were of sweeter tone, their construc-
ton On absolutely correct lines, and
they threw away the creations Of es-
tablished factories and adopted those
made by a man between 60 and 70
years old, who works beside a kit
chen stove, using only a jackknife
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 to take any kind
of an instrument and play a tune.
He cannot play the violin, hundreds
of which he made, not If his life de-
pended upon it. But he knows in an
instant when an instrument gives out
its proper sound.
James Calvin Kerlin is the name
of this odd character, this aged crafts
man who has made the homes Of
hundreds of Indiana and other people
to ring with the sweetest notes of the
musical day. His farm home Is two
and a half miles out of the city OF
Delphi. In summer time he is accus-
toned to raise berries and to market
the product of his little farm in town.
1t has often occurred that he has
driven to town with crates of berries
in n part Of the vehicle and finish
ed violins in the other.
A daughter of the old violin maker
was the innocent cause Of this farmer
trying to emulate the craft of Stradi-
varius. This daughter is now Mrs.
Leonard Nef. When she was a mere
girl she had made several cornstalk
fddles and one day she climbed up
on the bench at which her father was
working and begged him to make her
a real violin. He finally consented,
and he has been making them ever
since. His efforts in this line in
duced him to experiment 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. In
diana woodchoppers have split timber
in Indiana woods that today 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 tele-
phone poles. These poles were haul
ed to the Kerlin farm house and were
split up at the convenience Of the
patient worker. Other parts came
from the apple and pear trees Of his
own and adjoining farms, and some
of the hickory for which the Hoosier
domain is famous is now a compo.
nent part of some of the instruments
used in Indiana orchestras.
In making violins Mr.. Kerlin &C
complished what no other violin max
er seems to have undertaken. He
out a permanent chin rest for
his instruments. This also was the
result of a request made by his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Neff, who in an accident had
suffered the fracture of her collar
bone. This resulted In great diff
in holding the instrument, and
she asked her father to carry a sort
Of lip on the top cover that enables
any player to hold the instrument
with the chin alone.
A great deal Of the work done by
the old fiddle maker is transacted at
night by lamplight. He sits by the
kitchen stove and scrapes away at a
piece of wood until he has worked it
down to the proper thickness. Ere
he holds the piece to the
light to tell by his eye how thin it
Is getting to be. He has worked as
late as / o'clock In the morning until
! certain piece of timber had at
its proper slender proportions.
After the worker has spent night
after night on an instrument and at
asst 1t has been hung up and the
laughter is asked to draw the bow
across the strings the maker knows
n an instant what degree Of excel
ence he has attained. If there is
anything wrong with the sound it is
lis ear that detects 1t. He Is accus
,omed to send his daughter into a
iiferent room OF his house with half
dozen or more of the violins he has
made. He knows exactly which one
The is playing. and wien she at.
empts to deceive him lJy taking up
he same instrument and using it for
Wo different pieces he is quick to
iocularly, you didn't change that
ime, my lady" Despite the fact that
% Is unable to play on the instru-
nent that his bonds make he Is able
distinguish the sound of each one
them.
Mrs. Nef took lessons from Mrs. +
Jenkins, OF Delphi, and be-
anne a good violinist. Mrs. Jenkins
one OF the Kerlin violins and
ses it today.
BY trade Mr.. Kerlin was q ~carpent-
y In hir early DAYS hn had uonn
o a singing school in Juniata Coun-