Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-24
saw that It was GOOD one whu aidn,t

say that it was good one. Why didn't
think Of it before?'
| True to his word the b;.rber, on his
fnext visit, broached the subject to the
invalid. Alesio would not hear of it,
"What! sell his beloved violin-his grand
fathers herloom-never! Sooner have
death come" But the barber persisted
and pointed out that with the money 1t
would bring Alesio could go back to Italy,
to the cline where one did not roast one
day and freeze the next; and he pointed
out that If Alesio died his widow would
have to sell the instrument for bread,
and anyhow, it was only fiddle and
one could always get another. although 1t
might not be so old nor have belonged
| to cnes grandfather.
| Wearied with the constant arguments
and noting the fading locks of his wife,
Alesio finally consented, and he and the
barber awaited the coming of the buyer.
1t was several weeks before the latter
appeared. and the barber took him to
New York to interview Alesio. 1t re-
quired several visits before the poor
PLAYER could force himself to part with
his beloved violin, but finally an agree
ment was reached, a goodly sum of
money turned over to Alesio and his wife
and the connoisseur departed with his
prize carefully wrapped In its case. The
barber said that when the visitor had
left Alesio's house barely few minutes
the sick man jumped from his bed and
ran after his visitor with the money in
his hands. The buyer had jumped on
car and Alesio followed a whole block
before he fell fainting and was tenderly
picked up and carried home by the bar
bor and Alesio's wife. So ended the his
tory of the violin in the hands of its
| Italian possessor.
| The violin was purchased by Henry
| Saunders, restaurant keeper. now at 80
| Broadway, Brooklyn. e. d. Mr.. Saun-
| ders is a well-known collector and is
fairly good amateur performer on the
| instrument When he saw the violin he
knew at once 1t was of very ancient
make, but of a model the like OF which
he had never seen before. 1t was in very
bad condition. The back was loose, the
finger board depressed and the sides open
| in places, while 1t leaked at several
minute cracks, but the varnisn was OF
| the famed deep olive so famous IN the
Cremona school and its tone, even IN It's
dllapidated condition, was singuiarly
pure and sweet
1t was placed in the hands of an ex-
pert-Carl Lancer of Ten Eyck street
] Brooklyn-who Is dean of violin makers
| and experts in this country and father
OF the noted violinist of the same name
| os this city. Another son Is one OF
Brooklyn's best-known surgeons. Lam
zers name is as well known IN the ihu-
| slcal world. where his opinion Is con-
| sidered final, as that of the Cremona
violin itself Under his careful manip-
ulation the instrument was restored TO
| its pristine glory, and, barring ieW ~,
marks from the ravages OF time anu III
usage, is as good as the day IL was lirss
turned out, perfected, from the ianus u
| It's maker. -, nr
'eCo the best of my belief said Mr..
I,anzer in his certification OF the m
str ument, ''this violin is a genuine Guar-
| nerius, and, 1 think, was made by Fetrus
Guarnerius" .,, %
| The Guarneri were famous famliy OF
Violin makers of Cremona. Ine iouloer
of the house, Andreas (Andrus) Iuar
genius of the Amat family, ana une
| Guarnerius instruments carry dates from
1870 TO 1896 Andreas' sons (Josepn, ABOUT
1890 to 1880; and Pietro, Petrus' ioso ~
| 1TS0) produced excellent vionns, as uiu
PIetro's son of the same name wno .,,
worked in Venice. the genus u l,s
family was Joseph (surnamsa a ne 1hn.s 49,
16Sa-1745, a nephew of Anoreas' wno-e
yioiins are held in high esteem, amateurs
having as high as from $4,000 to $OoOO
for them. ,,,ra c,,.
nerius is admitted by other experts as
well as Lancer. Among the experts VINO
have examined the vlonn anu 'e1uiieu
to its antiquity are V. WinKier' w. u.
Merritt. Fritz Eisner. Petersen-vitale,
Carl Vent, 2. Taylor. Richard Arnold.
Professor Pro- Jacobs and Flechter who was
recently convicted of stealing stradi,
varius, and who, whatever may DC ssio
of his honesty, is an expert
-This same instrument was stolen
from, the owners house-Henry Saunders
so broadway, e. D., Brooklyn, New
York CITY, not so very long ago.