The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-04-27
A Legend of
Anti-science Days
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

Toned music box and one worked phon-
Geographically is that the former is me-
chanical, while the latter is repro
duction of the feeling of the musician.
The Swiss people have for many years
ranked first In the building Of mu-
steal mechanical contrivapces and have
brought them as near perfection as
they can be made.
Several hundred years ago David
Kloekke, Genevese maker OF music
boxes, became ambitious to produce a
music box that would give one song
so perfectly that the feeling thrown
into 1t by the singer would be repro
duced. He certainly had great ad
vantage In executing his work. He
was deeply In love with girl who
sang exquisitely. Indeed. II was her
rendition of ballad that suggested It,
why can not make box that will
give that EXPRESSION" he asked him
self. II can produce harmony with
my metal tongues, but not feeling"
Then he resolved that he would make
The attempt
When he told Hilda. the girl he loved
that he wished her to sing for him
that he might reproduce her song In
Il music box she saw the impossibility
of accomplishing such a feat; but, pre-
ferring to humor him aud supposlng
that she would be only required to sing
to him a few times to convince him
that he could not accomplish what he
had undertaken, she assented. sim
pie love song was selected. and when
Kloekke had his material and tools
ready to reproduce the notes she began
to sing. first giving the entire song
that he might become imbued with the
melody.
AS soon as she had finished he asked
her to sing the FIRST few notes again
This she did. and he asked her to sing
them again and again, while he en-
deavored to initiate them on his metal
prongs. Hilda very soon not only
grew tired Of this, but. being tired. her
singing lost all Its charm. This fri.
tated her and her lover the result be-
ing violent quarrel Hilda ran away
and left him to relieve her feelings in
tears.
While Kloekke was sitting at his
work table brooding over his failure
and his break with the girl he loved
the door opened and woman entered.
Il have heard" she said, what has
taken place In your effort to reproduce
human feeling In song 1t requires
great deal of patience on the part of
one who sings for you. Let me try,
and possibly you may be able to repro
duce my song"
The man assented. and the woman
f. began to sing. She. too sang her en-
i tire song before he began to work
| From the FIRST note he seemed thrilled
with something he had never felt be-
fore. The song was weird. Kloekke
seemed to hear spirit voices calling.
now soft and low. now rising In a
wall When the woman had finished
the song she repeated the first few
notes. Kloekke succeeded easily In
repeating every one, giving it exactly
| notes. and those he reproduced with
| equal success.
| Kloekke was delighted. Running
| into ROOM where Hilda was, he call
] ed TO her tGat he had succeeded In his
effort. He expected that she would
rejoice with him at his success. In
stead. she looked at him angitly and
told him that since he had found an.
other who could do what she could
not do he might take the other for a
sweetheart He was very much aston.
ished at this. for he had always found
Hilda's disposition OF the sweetest.
However. after much coaxing he per
suaded her to go with him into the
room where he had worked.
The woman who had sung for him
had gone. after looking about for her
and not finding her Kloekke wound UP
the music box and set 1t moving. The
first note hid n peculiar effect on Hill
da and, through her. on her lover. She
gave him look of hate that remained
on her face as long as the song lasted
This naturally produced q madness In
him which spurred him on to strike
her. He had raised his clinched fist t
do so when the song ceased.
Kloekke lowered his arm and heaved
deep drawn sigh. Hilda wept. He
attempted to encircle her with hi
, arms, but she thrust him away.
A hammer lay on his work table
and. taking It up. he struck the music
box blow that sent its parts flying
over the room. Then, turning to Hildt
! again, she put out her arms to him
and they met In an embrace.
"Who was she?" asked the girl II
trembling voice.
II don't know" was the reply.
"a malignant spirit. Where is tn,
cruci1x you keep on the shelf"
Kloekke looked at the empty shelf
then about the room. The crucif,
was under the work table. Her fee
had been upon 1t.
Such is a legend of a time whei
science had not yet driven away tn
hobgoblins. Who would have thel
thought that expression as well a
harmony would eventually be pre-
iuced on the photograph? TIL its In
Vention music boxes were made, be
coming more and more perfect ever
year. But no one could play int
them or sing into them and have tn
feeling tho axnroacton fho hup,oro,