The Alaska daily empire., 1920-10-20
FORMER JUNEAU
GIRL TO STUDY
VIOLIN IN EAST
Eleven-Year-Old Alaskan Girl
On Her Way to New York;
Began Study in Juneau.

| Little eleven-year-old Wllmi oaN-
ant. who began her musical education
in Juneau under the direction OF Pro-
lessor Sumpf, is in New York with
her mother, Mrs. w. NJ. Bdzant, OF
Seward, wheer she will take violin
lessons from Leopold Auer, the great
! instructor.
The story and romance OF Will
mas short life and that of her par
ants. is told in a Seattle dispatch OF
October 4th, in the Portland Oregon
ian of October 5th, as follows;
This is the story of little girl
who believes in fairies and OF
mother who is a dreamer of dreams.
1t is the story of genius rising out
Of the ashes of a mans wrecked car
GER and finding reincarnation in the
life of child. 1t is the story of a
submerged and voiceless race render
ed articulate through the fire of an
lrtless passion.
Twenty years ago, young girl,
an emigrant out of Bohemia, passed
through the Ellis Island gateway into
America Product of land which
Turing ten centuries of tears, has not
forgotten how to laugh, she carried
IN her heart the pent dreams of all
her hopeless past and the glad antici-
patton of an emancipated future.
an the Bohemian colony of De
troit-not the false Bohemian colony
of long haired men and short haired
women--but the little Bohemia that
seeks it's freedom through hard and
unremitting toil-she met and mar
ried w. NJ Bazant, a man of her
own race.
Child Begins to Play Violin
Wilma Bazant. the little girl who
believed in fairies, is the product
OF this union.
"Bazant, a mechanic, in the pursuit
of his trade, went from city to city
in the Middle West, and five years
ago passed through Seattle to Al
aska. The family settled in Juneau
and it was here that the mother plac
ed violin in the child's hands.
wilma was placed under the tutel
age of a violinist named Sumpf. She
studied under him for eight months
md the exigencies of BaZant's, trade
made it necessary for the family
go to Seward. For almost four
years the child went without training
but during this time she continued
o play, sometimes by note and some
ines just little twittering things
hat seemed a part of her alone
Hours at a time she played weaving
with the notes the fabric of all her
hilfhood joys and longings.
Girl Leaves for New York
zone evening, three months ago
I roughly clad man passed the house
heard the child's music, and went in.
qe took the violin from her hands
lrew the bow across the strings with
lnaccustomed fingers, and said: y
will teach you to play
He did so. This was three months
tgo The other day he said L car
each you no more. You must go tc
New York to Leopold Auer.' And
asst night 11-year-old Wilma Bazant
with her mother left Seattle for New
York
"Peter Stark taught her the wrist
movement, but it was her nature tc
play. said Mrs. Bazant just before
boarding the train which will take
her and her child to Leopold Auer.
Girl Entertains Passengers
STARK is working with a pick and
shovel on government construction
| cut of Seward And if the meagrt
gleanings of Mrs. BaZant in regard
20 his history, gained through several
months of acquaintance, are actual
| facts, he at one time was the director
If his own orchestra in Chicago and
| appeared in concert on the same
, stage with Media.
| "Bazant now owns a machine shop
| Instead of renvesting his earnings
! in his business. he decided to put his
! Uncertain surplus into the necessary
raining for his daughter. Mrs. Baz'
| mt and Wilma sailed on the steam
| ship Alaska. which arrived in Seattle
| Saturday night.
The trip down was typical OF the
season, passengers kept indoors by
he weather. The quest for RELIEF
| rom boredom during several days
n a stuffy cabin brought attention
20 the violin case which is never
very far from Wilma. After repeated
requests she played. Her accompany
ist was a millionaire New Yorker re
turning from a hunting expedition
Her audience was a composite OF
II the vigorous civilization of AlaskS