Newspaper Page Text
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THE REPUBLIC: SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 1902t
VIOLIN VALUES NOT
French violin of. 1830. Stradivarius fSRHiy Ma8Pn- ww,n8 1,,h' wwl1 oT eaf CfelJ Gand. Pere. of 1843-Stradivarius typ,
lZ 11:1! !-:..' J S IferO?! ItaI,an maker Ohj Kmile Karst fn&fi Owned bv Mr Einile Karw. f
I fJBg""""'"-l'"'J1-XjJJ'"MU''-" I IIBBM ""f II I I ' '. , ' jj V i w'"''L "';eBSBSB""J'fe'$T;SV? GMr I.J "HI II 1 1 illn I p gijjjl , -g" "
I Verr old violin of Stainer type. Owned by Mr.
'Ales Ludwig The angle at which the picture was
taken failed to show the extremely high awelL It can
be judged, however, by noticing how close it comes tc
the finger-board.
A GOOD NEW FIDDLE IS
WORTH MORE
THAN A BAD OLD ONE.
fmU 111,,,,,,
' TTJUTTKN FOR THB OTNDAT HErTTBLla
Jkjnone the tnqulriea on all concetvabls
rubjrcta -which come to a newspaper none
U more frequent than one reading about
thhfwar;
"I have a tIoHji with the following label
Inside:
" 'Autcoitus Btrafllvarlus Cremonensls.
" "Faolebat Anno, 1735.'
1 xmOesstand that Stradlvarlue Tlollns
er -worth a Kreat deal of money. Please
ta9 ma irhere I can And a purchaser."
It Is always an unpleasant task to spoil
aa hspresslon of this sort, but -with the re
Ttral of Interest In violins all over the
country tt is well that both sellers and pur
chasers should be familiar with eomo of
the oommonplaees of this Interesting cult.
To the Incilry above quoted the correct
ansrrer ninety-nine times In one hundred
Is that the Addle In question Is an' Imita
tion, and a. poor one at that.
Host people seem to believe that It Is
age wMob. sires value to a violin. This is
not at all a fact. A Stradivari Is valuable,
sot because It la old. but because It was
made by Stradivari. It must bo remem
bered that when he was alive he was then,
as muoh as now. known to connoisseurs an
the greatest of makers. His violins sold
hbjher than others then, zb they do now.
btradlvarl was a very creat artist great
not only In talent, but In that watchfulness
ART OF ACTING
SHY
TEESmzXEHORS DO
JOHK DREW.
"IVMTTEN FOR TUB BOTTDA.Y RETBBUei
In a. recent letter relaUve to the deca
dence of the stage, Richard Mansfield says
the art of acUng bids fair to disappear en
tirely. This statement has Inaugurated a
general discussion of tho subject. John
Drew and Stuart Robson do not agree with
Mr. Mansfield. They believe that there are
many capable players now in tho publla
eye. The communlcaUaa to which, they
reply is as follows:
There, la little doubt that certain persons
will write plays and certain people will
perform rial's and certain people will go
to see plays for eomo years to come, but
the art of acting is diminishing every day,
and bids fair to disappear entirely.
The newspapers are largely responsible
lor this oondltlon.
Granted that the art of acting Is not
easy. A waitress at a summer hotel, esti
mable person though she bo. or a Pullman
palace car -porter, or a young woman in
suburban society cannot and does not, by
some miraculous interposition of Provi
dence, pranco onto the stage a fully
equipped artist. A person to succeed on
the stage should be possessed of good eyes,
good teeth (minus gold filling), a icood fig
ure, a good voice (cultivated by compe
tent teachers), and a slight knowledge of
tho French language (sufficient to iro
Dounce properly monsieur, madame, au re
volr. monseignenr.) Ho should know how
to sit down and how to stand ud aud nave
tho manners of a being accustomed to good
society. It is true that, aciardlny to the
unwritten law of the United State, every
citizen is either a lady or a gentleman. We
ere constantly so reminded. But this doe
not obtain upon the stage. Upon the stage
appearance Is everything. One mist pos
sess the outward and lslblo sign It is a
fact that every gentleman irwi'd be an
honorable man. but on the stigj and In r-dety-
every honorable man is cot necessari
ly b. gentleman. It manif estl j .abrjrd for
a person with' the manners of a hostler-l
to aittmpi 10 play the Admlrabto Crlchtun J
yj I f0Mi$i M-fli ""ot jfycisssSfcfcBPB' i"?9? BsSiPilHu ro
( DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ! ! SOME SPECIMENS OF I 8 SSHJSfJSjJEBiMMT B
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
j HIGH STAINER MODEL
j AND THE FLAT STRAD.
$,,, ,,., ., .,.
of detail which marks supreme accomplish-
ment. In the selection of wood. In the de-
velopment of model. In the app'lcatlon of
varnish. In the carving of a scroll, fn the
finishing of the sound holes,' Stradivari left
nothing undone, and above all he wa3 suc
cessful In the production of tone quality.
He was not only the greatest luthier of his
own day. but was the favorite pupil, and
the successor of the greatest preceding
maker. Nlcolo Araatl.
There are violins much older than thi
oldest Stradivari, which are j-et worth not
A tenth as much.
Old fiddles may be so bad as to be almost
worthless. Ago adds very little to tho
value of an Inferior Instrument. It Is very
common to sec, especially In the South,
where Addling has been kept up uninter
ruptedly for 200 years. Instruments of un
doubted authenticity as far as age Is con
cerned, and which are valued as priceless
Eems by their owners, and yet are not
worth 53 apiece. I have myself seen a
great many of these old instruments and
I cannot recall one which was of any con
siderable value.
I remember one Incident of the sort which
occurred only a few years ago. A lady
brought me a fiddle which had been used
by a somewhat noted country performer In
the South before the war. She expected to
obtain a great prloo for It. A a matter of
18 NOT DECADENT, xlO
STUART R0B3QN AND JOHN DREW.
SOT AQBEB WITH MAABtflhibU'B PESSIMISTIC VUSVVB.
rfTCART ROBflOH,
or for a Down East irhuolrn-wm to assume
the role of the Lady Vra -le eie.
And ghren-the education, the figure, the
cultivated voice and the necessary polish
of manner the actor must. In addition, be
the painter and tho poet- Without imagi
nation there can be no actor. By actor is
meant actor, not a puppet. There Is no
school for actors. Ho must be willing to
learn from the masters. His perseverance,
his patience, must b unending. To secure
the precise meaning of a line, a word, a
glance of the eye, a movement of the hand,
ha may have to try a hundred times for
perfection.
Nothing is so harmful as flattery and Ill
considered praise. It Is, of course, much
more agreeable to commend than to criti
cise. It is also more pleasant to be told
"lou are charming, you art perfection,"
than to hear that your manners are pro
vincial and your voloe expressionless. It is
easier to give a story to a newspaper than
to acquire an arduous role with patience,
perseverance, humility and, prayer.
Upon the French and German stags ac
tors are informed. In very direct and forci
ble language of their faults, and they must
either remedy them or1 depart. They are
not permitted to criticize the stage mana
ger, and the newspapers do not .encourai
incompetency. Indolence and cheap adver
tisement at the expense of the artist. That
Is why there are actors in Franco and Ger
man. Here there Is a premium on Igno
rance and insubordination, and yet discipline
Is one of the first requisites of the stage.
Every tyro who falls to satisfy can excuse
himself by accusing his employer.
It is the duty of the producer, his duty
to the public bis duty to himself, to en
deavor to provide for every character in
a play a competent exponent This is often
an Impossible task: It Is also an expensive
one. But he should not be abused because
he tries to accomplish It, The actor who
is writing these useless and futile com
ments, contrary to report, does not fire on
his people, throw things at them or cures
them however great the temptation. This
actor, while paying his associates Urge
) ' isi: BP?ta17F5P eW vJo,'n Straiva"us ype Varnished by
"( French violin of 1830.. ' i) B!jg. Louis, Owned by J. A. Graham.
rStradivarius pattern. wi:-:: "ajw'""i-'-M7" ' ' s
Owned by T A. Graharar IKr' c' ; ' ijjft &m
v. fmn . ii&: .V'..;riigiBk- 'i
.' 1 ' 1 1 ir '" Wilt liii I 1 1 1 irfflwIMrHiflMlHWffiH s - h
v 1 AYTMIiiiniW
SOME SPECIMENS OF
TYPICAL VIOLIN
MAKING, OLD AND NEW.
fact. It was about as bad In tone as It
, could well be and still bo a fiddle at all.
The tone wa3 rough, sourdy and uneven.
No amount of i? would have ever made It
anything but a poor source of music.
One the other hand, a new flddls may be
excellent. I remember hearlns Otto Koehr
born. now second violinist and soloist with
the Splering Quartet, play chamber music
on a fiddle "In the white" or unvarnished.
While It was not softened by the mellow
ness of age. It possessed a very effective
j quality of tone and" was worth "dozens of
old Instruments such as I have above de
scribed. It had not been finished a month
when he Introduced It at a concert.
A violin of comparatively recent years
made by Colton of Brooklyn or Gemunder
of Xcw Tori:. Is abundantly good enouth
for anybody to play on and will bring more
In tho market than half of the old violins
even of fairly reputable make. Mr. Emile
Karst of St. Lou!) has a very fine modern
violin. It is a copy of the celebrated "l
Messle." Mr. Karst's very beautiful copy
was made by Joseph Mel. a French arUst
who won prizes at the recent Paris Exposi
tion. "Le Messlc" Is owned by Mr. Craw
ford of Edinburgh, and Is unquestionably
the most beautlfal Stradivari In existence.
Mr. Hel has copied It with great exactness
and has In addition produced a very bril
liant quality of tone.
RICHARD MANSFIELD.
salaries, does not at the same time contract
to teach to any of them the rudiments of
an art In which they profess the proficiency
for which they are remunerated. Ho will
not Insure against some exhibition' of Im
patience If an actor who receives $150 a
week should not know how to speak or
how to move. In his company there aro
some actors who have been with him for
fourteen years, there were some who did
no't remain for fourteen heurs.
This actor's admiration and affection for
a true artist Is without limit. like another
Diogenes with a lantern, he is ever search
ing. For the next three and his final years
upon the stage, he begs to call the attention
of the r.cwspapjrs to the following well
known sign, "Do Not Shoot the Gentleman
at the Piano; He Is Doing His Best."
RICHARD MANSFIELD.
New York, June IT, 1802.
Stuart Robson differs with Mr. Mansfield.
Robson says Shakespeare's editors made the
same complaint. American players still in
their prime are doing better work than that
of the honored idols of the so-called "good
old times," he affirms. In defense of present-day
methods Mr. Robson pays:
Mr. M&nsfleJd claims that "the art of act
ing Is diminishing every day, and bids fair
to disappear entirely." It seems hard to
reconcile this assertion with the fact that
many players are still living in the prime
of their powers who are doing better and
more natural work than that of the honored
idols of the so-called palmy days of ,the
drams. The Shylock of. Irving, the Oarrlck
of Wyndhara, the Hamlet of young Sothern,
the Cyrano of Mansfield, the Rip of Jeffer
Bon, the Tss of Mrs. Flske, the Viola of
Marlowe, the Babble of Maude Adams, the
Queen Kalherln of Modjeska, the Beatrice
of Ellen Terry and the Du Barry of the
greatest genius of the modern stage, Mrs.
Leslie Cartersurely the art of acting
should not be "diminishing"' while .these
players are at the head of their respective
companies.
Mr. Mansfield also claims that the news
papers are largely responsible for the "de
cadence" of the stage. As it is likely that
ALWAYS. A .MATTER OF
tj ffcj?f TtTij I' -' ' r-j -iP' L- u-imi Mi liifiii W
boMeeoa,oo0oooooo0o,oxoooooa0ooeoooo0oGOCOGOeo7ooooeoo00Oooooaaooaoo0
iopy oy Joseph Hel.
I Ctradivarius. Fine type of
I Mr. hmup Karst.
Mr. Karst also has a comparatively moa
ern violin of 1S43. made by Card. Pere, son-in-law
and successor of the famous Lupot.
This Instrument Is also msdo on the gen
eral Stradivari pattern. I!y comparing It
with the Magglnl of Mr. Karst the flatter
development by Stradivari can be seen In
comparison with tho higher form adopted
by the earlier Italian makers. This early
high model was persisted In by the Gtr
man makers, following Stainer, for a great
many years, but has now nlmost been
wholly given up in favor of the flat
Stradivari form.
I havo myself-a violin mado quite recent
ly which i3 much superior to the average
old violin which people In tho country re
gions overvalue so much. I obtained It
through Mr. Alexander Ludwig. of St. Louis
In the white. It was varnished with much
skill and taste by Mr. Doehmcn, also of
St. Louis- To show how little a label Is
worth I may add that I bought for a
the gentlemen of the press can suitably dis
pose of this charge If they are so Inclined,
It Is neither my business nor desire to make
any speclsl comment on this section of Mr.
Mansfield's complaint, but It may not be
amiss for me to say that the professors of
no other calling have been helped so largely
by the press as people of tho stage.
Mr. Mansfield himself 's :i conspicuous Il
lustration of this fact. The leading pip:rs
of the country treat plays ard players ac
cording to their respective merit and rcsl
tiun. Actors with a serlcus purpose aro al
most Invariably served with critical kind
ness and honest conslderat'on. Durlns a
stage experience of more than Pfty years
I have never known a reputvile ntwspcper
t. "encourage Incompetent-. IndoUnte ami
cheap advertisement at Hie cxpms.j cf the
artist."
Mr. Mansfield claims perfection for the
French and German stage because "actors
are Informed In very -HrU and forclblo
language of their faults, and they ni-ift
either remedy them or depart." Do not the
same conditions obtain In rur own comiu
ntf even those of minor Importance? The
actor who is unwilling to learn soon finds
his level and achieves nothing, while the
earnest and honest aspirant, if he ha. the
1 true dramatic instinct. Is only too yns'cuj
I to follow tho commands of nil chief, dtii
a sure id oe rew.ii.uiu tii:uut'u'i m
measure of his talents. Striking -xarr.i,le3
of this fact may be cited In the rai-cs of
Lawrence Barrett. Edwin Booth. Charles
R. Thorne. Mrs. Carter. Irving, 'ii-rry and
others. If Mr. Mansfield has found among
his actors an element antagonistic to his
teachings his experience is surely an txcep
tlon to the rule.
Mr. Mansfield Is not orlslnal In his dltcov
ery that the art of acting Is declining. It
was made as far back as Shakespeare's
time. Hemlnge and Condell brother act
ors of the bard and editors of the 1523 Fo
liowrote that every glory of tho stage
had departed with Shakespeare's breath
Later on old Pcpys took up the strain
and declared that" the theater was dead
and doubly damned, and that every actor
was going the ptlmros: path to the eternal
bonfire. The wall was passed en to Mack
lln and David Garrlck and Mrs. SIddons
and Edward Kean and Macrcady and For
rest, and many well meaning old fault-find
ers of tho present are drolling the same old
refrain.
The drama's greatness is always In the
past. Eighty years ago William Hazlltt
wrote that the stage of his day was a field
barren of great actors and actresses. And
yet Macready lived and Miss O'Neil and
Llsjton. Hazlett died In 1S30. Look at the
pplendld line of players we have had since
his day Cooper, Cushman, Eliza Logan, the
Booths, the Warrens, the Pllcides, the Wal
lacks, the Jeffersons, tho Drews and the
Sotherns. Hazlltt's assertion points to one
fact of Interest to present playgoers that
the frequent cry of degeneracy against tho
theater 13 not warranted by the chronicles
of the past.
In conclusion let me .encourage Mr. Mans
field by telling him that he has little reason
to despair of the future of the stage. Sir
Henry Irving Is quoted as saying that "the
future of the stage in America will be great,
must be great, and greatei as the country
grows." .
Now isn't that a good deal nicer and more
lifelike than saying that the art of acting
Is diminishing every day, and bids fair to
disappear entirely? STUART RODSON.
Water Witch. N. J.. June 20. 1301
John Drew also takes an optimistic view
of the matter. He says:
I havo been asked to express my opinion
upon some of the points raised by Mr. Rich
ard Mansfield. Mr. Mansfield says, for in
stance, that the art of acting is dying out.
and that the newspapers are largely to
blame. It Is unquestionably of great aid
-where thn attitude of the newspapers tow
ard acting Is a dignified one. for then the
praise or blame administered Is valuable."
Of course, the reverse is" true where the
attitude is trifling' or, as is sometimes the
case, semlcontemptuous.
As to actors being born and not made, I
think the divine spark must be born with
one in order to achieve success. Otherwise,
of France, of "Le Messie"
modern artistry. Owned bv
nieaei a Cine nrtcirnt-ioonlng ocraaitxi1
label'and nut It In this violin. I did this
merely ns a matter of Instruction to In
quiring friends. It can do no harm, ns the
violin Is not for sale and probably never
will be.
Most of the best vlolirs of the early
part of the Nineteenth Century were made
In France. I have a v-ry good specimen
of fine workmannhla on the Stradivari
model. It was made In Franco about 18M.
I value It chiefly for the conscientious pains
taken by the maker In nil details.
The question of the value of fldiles Is a
matter of unending Interest lecauaj tfcero
Is no rule by which it Is governel. In a
general way It may be said that a genuine
Stradivari is worth from 12.000 to t.OX.
The value depends on the period and state
of preservation. The most valuable Strads.
were made between 1700 and 1720. The least
valuabl are his early works, when he was
following the Amatl model. The Guamerl
however stu-'lous and painstaking one may
be. and even though he may reach a certain
place, he can never hope to secure that
wh ch is attained by the person possessing
that subtle something which we call mag
netism a much-abused term that some
thing that projects itself across the foot
llnhtis. That, I suppose. Is what Is meant
when one .'-ays that an actor is born rather
than made.
Appearances, of course, count for much,
and though the gentleman of the thirteenth,
fifteenth or seventeenth century in many
essentials differs from the gentleman of to
day, despite hauteur, periwigs or pourpolnts,
tho essence of gentleness is evidenced in all.
We must remember that In our vaunted
palmy days, when classic plays were the
dramatic pabulum purveyed to the public.
It was nt times lured away from these to
Italian dances and performing dogs. The
plays of to-day are of a higher class than
e-er before and the trend of the stage Is
constant' upward. There Is a higher moral
WHO'S WHAT AND
WHY, IN AMERIGA.
WP.lTTKJt FOR TJIC SUNDAY TtErUnUC.
gX IOGRAPHY. like polities, makes
s:runge neuieuows. ami jusi wiu
such variegated "Whats" os
Mwsrs. Hay, ulzer and Carmack
should be brought Into Juxtaposi
tion as they are this neek it is difficult to
say. Hut there Is a reason for It, Just as
there is a reason for Mr. Sulzcr. What the
reason Is forms an Interesting topic fur
consideration, and since It Is the mission of
a writer to make his readers think, I am
going to leave tht question open for those
who peruse these columns to reflect upon
during tho summer months. No prizes are
offered for the propor solution of tills prob
lem, answers to which should be addressed
before January 1, 19C5, direct to the Dead
Letter Office, Washington, D. C.
WILBERFORCE JENKINS.
Hay, John.
Statesman, historian, poet. Secretary of
State. Boru. Salem. Ind., October S, 1833.
though supposed to have been consigned to
Salem, Mass.. his subsequent career sug
gesting an Intention on the part of the
Fates compatible rather with the atmos
phere of sublimated culture prevailing in
New England than with the breezy and
sturdy ether of the HOosler State.
Received an uncommon school education
at Warsaw, ill., and was graduated at
Brown University, Providence. R. I., In
ISM. Derived his poetic afflatus from Provi
dence, R. I., and wrote many poems which
a later age has attributed to Will Carleton
and Blwln Markham. Notable among these
was "Little Breeches," a parable not whol
ly understood by readers, but none the less
prophetic of his own subsequent career,
when Undo Sam, under his guidance, has
put on longer trousers and Jed the timid
to lament what they wittily term "ex-pan-tion."
Took degrees of A. M. and I.L. D. at
Brown Master of Alliteration and Doctor
of Lines (poetic) and was later chosen by
tho Western Reserve University for the
LL. D. degree in honor of his triumph as
Ambassador to Great Britain Doctor of
London Lugs "lugs" being on Americanism
signifying "style." Is one of the few states
men of modern times who fought In the
Civil War. As private secretary of Presi
dent Lincoln- his handling of many regi
ments of oClce-seekers won for him a de
served distinction, and he became In con
sequence Brevet Colonel of "Volunteers."
and later Assistant Adjutant General.
Served later In various diplomatic ca
pacities at Vienna. Paris and Madrid,
where ho acquired French, Spanish, Aus
trian and other diplomatic languages with
out forgetting the Hoosler patois which In
JD
nas about the same valu- as tun ....iici
varl. Tou can buy a good soft-toned vio
lin by one of tho Amatl family for a3 little
as JDCO and you may have to pay as much
as $2,500 for a Nlcolo, the chief of that
family. Next In rank to these makers are
Rugger!. Guadagnlnl. Mohtasnara and some
of the Gagllanl. Among the French makers
Lupot Is without a peer. A good one by
him would cost from S5M to $1,510. Next
to him among the Frenchmen Is Pique.
A good Pique fiddle is worth from $100 to
JSOI. The Vlllaume varies from $100 to
1JCK). Among the English makers John
Betts. Forster and Perry rank highest.
I do not include Panonno and Fendt. who
worked in London but were not English
men. A Perry violin made m Dublin is
worth from $100 to $25). Really good old
fiddles can be obtained at from $ to $200,
If the buyer Is not particular about names.
There ere In America quite a number of
genuine German violin', especially from
the Tyrol. There are very few Staln;rs.
but several by KIoz. Schmidt. Otto and
Hopf. Speaking broadly. It may be said
that a grent many people would bo as
tonished to find out at how low a price a
really fine old Italian. German or French
violin can be bought. At the same time
they might be equally astonished to learn
the- tremtrdous prices brought by the best
rpeclrncns of really great makers. Good
violins can be bought for much less than
they cost forty years ego. but the great
ones brinr Ave or six times as much as
they brought then. The cause of the dif
ference between the one great artist and
the dozen that approach him very closely
may be sllpht. but It Is sufficient to make
him something recognizably above them.
Then the price of his work may be quad
ruple because not quite approachable.
If any of The Republic's subscribers" wish
to know how to tell a Stradivari, a Guar-'
nerl or a Stainer from Imitations, they j strument very heavily. I should like to see
must go to a higher authority. I confess j among solo players a reaction In the dlrec
that I have never yet learned to tell the 1 tion of violins of a more assertive arid
real from the manv extremely beautiful sparkling tone,
imitations which have been made In Francs J. A. GRAHAM.
tone pervading the drama not a narrow,
prejudiced spirit of morality, but a clean
healthfulress. which makes the stage one
of the most Important moral forces now in
existence.
We shall find In all callings empirics, and
naturally we must find a great number at
taching themselves to our profession where
the monetary possibilities are so great or
where returns for effort arc so satisfying.
Where numbers of the Incapable are found,
perhaps at times It would seem they clog
the wheels of progress of art, but they can
not affect the art Itself.
I cannot agree that the art of acting Is In
decadence. There are always In every art
certain periods of depression, when ad
vancement seems to have halted for a time,
but I cannot think that the art Itself Is de
cadent In our country. Indeed. I must Be
always optimistic In my att'.tude. otherwise
I should feel tho hundred years of Drews
on the stage must count for naught.
JOHN DREW.
Denver, CoL, June 13. 1J02.
expanding days has lent force to his state
ments of American Intentions. In 1S07 was
appointed. Ambassador to England, his
knowledge of the language and mastery
of Its accent making his appointment to
this post angularly felicitous.
Became wildly known In England as u
corner stone speaker, his readiness as a
scholarly orator commending him to com-
mlttees for the erection of statues to Brit
' Ish authors, hospitals and railway stations,
j Was prominent contributor to the Century
tttaoelna Hta T Ata r9 T -( Tti w1ttsiM In
collaboration with J. Gn. Nlcotay, running
serially In thnt periodical for eighteen
years, six months and seventeen days, upon
which he bases his claim to the long dis
tance biographical championship of the
world.
In 1SSS returned to America to become
Secretary of State In Cabinet of President
McKInley, which office he still holds with
both hands and with a grip which Is as
unrelaxlng as his vigilance. Handled Chi
nese Imbroglio of 1S39 as If it were a ping
pong bat, and surprised tho chancelleries
of other lands with the ease with which
he could see through a millstone with a
hole In It, while apparently having both
eyes shut and his hands tied behind his
back.
Ills diplomacy consists of knowing beans
when the bag Is open and In closing the
stable door before the horse Is stolen. Runs
the State Department with the same candor
that would characterize his management of
a earner grocery, which so puzzled the as
tute minds of the older diplomacy that they
are constantly nonplused and do not real
ize whither he Is drifting until he has got
there.
Recreations, reading Stormonth's Diction
ary and drawing Nicaragua treaties. Au
thor of "Old Castle," being a disquisition
on soap as she Is not used In Spain r "ThT
Hay ef Parnassus Being a Bale of Bal
lads from the Hills of Song." and the "Life
of Abraham Lincoln." already mentioned.
In S.SCT.Si? volumes, and a twenty-seven
pound appendix.
Address, Strte Department, Washington,
D. C. or In care of Whltelaw Reld. Buck
ingham Palace. London, England (ring Ed
ward's bell).
Snlzer, William.
Members of Congress. Sometimes called
"Selzte,r" because of his offetvescence.
'Known In Washington as "the Siphon of
Debate." owing to the fact that his, elo
quence begins to bubble forth at the slight
est pressure, and lo so highly charged.
Was not made In Germany, as has been
surmised, but materialized at Elizabeth.
N. J., March 18, 183. The proximity of
his birthday to that of St. Patrick is sup
posed to hays had a strong Influence upon
AG
& 4 4
ani to some extent In other countries. X
have had In my lifetime but two genuine
Stradlvarls in mv hands. One was
that of Senor Sarasate. That great
"layer and accomplished gentleman per
mitted me to examine his famous Stradi
vari when he was In this cou:-try. Th
other Is the Lyon and Ilealy Instrument of
17H.
Of course. It Is comparatively easy to tell
the flat Stradivari from the high-swelling
Stainer, but one must male a very close
study of the fine details of workmanship
anJ tone before he can have any confi
dence In his Judgment as a connol?icur. It
Is easy to tell a poor Imitation from an
original, but not easy to distinguish a really
fine one. The genuine Stradivari is nearly
always of a light orange or reddl'h color.
If the label Is printed In type which looks
anything like modern prlntin? ou may
I"" assured that the Instrument is an 1ml-
tation and a rather cheap one at best. Tht
real strauivan label is of very rugged
lettering.
There Is a certain amount of exaggeration
about the wonderful qualities of tone In th
Stradivari and other old Italian instru
ments. To be sure, they do have a mellow
ness and liquidity which are hard to fuel
elsewhere, but there Is at tho same time, a
lack of the brilliancy and sparkle which
seem to be demanded by some forma of
music
Particularly is this fact exposed by sols
players who perform with orchestral ao
corupaniment. The fashion Is for Italian
Instruments, but I am inclined .to think
that the effect would be better in nine cases
out of ten with a first-rate French violin
of tne Lupot class. For example, when
Krelsler played with the Symphony orche
tra here last winter, the onect of aU his,
work was of effeminacy and weakness- His
violin had a lovely tone, but lacked reson
ance and brilliancy. I do not know his In
strument, but was Informed by one of hU
friends that it is a Gagilano.
Like other god things, the taste for th
Italian tone can be carried too far. On
c..n understand after hearing a pirform
ance like that of Krelsler why Paganlnl
chose the largest and most powerful Quar
ncrlus ne could find, and put on It stringa
of extra thickness. I paw the Paganlnl
Guarnerlus violin at the Philadelphia Expo
sition whin I w-33 a boy. Some modern
players would be shocked at the size of th
I strings carried ty that violin. I supposa
tney were of the same size as that chosen)
by Paganlnl himself when he uo?d the in
strument. Paganlnl was the greatest natu
ral executive genius In violin history and,
must have known what he wca doing
One can alro understand that De Berlot,
who possessed the keenest understanding o8rf
the true violin voice among all players an.
101
composers, used a Magglnl of extraordt-
r.ary slzz. and like Paganlnl. strung his
his politics, which are based upon the prin
ciple of opposition.
At an early age he left the State of Newf
Jersey and became a citizen of the United
States, Instead of a merely local lasue, with!
headquarters In New York. Joined the Boy
Democrats, and. having at on early age
committed Webster's dictionary to memory,
and thus acquired a well-trained vocabu
lary, he entered public life as a cart-tall
orator. His eloquence at the end of a track
was of so burning a quality that he early ..
attracted the attention of the Committee "'
of Public Safety, by whom he was enjoined. -
f from speaking' In any but strictly fireproof '
buildings. In 1SS0 was elected member of
Assembly at Albany, where he remained
until 1S34. serving In 1S93 as Speaker of that
body. In which capacity he held his sub
jects in entire control without the use of
tho gavel, employing well-chosen adjectives r
and adverbs for purposes of repression In
stead. The slphonlc nature of his remonstrances
with turbulent Assemblymen asphyxiated
them into silence, and earned for him tho
sobriquet of the "Kid Vesuvius." Socio
went so far as to call him "Billy Sulphur," t
and In 1834, as a precautionary measure, ha
was exiled from the State and sentrncecUto
a. term at the National Reformatory at
Washington as a member of Congress.
Here he became a model for the boy
statesmen of his party, and It Is stated
that It was upon the methods of Eulze
rather than upon those of Demosthenes),
Cicero or Webster that William J. Bryaa
founded his great reputation as the Geyser
of Oratory. Mas served continuously at
Washington ever since. It Is estimated
that In this period the speeches he has) .
made, would reach from New York City
to the extreme star of the Great Dlppes
and back, while his spoken words set In an .
unbroken line would completely encircle
space, with enough left over to bisect the -circle
at the extremes of Its periphery. Is. .
therefore, naturally a master of circumlo
cution, which, combined with an extraordi
nary facility for the secretion of thought la
a torrent of terminology, makes him easily
the most baffling speaker of his time. la
authoritative and oracular In manner, but
In substance Is syllable rather than syllo
gistlc
Is occasionally mentioned for the govern
orship of New York, but his probable fu
ture lies rather In diplomatic fields, sine
,on the establishment of the Celtic Repub
lic he is likely to be the first Ambassador
from the White Houso at Washington t
the Green House at Dublin. Recreation-
making history. Address the Boy Orators
Club. Washington. D. C
Kaiser and His Kisses.
Many comments were made because tTia
German Emperor kissed Prince Henry whea
the latter returned from his recent visit to
this country. As a matter of fact, although
Emperor William is the greatest kisser of
men among the sovereigns of the world, he T
Is also a hearty handshaker and the freest -of
all monarchs in this particular. Indeed,
he and the King of Italy are the only su
preme rulers who shake hands at all with "
otier than brother sovereigns.
The Kaiser reserves his kisses for royalty
exclusively. When he vl3lts a monarch or
receives a visit from one he solutes him with
six kisses three on each cheik. This some
times beforo a crowd of thousands of on
lookers, not to mention a regiment or so of
soldiers.
But the War Lord will shake hands wlta.
almost any one. He has a grip that tt.
famous among his subjects, too. and' th
favor of his hand grasp Is not assiduously
sought by those who have had some ex
perience with It. His Majesty has a big,
strong hand, with muscles like Iron. Thej;
have been cultivated by many years of
sword exercise. His handshake Is cne that .
is not soon forgotten, and when he greets
a visitor with a handshake they say at
court, "His Majesty' has made another las- -lng
Impression."
This grip. It ts only fair to say, he re- I
serves Tor strong men. For the opposite)
sex be has a band that la as soft aa fvtlvM
and a courtesy that is elegant. U
,i.
1
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