Show af 4 y 4 C e t A 4 Z t A 1 wa i I 1 T I 1 L jeffersons S VIOLIN A an old hatm instrument M ent which Is SW said to hava balanced to the be from brom new york sun san the tb ways in which violins of famous make and great value emerge from obscurity are varied and no greater proof of this tact fact has been advanced for many years the discovery of thomas jeffersons favorite violin in the hands of un an octogenarian negro near charlottes vine va the violin bears date of IM 1671 and its maker was nicolaus ama aina tl the relic of jeff jefferson erson and of the skill of its italian maker was found by albert hildebrandt debrandt Hll of 19 north liberty street baltimore md mr hildebrandt Is an amateur musician the story of his discovery and what led up to it Is told by himself 1 I happened into a barbers shop kept by a negro at charlottesville and incidentally asked him my favorite question do you know of an old violin as I 1 want to buy j one said he 1 I knows of an old fiddle boss that belonged to thomas jefferson and old john scott owns it now the barber was so interested that he sent one of his men with me and soon we were on the road to scotts home about two miles from charlottesville at the base of the monticello mountains and adjoining the old jefferson plantation john scott I 1 found to be an active bright negro of 93 years when I 1 saw him he was working in the garden I 1 asked to see the violin and he be brought tram from the cupboard a dilapidated double violin case that had once been covered with leather so many years had bad elapsed however since the leather was first placed on the case that a large part of it had come off in patches opening it I 1 saw that the moths had had bad a feast with the red lining the instrument w was a 8 wrapped carefully in a piece of cf 0 old 1 d cloth and the minute I 1 looked at it I 1 saw it was the best specimen of nicolaus violins I 1 had ever seen after a while I 1 managed to strike a bargain with the old man and the violin became my property in it I 1 am certain I 1 own one of the very best violins existing today the scroll is most artistically edthe model and workmanship beautiful the varnish is of golden yellow color and the pegs are of ivory all that was needed was a i few repairs and now it is a singing beauty john scott from whom I 1 bought the violin told me that he inherited the instrument from his father who was a slave of thomas jefferson after returning to charlottesville with my prize I 1 learned that jefferson was quite a good musician a lover and player of the violin and that he had owned several valuable instruments of italian make T the one I 1 had bought he had christened pet and this makes me belie believe ve that it was his favorite violin the violin is today being constantly used by a friend of mr hildebrandt Hll debrandt who Is one of the orchestra of a baltimore theater |