The Minneapolis Journal from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 16

SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, IML MADAME URSO'S GREAT VIOLIN She Plays in Concerts on a Guarnerius del Jcsu, Which Represents the Acme of Violin Sacrifice of Her Tourte Bow to Herr Joachim. Madame Camilla Urso, the foremost violinist, whose fancy for Minneapolis led her to take up her residence here for the time being, is cosily settled in apartments at the Hampshire Arms where she has many visitors whom she enjoys very much, for she is not in the least a recluse. "While her life has been devoted primarily to the development and perfection of her musical gifts, she has abundant time and opportunity to MME. CAMILL.O URSO And her $10,000 uarnerius Violin. in close touch ordinary humanity, and its foibles afford her much amusement.

During the past few years Madame Urso has been employing her leisure in writing her memoirs. The portion already is a record of her odd experiences, in which some of her irritating encounters "with hotel keepers have a conspicuous place. Her travels have probably been as extensive as those of any woman living and quite as varied, for she has played in courts and musical circles of the highest culture and she has also visited the rough, new regions in which money flowed freely and music was loved if not altogether intelligently appreciated. "Before I close my memoirs I shall probably "write the most interesting portions of my professional experiences and my recollections of famous artists, but the book is chiefly of personal experiences rather than my art," Madame Urso concluded. Reference having been made more especially to herself.

Madame Urso exclaimed playfully but with a serious undercurrent, "Oh. don't ask me about my life and my childhood. Everybody has heard enough about that. People scarcely know anything about violins, however, and I would enjoy talking to you about them. "The usual question when Jhe subject Is mentioned is "Have you a Cremona' and that proves at once thet the person knows little about violin makers, for Cremona Is a place you know, not a fiddle maker.

To be sure the greatest violinmakers lived there, but their instruments ere known by their own names, not by the name of the town. When this point has been explained the questioner takes a fresh start end says blandly 'Then I suppose that you play a Well, I might play a Stradaverius and have done so at times, but even these instruments are not the acme of the art for use In concert." "What do you play, then?" "I am the fortunate possessor of a violin such as every violinist hopes some day to own, but very few ever can, for the number of such instruments is small and of those in existence a considerable proportion are in collections where they are merely looked at and admired for the fine preservation of their rich varnish and for the signature of the maker. The maker of this greatest class of violins was Joseph Guarnerius, also of Cremona. There were two makers of this name, uncle and nephew, and, in order to distinguish their instruments, the "elder man put a cross beside his signature. In time, from this circumstance, they came to be distinguished by name as the Guarnerius del Jesu violins, ana my concert violin is one of those precious del Jesu instruments.

"I have had my finest violin about twenty years and have become so much attached to it that nothing could induce me to part with it. I have had large offers for it and I think it would readily bring $10,000. However, the instrument upon which I made my reputation was a violin by the younger Guarnerius, dated 1727. This I used for years iv concert and now do most of my practicing on it. To keep it in the best condition a violin should have constant use but only limited time each day.

I think two or three hours' work is about right. "It is not enough to get a genuine Guarnerius or Stradaverius; one must know its date, for violin makers had their rise and decline. To get the best, one should have a violin made by Joseph Guarnerius, the elder, at his best period, say between thirtieth and forty-eighth year." "How does it come that the Stradaverii are better known by reputation than the Guarnerii?" "The difference is not so much in quality of tone aa in the volume," was the reply. "Formerly that was scarcely noticeable, but as the halls have grown to such immense size the Stradaverii have gradually lagged behind and the Guarnerii are the only instruments left that fully meet the need. Just think of the strangeness of it.

that 200 years before there was any need of such volume and resonance it should have been supplied. Why, I don't suppose violin playing of that time brought out half the possibilities of the instruments, even when you leave out the beautiful qualities which mellowing age has given to the instruments. Even the last twenty-five years has seen wonderful changes in violin playing and undreamed-of difficulties have Among his possessions was a large collec- WOMANKIND been added, which have realized effects that before were believed to be unattainable." "It makes one sad to think that such wonderfully skilled workmen could never enjoy the full fruits of their glorious labors." "You want to hear how I found my treasured violin? Well, I was in England at the. time of the sale of the estate of Gillott, the inventor of steel pens. tion of rare musical instruments and this was purchased by one of the most re- markable "dealers in musical instruments ever known.

His knowledge of instruments was almost beyond belief and this was combined with absolute honesty. One could send to George Hart from any part of the world for anything desired and rest assured that his order would be filled perfectly, if possible, and if not, that he would be informed of the exact state of the case. "Mr. Hart knew that I had been seeking one of the matchless del Jesu violins and as soon as he purchased the collection he notified me that I should have the first choice of the instruments. I had some difficulty in deciding between the one I have and another whose appearance was better preserved.

However, the thing that decided me was the wonderful evenness of the four strings, which Is as important as it is unusual. Often in in- struments of excellent reputation the dissonance is unpleasantly marked. might wonder why I have said nothing about the wonderful Amati violins. These have the most beautiful tone imaginable, but their volume is so small as to put them out of consideration for general concert purposes. For small halls, however, they are incomparable." Violins suggesting bows, Madame Urso was asked if her bow was as old and interesting as her fiddle.

"Oh, no; good bow-makers are comparatively modern; I have no idea what kind of bows were used in the golden age of violin-making. And I think there has only one satisfactory bowmaker, Tourte. 1 do not use a Tourte bow, now, although one of the most in- in UQa fa Here is a captivating spring shirt waist of corn flower blue panne, stamped in tiny gold fleur de lis. Over her head the modei holds one of the new watered silk parasols, in turquoise blue, with a handle of the new rough goid studded with small turquoise knobs. THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL.

teresting experiences I ever had was with a Tourte bow and I have owned and used several of them. Now I use a Dobbs bow, a rather heavy English make that is liked by some players. I should still be the possessor of my splendid Tourte bow but for an interesting occurrence of which I must tell you. "My first violin teacher, Felix Simon, owned this bow when I studied with him. He was naturally proud of the success of his pupil.

Meeting him after years, when he was so disabled that he was unable to play, I said to him that I had always envied him his beautiful Tourte bow. and I asked him if he was not going to let me have it now. At first he felt that he could not part with it and made me no answer. Some time after, however, he sent it to me as a birthday gift, and it became the very apple of my eye. "In 1894 I introduced in this country Joachim's Concerto in New York.

He was very grateful and sent me a letter of thanks, also inviting me to come to Germany and play under hts leadership. At the first opportunity I accepted and went to Germany. I was so unfortunate as to collide with a man on the road carrying a heavy basket and my arm was injured so that I was unable to play the whole season. While I was disabled, Joachim said to me: 'You are not using your Tourte bow. Won't you sell It to He owned a tow, one used by THE PRO AND CON OF CARDS Women Generally Admit That Playing for Prizes Strips Off the Mask of Courtesy- Women Who Play Poker for Money.

In a discussion of amusements before the Chicago Woman's club the other day some rather severe things were said about.playing euchre and other games for prizes. One member declared that progressive euchre was popular because it required the minimum of intelligence, while another wanted to know the difference between playing euchre for a silver cream pitcher and betting $5 on a card game. The members of the Chicago Woman's club are not the only women who are seriously considering the advisability of banishing prizes from the afternoon card parties. It is rather curious that the women who attend these same card parties and devote the remainder of their time to card clubs are all married. One seldom hears of the unmarried women under 40 being so blindly absorbed in games of chance.

But if matrimony leads a woman to cards, cards are very apt to lead her beyond the limits of courtesy. One womon who entertains frequently was frank enough to say that if she had continued her card parties she wouid have lost her friends. "Women seem to be irresponsible when they are playing progressive games for prizes," she admitted. "They bicker and wrangle, and, yes, I cannot deny it, they do lie and cheat in the most brazen fashion. At my last party one woman ended the afternoon "with two more punches than the number of games we had played.

She had the effrontery to send in her card for the prize and I would have given it to her, for I felt she deserved it for nerve if not for her play, but one of the other guests made a protest that was as vigorous as it was effective. I then and there made a solemn vow that I would never again give a woman the opportunity to endanger her soul for a cut glass salt cellar in my house." "But a card party without prizes is like a rarebit without paprika," objected her companion. "Your guests play in an aimless, half-hearted fashion that makes your heart sink to your feet and threaten to trip you up. You know they are disappointed and you have a sneaking feeling that they were induced to come under false pretenses. You have cheated them of the opportunity for the usual exchange of incivilities over the card table and they resent it.

It is not the prize we care for, but the chance to express our feelings in regard to Mrs. Blink's habit of looking over her neighbor's cards and Mrs. Blankr little mannerism of claiming a misdeal when her cards do not suit her. We return to first principles when we play cards and say what we think, instead of thinking what we would like to say." "That is just the reason I have congratulated myself this winter every time I received an invitation that omitted the word 'cards' from the lower left-hand corner." "You haven't congratulated yourself very often," retorted the champion of prizes. "There has been little card-playing this winter, and the dust has gath- Baillot, but had had the misrortune to break it and was tistng a mended bow.

I could not bear the thought of parting with my treasured bow, although he offered me my choice of a large collection, in which there were several other Tourtes, in exchange. However, it seemed to me extremely selfish and unfriendly to allow a great artist like Joachim to go on using a mended bow when I could not use mine. So I offered to lend it to him. He took it and used it for a time, becoming more delighted with it than ever. He was leaving for England, and came to me saying: 'I should never dare risk carrying off a borrowed bow on a trip like that, and unless you will sell it to me, I must return It cost me a severe struggle to give it up, but 1 could not bear to deprive him of it, so I sold the bow for $1,000.

It was a fancy price, for few bows bring over $500, but it was worth more than that to either of us." Madame Urso has not yet got over the loss of her favorite bow, and says: "If Herr Joachim should die before I do, of course I should expect him to arrange that I might get my bow back again." The special qualities that give their peculiar value to the Tourte bows is great flexibility and firm recovery. Tourte was a Lyonnaise, who flourished about a century ago. Scott Anderson. ered on the card tables. A card party may not be elevating mentally or morally, but it enables one to see one's friends, and as they really are.

I actually haven't played a game of cinch this winter." "But how many games of six-hand euchre have you to your credit? Sixhand euchre is the game of this season for the simple reason that a hostess can entertain a larger number of guests than she can at whist, and as the sole object of a party is to discharge one's social debts and leave a balance in the bank, that fact is worth considering. Six-hand euchre is not a bad game, but the chief cause of its popularity is that two more women can sit at a table than in whist. "Economy is the average woman's curse. She simply cannot waste the extra room when it can be utilized. Mrs.

Blink was going to play whist the other afternoon until she discovered that half the women she had invited were entertaining guests and wished to bring them. They were nearly all keepers of Lent, and, though their consciences permitted them to be present, they would not play, and the church women sat all afternoon with an expression that did not compensate Mrs. Blink for having to change her arrangements." It is strange that has introduced bridge whist in Minneapolis. The game is such a rage in the east that women get up an hour earlier ia (he morning and stay up an hour later at to play. But, although bridge has not yet invaded Minneapolis, whist is not neglected, and there are a number of women who meet in the rooms of the Minneapolis Whist club every Tuesday evening, for Tuesday ie ladies" night.

But even there prizes have made a baleful entrance, and a ladies' tournament is on. Games will be played for ten weeks, and any woman who has played for seven evenings is entitled to have her score counted. Among the women who play at the club are Mmes. A. C.

Paul, Prank E. Mix, W. H. Barber, Higbee, Maxen, Conkey, Merrick. Pierce, Parsons, Wellington.

Lawrence, Pike, Malmsted, Glotfelter, Satterlee, Gutgesell. I. A. Barnes, Cook, Rankin, Moulder, Butterfleld, Larkln, Vera, F. B.

Barnes, Misses Candee, Ham and Sercombe. "One should never play whist for prizes," acknowledged one of them. "The game is good enough to be played for the pleasure of playing." The fourth annual congress of the Woman's Whist league will be held this year at Sherry's in New York, and the dates are April 30, May 1, 2 and 3. Mrs. L.

S. Gillette and Mrs. G. M. Gillette will go east to defend the cup they won at the last congress, and other Minneapolis whist players will probably accompany them.

One euchre club plays every two weeks for silver spoons, and another for matinee tickets. Half a dozen of the younger set play for anything that is in favor. If Peach red satin, overlaid with string colored Kussian lace, in which heavy gold threads are woven, is the fabric of this lovely sunshade. there is a new book that every one is talking of, each of the half dozen contributes so much, the book is bought and played for. The last prize was a shirt waist made by the smartest shirt maker in town.

The winner of the afternoon's games selected her material and was fitted. The shirt waist will be her property, but first she will have to rip it apart that each of the six may have the pattern. Then she can sew it together and wear it with the pround consciousness that it cost her only one-sixth of what it would have done if she had not belonged to the "gambling six," as one of their friends has named them. There is another group of women who play poker, not as women generally play, but for money, and the debts of one of the players have kept her awake nights. Although her husband is a well-known poker player, she would not for the world confess to him that she plays one afternoon a week.

Men don't approve of their wives and sisters playing for money. That is a masculine privilege. "What is. sauce for the goose is sauce for the gadder," argues the devotee of the red, white and blue chips. "And if Moses plays poker three nights a week, I should be allowed an occasional afternoon." She is saving her winnings to buy a muph-coveted rug and one of the other players will purchase her husband's birthday present wifoh what she has won from her friends.

"It will be the most exciting present I ever made," she laughed. "One week I wonder how I will ever explain to Timothy where I got so. much money to buy him a gift, end the next Tuesday I grow wrinkled trying to devise an explanation for the insignificance of the present. Timothy will never appreciate the thought I have put into it," stte confessed, almost tearfully. Gambling among women has been denounced from the pulpit times without number.

Dr. Huntington of New York recently preached a sermon on the subject and his scorching criticism caused the New England society women to venture the opinion that Dr. Huntington was a "little narrow in his views." The Chicago Woman's Club having con.demned playing games for prizes, was confronted by the question, "How, then, may women amuse themselves, especially if they are spinsters with no husbands or homes manage?" One of the members was ready with an answer. She advised them to adopt homeless babies. "Taking care of a baby is a source of continual amusement," she declared.

It is evident, therefore, that a homeless child is the best antidote for the gaming spirit in women. A KEEN OBSERVER Scidmore'x Incomparable Conli-iliut ioiiK to Travel Literature. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore was introduced to the reading public through a series of sparkling travel sketches, published a number of years ago in the St. Louis Globe- Democrat. Since her first effort, however, her powers of observation appear to have developed and become keener, and nothing in recent travel literature is worthy to be compared with her bright, chatty volumes on ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE.

oriental scenes and life. While they view the native of China, the South Sea islander, the Malay, the Japanese, with that keen scrutiny which might be expected of so acute an observer, they also display a kindly sympathy which goes far to deprive criticism of its sting. So much has been written about China and the east by men, who took an exclusively masculine view of the situation, that there is a pleasing novelty in the orient as seen by a woman, and even in discussing the gravest questions, Mrs. Scidmore's point of observation is essentially that of an educated, cultured lady. She now resides at Yokohama, Japan.

This parasol, of ivory -white satin, edges with a quilling of chiffon and delicately embroidered in white silk and silver threads, is designed for use with a bride's going away gown. SURVIVOR OF A MASSACRE Mrs. Emclinc Fuller of Marshfield Passed Thro' a Horrible Experience in Emigrating to Oregon in the Early Sixties. When a girl only 13 years of age Mrs. Bmeline L.

Puller, who lives in a little frame cottage in Marshfleld, passed through an Indian massacre whose horrible experiences have seldom been rivaled in the annals of the pioneers. Back in the early sixties when the gold fields of California were still drawing hundreds of emigrants from the east, Mrs. MRS. EMEUNB L. FULLER, A pioneer of Wisconsin.

Fuller, with her stepfather, Elijah Utter, her mother and ten brothers and sisters, left their home in Wisconsin for a six months' journey overland for Oregon. "Everything was planned as conveniently as possible," said Mrs. Puller. "We had ten milch cows, and after they were milked the milk was strained into kegs, which were put in the wagons and the motion of the wagons churned the cream that rose into butter by morning. "We met other emigrants and by the time we reached Fort Laramie we were followed by quite a train.

At the fort some of the teams took the California trail just when larger numbers were needed on account of danger from the Indians. We reached Fort Hall in safety and two soldiers went with us for several miles beyond the fort. We met Indians frequently but they semed friendly and did not molest us until we reached Salmon Falls on Snake river, where two yoke of oxen were stolen. A short distance farther and we came to a grave where a man belonging to the train which had passed before us had been buried. The Indians had removed the body, stolen the clothes and then partially covered the corpse with earth.

Above was a notice stating that the man had been killed by the and warning white men from entering the country. "We had not traveled a mile before we came in sight of the Indian villages. The Indians were dancing and giving their shrill war whoops. We corralled our wagons and fortified ourselves as best we could. Before we had finished the Indians caught sight of us.

They began to circle around the wagons, each time coming nearer and keeping up their fiendish shrieks and yells. The first man killed was from lowa. One by one others fell. As Joseph Reath was helping my stepsister from the wagon a ball passed through her breast, killing her instantly. My stepfather was killed as I stepped forward to take the year-old baby from his arms that he might use his gun.

"It was useless to fight, and, leaving the wagons, each started to save himself. I begged my mother to go -with us. She refused. will be killed anyway and I want to die beside Elijah, she said. "I took one last lingering look at her faoe and then with my baby sister in my arms and bidding four little brothers and sisters follow me I started for a place of safety.

I looked back and saw that juy. mother had fallen and was lying beside her husband. I felt then that the lives of the children depended on me. "It grew dark rapidly and the gathering twilight hid us from the savages or else they were so engaged in plundering the wagons that they did not see us. We wandered out into the prairie and at last fell asleep under the stars.

"We had' nothing to eat and we dared not go to the wagons for provisions. Fortunately we came upon the families of two of the emigrants who had also escaped. On the advice of one of them we continued west in the hope of reaching the river. On the second day we killed Mr. Van Norman's dog, roasted and ate the meat.

On the third day, almost dead from thirst, we came to a little stream and camped on Its banks. We found a cow that had strayed from some emigrant train and killed her and roasted the meat. In this manner we traveled, perhaps, some eighty miles. Our shoes were worn off and when night came we would bury our feet in the dirt to keep them warm. Our stock of meat was soon eaten and we subsisted for days on frogs, rosebuds, purslain, and roots.

The smaller children died of starvation. Our sufferings were horrible. We became frantic. Food we must have. Our minds became filled with one idea, an idea so horrible, so revolting we could not mention it to each other.

But the awful madness of starvation was upon us and we cooked and ate the bodies of the four children who had died, two of them being my little sisters. "At length some soldiers from Fort Walla Walla, while patrolling the prairie, upon us and took us to the fort. I remained with the family of one of the officers until my cousin came from Salem. Ore." Mrs. Fuller in Oregon until after her marriage and the death of hep husband, when she returned to Wisconsin.

MRS. HOBARFS WORK Entertained Pateraon Mill GlrU at Her Home. Mrs. Garret A. Hobart, widow of the vice president, is one of the principal patrons of the Working Girls' Club of Paterson, N.

J. Recently she gave a reception attended by sixty young girls employed in the silk milts, and signified her intention of continuing work along that line. The Jennie Bosechleter case has opened trie eyes of philanthropists.to the true conditions which the mill girls faoe, and they are planning practical means of bettering them. It is admitted that the Working Girls' Club only partly meets the situation. MRS.

GARRET A. HOBART. Its quarters cannot accommodate over 200 members, and it lacks many elements that would attract working girls who feel the need of recreation as well as intellectual improvement. The club is equipped with housekeeping apparatus and furnishes instruction in cooking, dressmaking and millinery. There is a small library and a piano.

Every Monday night lefreshments are served, and once a mouth there is a reception. is estimated that more than half of the Paterson mill girls interest themselves so deeply in the homes of their parents, -where they llvv, that they do not need to be considered in any club scheme. Of the remainder it Is thought that perhaps 500 are in real need of refining reading, music, special studies, social latercourse under elevating influences, and opportunity for innocent recreations dear to hearts of girls. 5 wmt BBi a. bH IBpl MB Hk A- JBi Mk Auvfil trff VL JBB3 KfiFftT JHraM '4.