Evening Star Newspaper, May 16, 1937, Page 109

THE SUNDAY A Village of Violin-Makers FAMED for generations for the violins made there, the Bavarian _ village of Mittenwald has a school to perpetuate the craft among its rising generation. Before they reach their teens most young Mit- tenwalders have been started in the footsteps of their elders in this highly skilled craft. STAR, WASHINGTON, D, C—GRAVURE SECTION—MAY 16, IT°'S A THANKLESS JOB By W. E. Hill Copyright, 1937, by Ghicago ‘I ribune-N. Y. News Syndicate, Inc The office secretary who g acts as buffer between the boss and the outside world. Has to say “He’s out” or “He’s in confer- ence” a dozen times a day, and gets no thanks from any one. And, if she does her job well, her co-workers decide she’s just trying to marry her boss. ~ TR The saleslady in the gown yi department who has to show y / practically the entire contents of the store for the benefit of the shoppers who are “just looking.” She knows they won't buy anything. /\ The loyal alumnus who, as class secretary, has to get out those pleading letters full of college Z spirit begging all members of the class to send in class dues or to subscribe something to the Magin- nis Library Fund. He meets with E little success. BEGINS TO LOOK LIKE ONE OF DAD'S. A young pupil of the violin-makers’ school at work on his first instrument. Perhaps it won’t “sing” like a Stradivarious, but give him time. The intimate friend who takes on the § =] \ thankless job of peacemaker between warring husband and wife. Promises Helene she will have a talk with Morton and try to make him see how wrong he is. If she is successful at it, Helene im- mediately accuses her of vamping Mor- ton, and never speaks to her again. AMBITION IN MITTENWALD. Some day to make a bass fiddle as big and fine as the one he carries is the dream of this young villager. The snowy Bavarian Alps shut in a world that holds little but that ambition for him. Process servers lead a hard life. Not only are doors shut on their fingers, and nasty remarks hurled at them, but often they have to assume dis- The neighbor with the complaint about ; a dog. Thought the owners would like |, § 8 to know how Rover had dug up four of §: his choicest bulbs. Gets no thanks for his trouble. The owners say positively §i it couldn’t have been Rover because he was indoors all week, and never digs up J5l, bulbs, anyway. (There will be a marked & coolness between the families from now guises their prey. guised to get anywhere near (This one is dis- as a boy scout, to serve a summons in behalf of a dentist.) The unhappy office worker who is delegated to collect contributions @ from the office force for an anni- versary present to some one higher up. Gets ugly looks and very little cash. The baseball umpire who 7 has tried hard to please “ everybody all afternoon, and failed. Incurred, at various stages of the game, the displeasure of both teams and the bleachers. When he gets home the wife will say, “I listened to the game over the radio, and you must have been terrible from what the announcer said!” Musicians who are forced by circum- stances to serve as accompanists to prima donnas (especially the amateur ones) have pretty tough going. “Oh, can't you transpose at sight?” one of these song- birds will say. “I am accustomed to sing- ing this in B flat,” etc., etc. And when she * makes a sour note, she blames him for it. tibestcabincim e as e . =< WA “DRYING” ON THE LINE. The sky is full of vio lins in the garden of the Mittenwald school. These are the proud and nearly finished product of a class, hung out for drying and seasoning in the mountain air and sun. - i} B | i I WELL-STOCKED SHELVES. Violins in ey stage of production are shown in the Bavarian vil- lage school that gives to the world master-makers of instruments the machine age cannot equal. NI [RAE RN RRE e CREATION BEGINS ON PAPER. In the drafting class of the violin-makers’ school the instruments to be made are first drawn to exact measurement and shape. Tendes, indeed, are the ages of some of these pupils. ery