Farmington High School - Laurel Yearbook (Farmington, ME)

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Q4 THE L that time. Witliout doubt he was patiently experimenting with the wood. varnish and shape of violins. Although this period was the most unproductive in the quantity of in- struments it was probably the most im- portant, for it was in this period that all his powers as an artist were at play. Being a fine violinist himself, he knew exactly the tone that he wanted in his instruments. At last when most men are thinking of retiring, he began to give the best of his talent to the world. He confidently departed from the traditional style of violin making and for twenty-tive years molded instruments whose tones are the essence of beauty and power. People have payed as high as eighty thousand dollars to possess a Stradf' A poem by George Eliot, the words of which are attributed to Stradivarius, gives us the spirit in which the Cremonese maker worked: XVhen any man holds 'twixt hand and chin A violin of mine, he will be glad That Stradivarius lived, made violins And made them of the best. For while God gives them skill l give them instruments to play upon God using me to help Him. Stradivarius and the other Cremonese makers paved the way so that great artists might lay the foundations of modern violin playing. One of these artists was Henri VVieniawski who wrote several violin com- positions among which is the Plonaise Brilliante which I shall play for you tonight. Alszzleczz Tiicmnb 137. TY THE LURE. OF THE OPEN QW many people go through life miss- ing the natural beauties of this uni- verse: the glory of the sunset reflected on the tranquil lake, the star-studded night sky through the treesg the sound of a birds, chorus at morning, the lapping of the waves against the shore, the wind sighing in the treesg the fragrance of the pine or the earthy scent of the cool sod. I know of no better way to benent by these gifts of nature than AUREL to leave our conventional abodes, and roam to where the pine needles will be our carpet and the vast sky our roof. What lover of the outdoors does this scene not lure to thoughts of camping, of sizzling bacon, of the crackling fire? Camping is as old as the human race. ln our country long before Columbus touched the coast, the indians lived under the open sky, gained necessary skill in hunting, hsh- ing, paddling, riding, and in a primitive way overcame the forces of nature. XVhen our forefathers came to dwell in the wilderness, they found it necessary to gain their living much as the Indians. Per- haps, then, our enthusiasm for the freedom of the deep woodland might be due to a racial tendency. Before ISHN. farmers made up seventy- five per cent of the population: but after the Civil VVar the agricultural interests be- gan to give place to the manufacturing and commercial, and the people necessarily be- came urban, in their mode of living. At the beginning of this century, more than one- half the people lived in localities of 3,000 or more. A transformation had gradually resultedg it was no longer necessary to know how to roll a pack, make a fire, blaze trails, and live off the land. Yet. as rapid and inexpensive transporta- tion were developed and camping equipment was improved, people began to have a desire for a closer communion with nature: there- fore modernized roughing it became popular. In recent years, the state governments have done much to make camping more tempting by blazing trails, setting aside areas for motor camps, building fireplaces and shelters, and developing state and national parks. At the beginning of the twentieth century girls' and boys' camps were organized. There are many of these now especially in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Almost every young person who spends a summer at one of these camps has a glorious time that he will never forget. This is partly due to the carefully planned routine which has been proven to be so important to the

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THE L enters upon her journey across the heavens, shedding a silver sheen on the silent earth. Our journey is ended. Many beauties of our state have been passed by unheeded. Yet it is my earnest hope that from these few glimpses of Nature's wonders we may have gained a fuller appreciation of her hidden secrets, and that in this way we may have become more closely attuned with our Creator. .llarian Svnitlz '37, YT' THE VIOLIN T has always been with a kind of rever- ential awe that l have contemplated that in a world that is constantly changing and improving there is something which cannot be improved because it has already attained perfection. This is true of that hollow wooden box whose four strings. when set in vibration by the bow, send forth tones which hold the whole earth spcllbound. XVe, who are in- clined to ridicule the tallow-candle status of life, must in one instance humbly step aside and pay due homage to those who molded instruments of unsurpassable quality over two centuries ago. Although the violin is very simple in its construction, every detail of shape and po- sition of parts is very important and has been evolved by experts. The violin is the offspring of many gen- erations -Jmf cruder instruments. Its ancestry is enveloped in a mist. livery authority has different conjectures concerning its prede- cessors. ln vain do we search the records of ancient ligypt, Greece and Rome for a stringed instrument played with a bow. However. in India there is an old tra- dition which says that about seven thousand years ago, Ravana, the mythical King of Ceylon, invented a crude bowed instrument and called it the Ravanastron. To this day the beggars of lndia find comfort by drawing forth its nmted tones from its two strings. ls it not possible that a similar instrument was brought to Europe by conquering East- A UREL 23 ern races and in that way became the seed of our own violin? We know that during the Dark Ages Vagabond minstrels wandered from one European country to another play- ing various kinds of stringed instruments. Because of this, instrumental music was scorned by the church and all respectable people. In the fifteenth century we are con- fronted with the unmistakable sires of our own violin, the viol family. The viols possessed many of the characteristics of modern stringed instruments but were more awkward to handle. VV ith the coming of the viol, the disreputable minstrel ceased to exist and instrumental music was widely used to beautify all of life. .-X century or more later the violin itself received a cordial welcome from many peo- ple throughout Europe. The person who deserves the credit of inventing it was prob- ably either Duiffoprugcar or Gasparo da Salo. The job of perfecting it went forward in leaps and bounds. From the latter half of the sixteenth to the middle of the eigh- teenth, Cremona, Italy, the home of the great violin makers, fairly buzzed with the busi- ness of Fiddle making. Most famous of all her sons was Stradi- varius. There is something about the story of Stradivarius that appeals to everyone. His lifetime of ninety-three years was spent in carving instruments from dawn tillndark. VVhat a monotonous and yet what a grati- fying existence that must have been! Un- like many geniuses Stradivarius was an heir to wealth, and therefore he could experiment unhampered by the necessity of earning bread for his family. He was born in the middle of the seventeenth century, at a pe- riod when many boys cherished the ambi- tion of becoming violin makers. At the age of thirteen, Stradivarius made his first vio- lin in the workshop of his teacher, Nicolo Amati. During his youth and early man- hood he learned every detail of his art and made many fine instruments in the style of his teacher. Between the ages of forty and Efty-five, however, he made few instruments and we know very little about his life at .l

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1 .1 THE LAUREL '25 success of camping. This includes, for the adventurous, the thrills of swimming, div- ing, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and mountain climbingg and for the more serious minded, an opportunity to indulge their hobbiesg such as, nature study, photography, and arts and crafts. To one who has not been fortunate enough to be apprenticed through formal camping to its a-b-c's, his first experience may be rather unpleasant. I-Ie may bid a cheery farewell and jaunt off to the woods or moun- tains to learn the lore of the outdoor life, but he will probably return with woeful tales of unhappy adventures. It surely does take the joy out of camping to find that one has brought so inuchequipment that he feels more like a paekhorse than a light-hearted hiker. Even this may not be so uncomfort- able as waking in the middle of a night and having that chilly feeling that you didn't bring enough blankets. I am reminded of the camper who took cotton blankets and found them to be rather disagreeable bed- fellows when they had quickly absorbed all the rain which chose to fall on that par- ticular night. After such experiences, he will probably come home and bury his nose in a book concerning the do's and don'ts of camping. However, when the essentials of the art are mastered and one knows how to make himself comfortable, there is no better means of acquiring strength and vigor than by camping. It is indeed a re-birth, physically and mentally. From. the cold clip in the morning to the last song around the dying fire, the flavor of the open air seems to per- vade the soul and make mere living a thrill. To all campers the long summer days seem short and one sees the first shades of night with regret. At evening comes the gypsy romance of the flames. As the embers fade, we reverently acquiesce with Van Dyke in his ode, God of the Open Air, of which the following is a part: From the prison of anxious thought that greed has builded, From the fetters that envy has wrought and pride has gilded, From the noise of the crowded ways and the fierce confusion, From the folly that wastes its days in a world of illusion, CAI1, but the life is lost that frets and languishes therelj I would escape and be- free in the joy of the open air. Elisabcflz. Hodgkins 137. TT' OUR BEST-LOVED AMERICAN N the late summer of 1935, probably one of the most widely known and best- loved citizens of the United States met his death in a lonely, remote place in Alaska. It is doubtful if any man without rank or title was ever accorded the homage that was given Will Rogers. The world has been his audience 3 and at his death, the world paid him profound respect. Not one breath of scandal was ever known to have been printed about this ideal American. This, in itself, was an unconscious tribute from our gossip-loving race. VV ill Rogers occupied a tender and unique place in the hearts of the people. There was an atmosphere of friendliness about him that made his death a personal loss to all the world. His was the peak of popularity in what- ever field of endeavor he might for the moment be appearing, His greatest suc- cesses, and those which ,endeared him to countless admirers throughout the civilized world, were made as a motion picture actor, a radio entertainer, and a newspaper col- unmist. First rank in any of these great enterprises is assurance of fameg but added to these was his prestige as at stage enter- tainer. after-dinner speaker, unofficial statesman, aviation exponent, and amateur sportsman. As an actor, both on the screen and stage, he essayed many roles and performed them with a rare skill that others could not imitate. No senseless script or' faulty directing could ever ruin 'a Rogers picture.