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Accession Ao. WPA L. C. PROJECT 41r1 ter, I UNIT
Form -4
W 9659 isaklore Collection (or Type)
Date received Titleat111/11/1_611Cts__Qf an Qld
10/10/40
if Consignment no.
1
Shipped from Place of origin_:1).0r-taand „Dragon._ Date 3/13/39
Wash. Office
11 Label Project worker Urn. B Trona
11 Amount 7p. Project editor
(incl. forms
A-13) Remarks
Form A
Federal Writers' Project
Circumstances of Interview Works Progress Administration
Name of worker
Address
Subject
=======3111
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Sara 4. Wrenn
Date marah 1s, 1qM9
505 Elks Building, Portland, Oregon
Raminisences of an Old yiolin _Maker
=1211=2•10=== "MOM
Name and address of informant
Robert %Unman,
4405 E. TWAIthhorna
IV% Parti sad. OrNsela
Date and time of interview licize_siLinfarnant,÷_gbaza_addria se
Place of interview
Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant
Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Somewhat oluttered and over -furnished living -room, with archway between
it and the dining -room. Dark woodwork. Old two-story, square -type house, in
need of paint, with veranda along the front; only a few feet baok from the busy
thoroughfare of Hawthorne Avenue. The atmosphere was gloomy and sad, a fit
setting for the sad old man the informant.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to which the material refers).
Form B Federal Writers' Project
Personal History of Informant Works Progress Adninistration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker Sara B. Wrenn
Address
Subject
505 Elks Building, Portland. Oregon
Reminisences of an Old Violin -Maker
Date March 13. 1939
Name and address of informant
Robert Robinson
4405 E. Hawthorne_AYD:0_2Ortland, Oreson
Infcr7letion obtained should supply to
1. Anestry 6 accomplishments with dates
2. floce and date of birth 7, CrE::;-, 'S int;erefts
3. Fal,Ji 8, 0o-mr_fa:±y t)rd Yell o! r,us activities
'4. Pi ace lived in, with dates 9, Dos::: on of in -111.-.1
5. Education, with dates 10. Other points i:nert in interview
1. Father, Stock ohiefly Scotch, Robt. E. Robinson; Mother, Fannie C. Hudson
Robinson descendant, Henry
Hudson family
2. Ohio, 1850
3. Widower. Five children: Harry Raymond, Robert E., Herbert E., Blanche
M., and Mrs. Edna A. Bates.
4. Lived in Oregon since 1897. Prior to that date, Washington, D. C., New York,
and pretty well over the United States.
5. Educated chiefly in Des Moines, Iowa. Naturally musical; musical education
picked up here, there and everywhere.
6. Some mechanical engineering, but chiefly music. Once lead orchestra.
7. Associated with music and violin -making for almost 73 years.
8. No community nor religious activities, except in orchestral work of past.
9. Stooped, smooth -faced, with mane of white hair. Sensitive face and hands,
with a faint resemblance to the great Paderweski.
10. A very sad old man, sorrowing for his "old mate" who died two years ago.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to which the material refers).
Form C
Federal Writers' Project
Text of Interview (Unedited) Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker Sara B. Wrenn
Date mirnh 13, 1(339
Address 505 Elks Building, Portland, nraton
Subject Reminisences of an Old
Name and address of informant Apbert Ilitonson
4405 Hawthorne Alrno, Ras Portland, Oregon
Text: I'm afraid I can't tell you very much. While I have been a musician
all my life, I came to Portland first in connection with the installation of the
garbage crematorium, down on Giles Lake. That's a long way from the music world,
isn't it? Later, I helped install the Bybee Avenue crematorium at Bellwood. Itru
ask if I recall anything of special interest in connection with the early cremations
here. Yes, there was something rather curious and strange in the very first cre-
mation we had. He was an old lawyer of Eastern Oregon. He had made known his
desire to be cremated, and two staunch friends were called in, to whom he said:
'I have been notified by the spirit world that I am to pass away soon, and I would
like you boys to take charge. They are building a crematorium down at Portland,
and if it is finished I wish you would see that my body is cremated there as early
as possible, as I want to begin my services in the next world with the least
possible delay., Just about this time a woman showed up, a spiritualist by the
name of Ladd. I think she was connected with the old banking family: (The
interviewer remembers faintly something of a fortune-teller of this name, but
is convinced she was no relative to the banking family, unless very distant.)
This woman held seances and was quite important in the spiritualist circle of
that time. She didn't knew the man from Eastern Oregon, but in some way she had
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).
Robert Robinson Form C -7 Page 2
heard about him, and she claimed to have been notified by the spirits to offici-
ate at his flaneral. Well, strangely enough, the lawyer did pass away on the very
date he had foretold to his friends. Oh yes, I remember, he said if the crema-
torium was too far from completion at his death, he wanted them to bury him under
six feet of soil, plaoing his body in wet quicklime, with earth over it, so that
it would be absolutely destroyed as quickly as possible, and then he could begin
his services in the next world.
Well, the crematorium was nearing completion, so the body was placed
in a vault by the man's friends, and as soon as we were ready we were to notify
the lawyer's lodge and his friends and this Mrs. Ladd. All of which we did, and
the cremation was to take place, but it wasn't very successful. There was a leak-
age in the air -valves somewhere, and the men made a bad job of it, and we had to
postpone the cremation. Then one of the friends came to us and said: "Don't
worry, I knew all this was going to happen. The old man rode down with me, and
on the train he told me it wasn't going to succeed, but it will next time."
Finally we got everything to working all right, and we sent word to the friends,
and this time the cremation VILEI successful. We sent word to that Mrs. Ladd the
first time, along with the restrof them, but she didn't came. She said the spirits
had told her not to come, but she was on hand at the second attempt, and everything
passed off all right.
Yes, I've known all the musicians here in Portland at one time or
another. Edgar Coursan was a great friend of mine. I've been mixed up in every-
thing of a musical nature. I MIRA the first to work out a radio program in Oregon.
A Frenchman, LaPlatte, was the first one to play over the radio. He had been a
dope fiend not to be depended on, and he died about two years ago off in China
Robert Robinson Form C Page 3
somewhere. His son, known as Platoff, is one of the solo dancers of the Ballet
Hasse.
Yes, I've been quite a rambler, and I've known many of the masters
from Kreisler down. Kreisler isn't simply a fiddler; he's a great musician
and a great man. I knew him first when he was just a boy. I knew Joseph Hoff-
man too, and Jean Giraldi, the famous French oelloist. They have all come out
here to see me. Giraldi was here six years ago. Musicians are groat folks to
get together and talk all night.
Early in my life I travelled out of New York. There were four of us
John Bunny, a representative from Magnalls, Wally Reeves and myself. I led the
orchestras. We'd go north in summer and south in the winter. Maurice Drew was
with us part of the time, but he was a jealous sort of a fellow hard to get
along with. Being a Drew, he felt superior and took himself very seriously.
John Buany was just about the homliest man I ever saw, but he was clever in his
comedy work. I keep up a desultory oorrespondenoe with many of the old-timers.
Do you remember Alfred Keller, who was a concert master in symphony here? He
was what I would call a "natural." I heard him first when he came to the old
Russell building to take lessons. His "tone" impressed me tremendously. He
would have made a great performer, but he gave it up to study law, and he's an
attorney in San Francisco today; quite successful too, I hear. Oh yes, he's
still interested in music, but not professionally.
I wonder if you remember Rigo, the gypsy fiddler, as he °ailed him-
self? Oh you do? You remember haw he used to play at the Louvre resturant.
Whenever there was an attractive woman at a nearby table, he would fasten those
bold eyes of his on her and play the Barcarole. That was just about all he could
play, the old devil! ,That and three or four other selections. The Louvre was a
great place in those days. It was located on Fourth and Alder, if I recall
Robert Robinson Form C Page 4
correctly. That was about 1911 or 112. Ah me, there have been a lot of changes
since then' Poor old Bigot It was in Portland he finally came to grief. He
was a pervert, and the authorities finally got him on a charge of contributing
to the delinquency of a youth. His last wife was here with him too; a big woman,
who dressed in gaudy clothes. I don't know how many wives Rigo had. I don't
think he married them; he just appropriated his wives. Well, he wont to the
county jail for his goings on here, and it cost him every cent he had, even to
his violin, which after being peddled about, finally was sold for 4500. I think
he died in Chicago two or three years ago.
You ask me' -about the making and repair of violins. That's been, I
might say, my life work. We use the same wood now that the old masters did
years and years ago: mountain maple for the back, ribs, neck and scroll; and
spruce or pine for the top. No, we don't use any native moods. It all camas
from Europe, mostly the Pyranees, where families from generation to generation
prepare the wood, and where the trees are, for some reason, replanted. What we
get for the best violin production is guaranteed as 200 years old. Cat -gut, oh
that's just say-so. What we use is sheep gut, from the hardy northern sheep, and
for stringing the bow we use horse tail hair. It dames mostly from France, Arabia
and Russia. Sometimes it's bleached, but the best is from sturdy white animals.
Yes, I've known them all, but the 'world seams lacking in music these
days. A great satisfaction that I have is my work in originating the Junior
Symphony Orchestral Society for the young people. It is well established now,
with a hundred members, and Gerakovitch is a fine leader. Charles Berg and
Julius Meier were of great help in the organisation.
Form D
Extra Comment
Federal Writers' Project
Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
,March 13
Name of worker Sara B. Wrenn ,Date 1939
Address 505 Elks Building. Portland. Orem__
Subject Reminisences of an old miolin-maker
Name and address of informant_____Bolut_goinsgn
4405 Hawthorne Ave., SE. Portland, nrAeon
Comment:
Mr. Robinson could, the interviewer, thinks, give much more from out
his musical past, but he is not well, and seems depressed. As he expressed it,
"I've never been a very humorous person." However, he warmed up a little to-
ward the end of the interview, giving the interviewer a cordial invitation to
come and see him again, when he might have more information to convey.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).