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James Elbert Denney, Violin Maker
CARTHAGE COURIER
JUNE 2, 1932
Yes sir, Smith County has a fiddle maker of
her own. However, the scribes of the
Carthage Courier did not know that we had a second Anotonin Stradivari within
our midst until last Friday when we were over at Hickman with our friend, Fred
Ashley, and he brought us in contact with one J.E. (Elbert) Denney of that
city.
Upon request Mr. Denney gladly brought forth
the second violin he has recently made with his hands. The instrument had just been finished and
for this reason its maker did not play it for us, he preferring to wait until
the varnish had thouroghly set. But a
pick on the strings revealed that this new fiddle is going to give forth most excellent
and pleasing tones.
Upon questioning Mr. Denney stated that some
time ago he made his first violin, which he is now using, and he says its tones
are so pleasing to his ear that he does not want to give it up at all, not even
at a price of six hundred dollars. He
also stated that he had been offered $35.00 for the second or new violin he has
just completed, but has not yet agreed to accept that price for it.
When asked if he could build a fiddle as good
as “Old Strad”, Mr. Denney very promptly replied , “no”, and stated that no
other living man could build a violin that would sound as good as those made by
the famous Stradivari. When asked why
this was, Mr. Denney replied, “I don’t know why but just seems like it is
impossible for any one to make a violin that will compete with the old master
fiddle maker in tone.”
Mr. Denney is the efficient and accomodating
manager of the Hickman telephone exchange, he being assisted in this work by
members of his family. He builds these
violins in spare time, just because he likes to do that kind of work and
because he enjoys noting just how pleasing are the tones from the instruments
made by his own hands. It requires the
most technical skill and workmanship to construct a violin, and Mr. Denney does
the carving with a poscket knife. The
pieces of work must fit perfectly, all the seams air-tight and the construction
such as there will be no rattle or anything to mar the natural tones.
When asked if he was a violinist, Mr. Denney
replied, “no, I play a fiddle a little using some of the old-time familiar
tunes, such as Turkey in the Straw, Jennie Put the Kettle On, Leather Britches,
Shake That Wooden Leg Sally Ann, and Pritty Little Gal with a Red Dress
On.”
It is indeed a fine accomplishment for Mr.
Denney that he is able to do so fine and technical piece of work as to make
violins, and the Carthage Courier joins numerous others in extending him
congratulations.
_____________________________________
James Elbert Denney was quite an accomplished
mechanic as well as instrument maker.
As the manager of the local Home Telephone exchange for his community of
Hickman he was responsible for the installation and maintenance of all the
telephone lines and equipment. With his
excellent craftmanship, he made several
telephones as well as fiddles. Though the
whereabouts of his violins are unkown, several of his phones are still in
existance.
My grandfather made several fiddles over his
lifetime. His second son, Dalton Denney
of McMinnville said there were at least six that he can remember. At least a second generation musician
(Elbert’s father James Thomas Denney was also a fiddler), he was very modest
when he told Sam Neal that he “play[s] a little.” He was an accomplished musician counting any stringed instrument,
although especially the fiddle, banjo, and guitar as his domain. He was talented enough to be sought by Uncle
Dave Macon (one of the first famous country musicians) to join his band in the
1920’s. For some reason, he
declined.
Among the most vivid memories his children
have, are seeing their father with the switchboard headset on playing the banjo
or fiddle with his brother Tom Denney who ran the telephone exchange at Brush
Creek and was also sitting at a switchboard.
It seems that no phone call was too important to interrupt their music. Although the whereabouts of none of the
violins that James Elbert Denney built are known today, the violin that Ellen
Denney purchased for 75 cents from Sears and Roebuck for her husband after the
devastating flood of 1928 ravaged their home in Hickman and took his
instruments remains in the possession of his youngest son Donald Denney.
James Elbert Denney was born on July 14,
1894, and died on August 7, 1947. He was the son of James Thomas and Sarah Ann
Agee Denney. Over the years, James Elbert Denney and his wife, Nannie Ellen
Paris Denney, managed the telephone exchanges at Hickman, Liberty, and New
Middleton. After Elbert’s death in
1947, Ellen moved to Gordonsville where she managed and ran the switchboard for
many years.
Steven Denney