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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1987)
YESTERDAYS Pa a •' -vvl i le \ v-ntt.a) ion AVedr- es d Daily Drink & Lunch Specials Billiards & Darts Near Luby's / House dress code 846-2625 Cral?sman :ntores': .w- a Yacks /ar on Networking. . . It’s not always what you know, but who you know. Come find out what it is and how it can help you NOW! Women In Communications, Inc. Thurs. April 23 • 12:00 noon • 015 Reed McDonald NEEP CASH? We offer premium dollars on used Books ••• friouporsm Check on our Trade Policy and Save 20% More. FREE Parking Behind the Store JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING me ecfPecjmlc HAS MOVED TO CULPEPPER PLAZA WITH A LIQUIDATION SALE OF SCHRADER DRESSES, FORMALS, SHOES 11611 CULPEPPER PLAZA S. TEXAS AVE. C.S. (FORMERLY BRIDE & FORMAL) WMTTTT By Jamie Bussell Reporter What do rocks and wood have in common? Bradley Bowman. Bowman, 37, has been making and perfecting violins for 22 years and studying archaeology as a hobby for seven years. Bowman, who left Colorado seven years ago, lives and works out of a wood-floor home in Bryan. He chose the house instead of a more visible store because most of his busi ness comes through referral. “If someone needs my services they will find me,” he says. “Anyone else doesn’t need to know I’m here.” Bowman rummaged through the clutter of a dimly lighted work table, commenting that he has no desire to be neat because he is more comfort able with the clutter. In what was once the dining area of this four-room house, Bowman concentrates on a diminishing art. Few violin jnakers are left in the world and most of those remaining do restoration work, he says. “I’m unique in that respect,” he says. “I spend more time making vio lins than restoring them.” Restoring violins tends to be more profitable, Bowman says, but there is greater satisfaction in building new ones. makes, perfects violins t.WE'1.1 n kT u Bowman needed help and found it in a man he refers to as V. Hughs. “I found this guy that made some instruments and learned from him,” he says. “1 camped on his doorsteps for a while until he decided to let me hang around and do some work.” Bowman’s pursuit of and dedica tion to violin making has been all-im portant to him, even to the point of disregard for his own comfort. For two years he lived in the back of his truck, despite freezing tempera tures, because he was making very little money in his new profession. “It’s not a viable occupation,” he says. “You’re not going to make any money. You work real hard and no body cares. If you want to do it for you, then it’s worth doing.” That’s Bowman’s attitude. If peo ple buy his violins, which they do, then Fine. If they don’t, then that’s fine, too. “You can get a violin from a fac tory that sounds OK,” he says. “But it is not a piece of art, it's a clone. I’m an artist.” Bowman’s pet dove. Bird, main tains a watchful eye over his work from a cluttered cage. Bowman says he would like to clean the cage, but the bird broke his legs one weekend and has been neurotic ever since. “He’s a spaz,” Bowman says. “I think he thinks that if I take him out of his cage he’s going to go to the vet to get casts again. H ’s content in watching me make my violins.” Some 400 hours of work and pa tience go into each violin Bowman makes. “It takes six months from start to finish and I work on two violins in that time,” he says. “I make four or five violins a year. Bowman’s violins sell for about $4,000 each, a relatively inexpensive price when compared to other vio lins, which sell for $ 10,000 or more. Some violin makers will ask outra geous prices for their violins, he added, hut they don’t always get the price they ask. Even at his relatively low prices, Bowman’s violins don’t sell fast enough, and for this reason, he does other things. “It’s my prostitution,” he says, pointing to some used instruments. “I’ll peddle a few used saxophones or violins, rentals, or whatever it takes that is consistent income be cause light bills work on a 30-day net. WORDSTAR FOR THE BEGINNER BYTE One-week classes ■ ^ r f° r those who want to learn this popular word processing program April 27-May 1 5:00-7:00 p.m. COST: $35.00 Evans Library LEARNING RESOURCES DEPARTMENT of computers For more information and registration forms, go to at the library LRD ’ Room604orcontactMelDocldat845 ' 2316 “Of course, I do a lot of experi mentation. I make all my own var nishes and I’m really involved with electronic acoustical experiments.” In high school. Bowman played in the orchestra’s string program. He wasn’t interested in pursuing it as a career but was fascinated by the way instruments work. “I became real interested in the insti llments, and I decided I, wanted to build them,” he says. “I started (<> build one in my garage hut I had no idea what I was doing." “Violin making is a very slow, long, drawn-out process and I don’t necessarily get paid on 30-day inter vals,” he says. “It’s easier to retail than it is to spend all my time on re pairs.” Many people lose the art of violin making by getting sucked into the profitability of repair work. But because Bowman only does repair work for close friends and good-standing customers, his art is maintained. “The'trouble with violins is they don’t wear out — the older (lye bet ter,” Bowman sqys, “,^o pl^yjet: warns a new violin. As the violin gets older, all the different pieces of wood be gin to vibrate together.” Brad Bowman displays one of the viol Bowman is serious about his in struments — his expertise and craftsmanship rate with the lx*st in the field. In his well-worn apron and wire- framed spectacles, he resembles the stereotypical graduate student. On his sabbaticals to Duddley's Draw, he must look like every other patron, but inside he is a true craftsman. "Craftsmanship-wise, there are very few people as good as me," he says, “I’m very good. I'm not as good as I’m going to he. Violin making takes your whole life, or maybe two. if you can figure out a wat that.” F.ven one who loves his id ninth a.s Bowman needs aim fins is where his interest in aids logs emerges. Proudly but modestly, he pi out a book that included arete published paper hewroteona; historic cemetery he unearthed- venture that established him an rious archaeologist. “I do archaeology onanavoa mil level, but in a professional it nei.' he sacs. “I’m seriousaboun c.mT have two full-time careen.! do archaeology on the weekends Hied 11 HkcMii, he a Strai trili i sitn liubesl it talfspaa'- ■n IT Belelopi! Rnge l jin y ram defense Hmy i Hhin th Ip I he pifed in ON TAP I.D. required 404 E. University 696-Debs Spring Fever Fiasco 4 50 Pitchers 3-8 everyday House endorses proposal giving tax decision to voters All You Can Eat Bar-B-Que Nightly Dinner Specials Sunday - Chicken Fried Steak ALL YOG CAM EAT! Comes with french fries, Texas toast and a trip to the salad bar 4.95 Monday - Fried Catfish ALL YOG CAN EAT! Fresh-water, farm raised Cat fish, french fries, cole slaw, hushpuppies, tartar sauce and lemon 6.95 Tuesday - Country-Style Ribs ALL YOG CAN EAT! Comes with 2 side orders, Texas toast and a pickle 5.95 Wednesday - Fajita biight! ALL YOG CAN EAT! Beef Fajitas with all the fixin’s. Be sure to check out the Margarita Special : 6.95 (Sunday thru Wednesday, one plate per person please, and no take outs) ★ New party packs for 3 to 30 people, quick, convienent and affordable. For parties larger than 30, please call 693-4054 ’222ZZZZ222Z2ZZZ2ZZZ2. AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House endorsed a proposed consti tutional amendment Tuesday that would prohibit personal or cor porate state income taxes unless vot ers give their permission. Rejecting arguments that lawmak ers would be ducking their duty by leaving such a decision to the public, the House voted 106-35 to send the plan to the Senate. “This would allow the voters to decide,” said Rep. Stan Schlueter, D- Killeen, sponsor of the measure. Schlueter said that under the pro posal, any income tax plan placed before voters first would have to pass both the House and Senate. That means voters would know pre cisely what kind of tax they would be paying, what the rates would be and what deductions would be allowed if they approved it, he said. “This allows the people to find out what is going to be in an income tax before the Legislature passes it in the dark of night — which is the only way (without the constitutional amendment) it would pass if it could pass,” Schlueter said. The proposed constitutional change also would require the Legis lature to return to voters if lawmak ers wanted to raise the rates after an income tax was approved. Opponents argued that the Legis lature now has the power to enact an income tax if needed, and they said putting the question before voters would be passing the buck. “I was elected to come up here and make decisions, not pass the ball “This allows the people to find out what is going to be in an income tax before the Legislature passes it in the dark of night. . . . — Rep. Stan Schlueter. D- Killeen, sponsor of the measure off to the public every time we face a difficult choice,” said Rep. Juan Hi nojosa, D-McAlIen. “It’s our job and our responsibility to vote for or against a state income tax.” • Hinojosa said it is unlikely voters would decide to tax themselves, add ing, “They elected us to make those decisions. If they don’t like the deci sions we make, they can vote us out in the next election.” But Rep. Bill Ceverha, R-Dallas, said the Legislature often gives vot ers the final say on major state is sues. Last f all, lawmakers chose to al low voters to decide whether Texas should legalize gambling on horse racing with an election to he held this November, he noted. “We have, on selected items, gone to the people and said„‘How do you feel about this issue?’ All it would take is a majority vote and a referen dum of the people, just like we did on pari-mutuel gambling,” Ceverha said. Rep. Doyle Willis, D-Fort Worth, noted that before enactment of die state sales tax in 1961, some people urged lawmakers to pass a constitu tional ban on that levy. But ihe sales tax today is the state’s major source of income, and without it state services would suffer, he said, urging lawmakers to defeat the proposed income tax limits and allow a future Legislature to decide if one is needed. “Let’s leave this out of the Consti tution, where it certainly doesn’t be long,” he said. 11 the Senate would pass the House proposal, the proposed con stitutional limitation on income taxes would go before the voters in No vember. Jail plan may stop crowding i usi loved I DALLAS AP) i «I S "' IU 1 . ... .... 1 'Upsure method lor admitting mmaies | ( . the state’s crowded pr®s| Se should end the open-and4iiiff| cie that has nagged theTerfl partment of Corrections fl months, an aide to Gov El ( lements said. Sheriffs have been specific days for bringingpris® ers to the Department of Com| dons’ Diagnostic Unit in I sville under the plan, 1 said. Under the new plan,eadiii) 1 ! intake will be limited to 15(1 if | prisoners, and admissions spread evenly throng week, Scott said. I .nst week, the prisonrema® 6 1 below its required capadtyi adding the net oI each day's* I missions and releases totheS lS | ing prison population. On Monday, the syst# opened for its sixth consent*| weekday, admitting 55 ne» ! mates and releasing 179,pr® officials said. The system has been forJ 1 1 c lose 10 times this year after ing its court-ordered capacity. Sen. C jltiid he mem lur ■ect wl |)ry in 1 1 ■The n lob G would: • Ren Jdict a j A subset; to issue t • Pro divulgini andju MJST Bn hum In and l Jl, P tr > guage Jo a f ie on State Jttee nn ■other I poos aim 'In'he it Not everyone can live at Plantation Oaks. The best apartment complex in Aggieland is almost full for the fall. It's easy to see why. Plantation Oaks has six floorplans, two pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, a volleyball court, men's and women's exercise rooms (each with a sauna) no. utili ty dephsits plus gas and wafer bills paid. Fall start at $2. r >0. Come by Plantation Oaks today. ^ N Hwy 6 Bypass PLANTSTION Post Oak Mall Harvey Rd Texas Ave PLANTATION OAKS 1501 Harvey Road/693-ni<)’ CPA REVIEW OUR PASSING RATE IS "7A°/ IMMEDIATELY AFTER # \J Zo TAKING OUR COURSES 110,000 BECKER CPA ALUMNI HAVE PASSED THE LAST PART OF THE CPA EXAM SINCE 1957 CLASSES STARTING JUNE 8th for your FREE invitation TO THE FIRST C SSES In HOUSTON call: (713)692-7186 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: CALL: 800-423-2470 OR WRITE: 15760 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 1101, Encino.CA91436