The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-03
A MASTERY OF BLACK ART.
MR.. UELLEB'S STORY OF now NE
LEARNED ms TRICKS.
From small Beginnings 10 Great Fudings-
Dciisbting the Empress Euscnie-A Pretty
Little Trick Performed on the Ocean.

mere are sch 0ols Tor leaning almost all arts.
us there a school for studyin the black art ="
Mr.. Heller ought to know. Let's ask him. IL
can tell you about few of my profession except
myself" he says. mo, there Ia no school for
studying tho art Of conjuring that know OF.
Most men begin In n SIN III way have a fow sim
pie tricks which they perform in pothouses to
pick UP few coppors. saw one here the other
dav, and no was very clever too. Tut very few
OF them evcrGet beyond to anyt hing else. A good
conjurcr Is something like poet, in that he Is
born not IN ide. Once in a while, u man like
Houdin or tho elder Hermann appears who seems
to have genius for conjuring, ana who has
wonderful dexterity. They are rare. | owe to
lloudin my first attempts IN the business.
you SEQ 1 was designed by my parents to be
professional musician. and began study when
eight years old. At fourteen | was fortunate
enough to be appointed kings scnollr In the
Royal Academy OF Music IN london. one NIGHT
| happened to attend one Of HOudin's perform
ances. lie was then at his best, and tomnrkt-
bly good coniurcr. was carried away with his
perform dnCes, and went right to work endeavor-
ing to do something In that line. Nv musical
hands, whtch was "A ere 1t help to- me NV prac-
tie was almost deserted after that, and spent
all my spare time trs ing to learn tricks. want
ed some mechanical boxes aud things Of that
sort. and for lack ~ better material cut up tn D.
cover anu pedals Of my vi NJ, good Broad.
wood. | managed 10 do some little tricks. aud
WIS tne hdmlr tttOn OF my IelluW students.
When | was about fifteen. two Or three Oi us
went down to Rochester, IN Kent, ana one even
ing gave an observation-disclosures and conjIr
ing Tue audience showed theis appreci itiOn of
the miserable lerfOrm ince by uelting US oil .
81 ige. Ihis was IN IS, ana was my first public
appearance r. conjlrcr--not very auspicious
he2lnnng Tor an enthusiastic yOuugs or.
bdt u didu.t uiscunidSo mo hit. kept up
my music at the command OF nay fidnds but
rat' more lime to conf ring than to con
certOa. year or Two later l went into the
nnfth OF Enelani aud gave entertainments.
lhcy were wrrtched an irs, certainly and
brought me neitLer money nor reputation.
W hue there " seen by John Han Wilton.
fou know who ne Was. The man that Barnuln
nj over t. engage Jenny Lind, and VINO also
bfodght over Gus Brooke. the .traeedan, VINO
was aiterward lost a. sea. Wen. he brought me
over t. this clff In lS2 but ne evidently came
g. The conclusion that VS. no good for he
leit me to -hift for myself as soon . we laudcd,
having lr'. borrowed wh 1 iittie money | had.
:" ueie Wa, with not cent to begin my
husihc-s. Hero comes "A curious circumstance.
andcring around the CITY, strayed into a
music orc un broadway, and SAT down at a
piano. noticed two ltdies listening to my
plVi =. Alter | uuished they imiuedii.eN
uo1sht Tue instrument. md the pr nurletor SAL
y me oung man, hers are 81 'Wnat fOrr
asked. y or COMM sion GA tue vi mo, which
your play az has JUST sDid.' How was IN / for
luchY WIKI TINS murcY got tOC'th-r "A little
apparatus and began 10 EXHIBIT In tnc old 'Cni-
nese Building that mas since been burned. IS II
N .de no money. In fact. ny performance
wasn't worth paying to see, ana the people
found That udt very soon. | continued work
NJ; however, and gradually improved until
thng worm seeing, Ani paying Tor, and tuen |
began to make money.
"rhais q concise account Of my schooling
~ ms art continued Mr.. Heller at was 10
royal road - learning. rs Nod see. Oh course,
iikr uther arts, constant study give constant
Improvement. Tie great ana recent sctenfiLc
discoveries help the profession wunierfuily.
Present conJu.ers are no more cley I With their
hands perhaps than tue e.ler Hermann, VINO
" remarkably skful IN this manner OF than
the great houdin.wnO. perhaps, should ue called
the father OF the present school II c,njusing.
~ al
the inventor OF the suspension trick -wncre
hum ~ body Is suspended in the air, yOu know.
lioudin used 10 sustain a boy 10y resting the two
elbows on sticks, the body being upright, me
feet ABOUT two 1, ct from the stage. Then he
wohid withdraw one STICK, but never the other.
rue lhui'h maglclanS % the same thing. but
better the BODY being hurizuni l. and resting
with one elbow on stuck. But they Away 10
the trich IN tent that has centre pole. where
Of course tleN get their suspension. fnat trick
has been improved upon. untl now can sus-
pend a body IN the air, make Il tase any posi-
tioI, aud ~ founding 1t make 1t rise and fall in
tue air all tins without any visible means Of
supp lrt. rhat's Que OF my Dig CARD vi course
" q eat as WAS Houdtn. mouern conf Irers ouly
began whore he left Oh. lhey eau bring 10
ineir ald electricity, galvanisn, and chemistry
perlmenttng win these forces, and some Of my
best ahd most incpmofehenslOls tricks are ths
result Of such stuiy.
- "a, That is disordered BRAIN said
ne laughing, Tor coull some OF my dis
coveric' be- utilized, l think they Nigh,
tie a. useful as ina sewing machine. "A
IL Il, the are Of no earthly use to Anyone
hut my self care not tell anyone what
they are. sometimes wonder how eaaiiv
people are deceived, aud how ultud they ata 10
the improvements IN our profession. For N
stance. Iney come here ana y, ishaW. the
? lne old trlck.' when they see mo do tue canary
*. In OLD times the njIrer used Atn@chan-
ic u Don aud mech ,nical cage, each containing
bird, 80 thtt i. w.s yery easy tps send the hiri
rom ne box 10 the cage, or vice versa. Sow
the sane Did trick Is done with gl.s. vase Ia
winch mere can be no second BUD. and with 4
common bird cage a vastly slp'u'r trick 20
the old one, ana vet people are Just as wcil
pie sed w ID the OH tricy."
IA nave IT vei ed much, SIT Heller.
"k ithrr. Ia lS, went O. California. Utah
ana t4ualh ma inen to Paris. BY he way, let
ne tel you OF a Pheasant thing tnAt hBupeliel
then. went one day to the 1 uileries t. SOC AN
ivory piano. ~trolllue around the room. pickei
up q pack OF card, That was htne on "a stand In
,Dc corner. l tegan cOujurius httla with
tlrin. when some ladies approached ana : ~
iuMe ming in Fl nch. couldn't pafley VOC
tlen. ana then Que ul tIem asked me IN Ing
IN 10 snow them some tricks win the cards
.his proved to De the Il iprc>, Eugenie, Though
! Giant know II at the liur. 'shed her 10
choose card Or cards IRON tue pack. She said
sued choose the whole pack, taking them and
putting them Ia IA side pocket. That would be
diiii ut, N ham, | sail. permit me TO take
Your fam Iitepped TO Ter side touk her fan
ami famed every card apparently from the TN
81 thei n. Inc Empress, lpoked Tor IRE cards
in her pocket, and, II course, they were not
tnerf. his trick pleased her wonderfully. Ihe
mex day WIS ash "a TO give a Sp-ciI perform
auCt before the Emperor. | dd 50 ana day
or two following IN cni,il drove up II my
hotel, | was sent for, and he told me that the
Elllt elir VS. pleased WIN nay Ieffurfu nee,
what recompense would / choosef None, I
tod him. Hut must take something. tnnt va
tine way they dii there. Well | said. II You
VIII give no toe ribbon of the Legion Of Honor
] shall be satisfied thought that would set
tie him, bat the ribbon came, aud I've got II
now.
" From France" continued the narrator. "wo
Miss Heller aud myself, went u the West In
dies, Ctutril Amcricl, ana tie second time to
We h ID a fearful voyage II niuety-seyen DAYS.
nearly starving, but when we aid reach Mel
bourne how the money did pour in hen we
went to CeylOn. aud thence 10 India. That
was gjOd field for nv rIicullr SORT OF uer-
founlnces. b III Ted little, 81 lrei, for h d
heard su1h marvellous accounts uf Elst Indian
jugglery. Ny fears didn't last long. It's all
hOsh aoOut their wonderful tricks Let me tell
NOI NJ ms ilf-t exp lilrnCe with Them.
" " hiie wac on Madras, before discriminating.
there came out 10 the ship - couple II jug
gler9, and asked pernissiOn to exhibit their
skill The Captain sud yes. at the same time
asking me 10 get ready and give them "a little
exhibition Of what could do. 1ney squatted
down ON the deck, with their dirty ola bags of
traps before them, and began. Among other
things they grew tine mango tree. First they
seed, and covered all with clotn. Whom tho
cloth was taken on, there was little shoot;
ms was covered with the cloth, which was then
Withdrawn, and the shoot had grown couple
Of inches. So they kent on until they had
u bush two feet high. This thew called
growing the mango tree. when they got
the tree grown, l saiz ID a shawl which
put u over the mango tree. They nodded |
threw u over. Made pass or two, Withdrew n,
and there In its place was a tree two feet taller
and entirely different. liitle 1r tree In fact.