Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1879-07-19
(From tho Philadelphia Timea.]
MASTERS OF MAGIC.

MEN WHOSE PROFESSION IT Is II
EXCITE WONDER AND SURPRISE
REMINIsCENSEs OF THE GREAT
EsT-THE ELDER HERMANN
HELLER, CAzENEUvE, sIGNoI
BLITz, GOLDBERG AND OTHERS
Ever now and again some sleight
of.hand performer or magician
comes into prominence, and thu
story of the wonders he performs ii
in everybody's mouth. Heller wat
one whose reputation and fame was
lasting, and he was well known OF
both sides of the Atlantic as a per
former in magic who had no equal
Cazeneuve, the greatest Of all
sleight-of.hand performers, has a
reputation that extends the world
over, and Of him more has appear
ed in the public prints than ever
was published about all the dex.
ferrous men Of this generation who
deal in magic. But magicians as
public performers are no longer the
attraction to the public that they
have been. A few years ago it was
not uncommon to find three or four
prestidigitateurs giving entertain
ments in this city, and two of them
at least were the very lights of their
profession, Heller and Cazeneuve'
The third was Keller. Every one
of them lost money, and failed la
mentally to draw remunerative au-
diences.
There are two branches of the
business-sleight-Of-hand proper
and mechanical magic. The sue.
cess OF sleight-0f- hand tricks de-
pends of course upon the dexterity
of the performer and his clearness
in presenting the fact that the hand
may be quicker than the eye. To
the other class belongs such per.
formances as that of Pschyco, wom-
an in the air, and half a dozen more
very astonishing things which, to
the casual observer, appear reso.
lutely beyond comprehension and
rs belonging to the supernatural.
In fact all the business of the per.
former is deceit.
But neither skill in sleight-of.
hand performances nor the best ar
ranged paraphernalian will make a
successful performance. Upon the
adroitness Of the presentation of
the trick rests it's success. In this
Heller was unapproachable.- An
old magician, one who does not
want his name to appear in type be-
cause he gives lots Of information
that his profession will say that he
ought not to have given, tells what
IS written above, and says Of fsleight-
work that it is to mechanic
,al tricks what piano playing is to
the crank Of a hand organ.
The magician who succeeds is he
whose tricks appear the simplest.
Running OH in this way, the ma.
,ician, who pleasantly draws an
orange from his interrogator's ear
vt the same time he gathers a doz.
III half dollars from bis own nous.
ache, comes down to personalities
md speaks OF the men who have
stirred up the spirit of wonder as
10 others ever did, and Robert Hell
er is named. He, it will be re-
rendered, died suddenly in this
;ity few months ago.
-
"Heller," says the interviewed,
was magician. He was not a
Height t-of-hand performer, although
10 could do many things with cards. |
lie had vast quantity of para
,hernalia which he purchased in |
europe, and about which the most |
4bsurd stories were circulated. One
$ that he willed all his mechanism
o be destroyed at his death. Now,
IS all the machinery he had may be |
abroad such talk was
'eriest nonsense. He may have |
lad a few improvements on what |
vas on the mark ct abroad, but they
we're not essential, because there
re several men who can do all
Heller ever could do. There is one
hing, however. must except-his
ecOnd sight, in which he was so
'bly assisted by Haidee Heller.
But Of second sight I will speak
PRESENTLY. Heller was a natural
comedian and a glorious pianist.
lie made half a dozen fortunes, and
Ost them gambling in stocks. The
prevails that he died
ich. That is not SO. He left only
! trifle.
"The old Hermann was the best
md first sleight-of-hand performer
his country ever saw. BE made a
,reat deal of money in this country,
more indeed than he ever acquired
D all his journeyings in other lands. |
1e is now in Holland, dealing in
1 suppose he carried at
yast $4,000 out of the country.
lie it was who introduced the cod.
ish trick. He would take from
lnder a cloth thrown over his arm
lalf a dozen dishes of water with
i've fish swimming in them. AS
le stood away from the table alto
tother tha effact was axcellant Ru.