The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-17
Some of the Great Magician's Elk
periences With Japanese
JugglerS.

A reporter of the New York Star had
a chat recently with Haidee Heller, the
sister ofthe late Robert Heller, in which
she related several interesting stories
about her brother. Why, she said,
in five years we visited California.
Mexico. st. Thomas: all through Aus
t%Falia, Wan Dienan : Land, South Aus
tra!ia, New Zealand; in various parts OF
India, Bombay. Juthpore, Al.ahabad,
Calcutta; through the Island Of Ceylon,
Point Gale, CoIomboand Handy. Then
we went 20 China, and played months
In Hong Kong. Shanghai and Macao
back again 70 Singapore, and thence
To the Island OF Java. We had SPLEEN
did success N the lovely island, playing
m such nice, easy named places as Am
baraws, Socrakarta, Dj0kjakarta, "a
marang and Pattckembang. \ third
time we went to Singapore en- route for
Bombay. From Bombay to Alden, up
the Red Sea into Egypt, STAYING a long
time in Cairo. where he fell Ill. Then
on to Alexandria, Malta and Gibraltar.
Atter an awful passage through the
Bay of BiScay, we brought up travel
stained, weary, but rich in pocket an,
wealthy III mind from all IN wander
ings."
Il suppose while in India you saw
the famous iugglers of the East? sug-
gested the willy interviewer.
Many times. Robert was very
much interested in all foreign conjuring.
| remember on the street III Hong Kong
one day he discovered a little, sleepy old
Chinaman at q corner doing a ring trick,
and doing it better than he could him
self. He stopped, paid the Chinaman
to give him a lesson, and the following
day hunted up the Chinese coniurer and
showed him combinations ard improve
ments on his own trick that made the
pigtail on his astonished head yibrate
with admiration"
And about the Indian iugglers?'
Il could tell you a hundred stories
about those strange creatures. Robert
used often to mystify them and expose
their tricks, 10 their great rage. We
were laying of some miles away before
Madras, on the steamship Sumatra,
which had broken her shaft just as we
left Madras for Ceylon, when a boat
put off from shore with a party Of ma
to sell us fruits, and among them
was one.of their most famous men Of
mystery. He came on board. and it
was suggested that he should perform
there.
Spreading some sand on the deck. he
planted III 1t a mango seed, from which
he produced a mango tree some eigh-
teen inches high.
Then he did some surprising things
Will .,I,, ubI.b l., e,,oJ
rolled IN the cloth about his IONS. con
with a very clever trick. in
WI pigeons, on black and white,
which were made to vanish at will, to
from one basket to another.
The captain urged Robert to do some
thing t bother the man, who was very
about himself.
So Robert suddenly asked to look -
of the pigeons. He took the white
me. With a movement like lightning
ne pulled the head off the bird. He
leld the head in one hand, the culver
ng, struggling, dying bird in the other,
md then threw them overheard.
The connection was frightful. The
native shrieked and cursed, and
gave vent to his rage In the choicest
enga:ese.
the mighty white magician looked
With merry eyes at the juggler's dis
ress. then, when the row was at its
ana | began to feel uneasy about
he issue OF the prank, Robert suddenly
'aised his hands-oh, those beautiful,
White, wonder working hands, lie
nyeteriously beckoned, as if summon
ng the dove from it Watery grave, and
pointed upward. NO one had looked
,verb0ard after the first dart otthe bird
nto the water There was the white
love c%ircling round in the air in one
it alighted on the bit OF carpet
,e.ore It's Respondent owner. unharmed.
Curses gave way to profound salams ard
that the great white magician
J ght never die.
And how did he do it ? Why, simp-
y by his having in his hand one of his
tage properties white doves head
Which had figured III a hundred tricks.
quick as thought he had turned the
doves head under its wing. As
were 50 far from land, though set
rec, it returned to the ship. 1t is not
. much that which is done, believe me
lr. Star, as it is the dexterity with
5hich the thing Is done. This is my
liver thimble, IS It not p
The interviewer, who has excellent
ision, promptly y Yes for the
white palm OF Miss Heller is ex-
and the "~truncated semi
erforated with indentations' lies alone
It's glory upon its o~ut-stretched sur
ace. ;
See how mistaken you are p la ighs
ne lady, as she shuts and opens her
ands with the rapidity of a winking
We the thimble is gone, and in its l