Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-06
the WIZARD Of rns NORTH


ss.sshs.s Absss HI Tsieb-s.Aosssya -
HI Vsvsssas Dsaghsw.
Thers wo vrstehsd woman dngfne cer
psncs IN tbs sluus rscently Who had . biz :
tory. She was none other than the favcrifs
daughter Of Prcfsnor Andersoo. The Wizard
Of the Worth. Who nd 70 mystify ths -
gspera-ion with the wondess of elementary
electricity. Many peopie Who mar-eisd q
ths professor show-and Who did not marvel
1t il in those dAyst-win remember his bard
some daughter Shs used to have httls TO do
Win the performances beyond playing The
piano sometimes, but she was always on viss.
And she y a. al "a vs. seen about with her father.
He left a good deal Of money behind him, and
she had her share. but by this time she had
uuarri-i New York professional man, and
ne quickly made ducks and brakes Of IL She
left him and sought to make . living on the
stage
A good musician and q fair singer, shs
managed 10 get On pretty well for a time.
md came To England. but . run Of VI iucx
same and engagements failed her. She parted
with her wardrobe and came down II last 70
singing in the streets. Later came worse SILL
Her strength gave way, her voice failed, and
sven this wretchetest means OF suhsisfsnce
vas lost.
For two days she had nothing At all 70 eat
and for two nights she slept In the PARK
Then, and not till then, she overcame her
pride, and called to So q gentleman who In
the Old DAYS knew her and her father very
veil. She is being cared for now and is being
put In the way To earn livelihood
The wizard was q remarkable man in many
Ways He was . cook by trade and practiesd
Al, profession as chef at a hotel in Aberdeen
He left his hotel to become wizard. Tbs
tricks by which he made his fame would
hardly puzzle . schoolboy nowadays But
those were the early days Of electricity, and
when people saw candles suddenly light up
without a match being put to them aud
heard rappings and bell ringings and drum
beatings coming in the most mysterious man
ner from all parts Of the hall they were =
little frightened as well as being astonished
Some Of what were accounted the profeS
sors most mar velous tricks were accomplished
by concealing underneath the carpet on the
stage q copper plate communicating with an
electric battery In the heels OF his boots
we're fixed spurs In such q manner that when
ever be liked he could drive them through
the carpet and make electrical connection
with the copper plate underneath. When
people did not know Of the ingenious little
arrangement the easily produced electrical
phenomena we're sufficiently marvellous.
He used to give his audience shocks and do
littla in the electric faith healing line by
vay Of varying the performance. The viz
ard was a born mechanic, and used TO manu-
fActure his own apparatus - far as possible
He possessed also q large measure OF that
great quality Of the successful inventor, the
power Of appropriating other peoples ideas
II any one brought him . new piece OF
trick apparatus that showed ingenuity he
would contrive III examining it to break 1t.
Then the artful wizard would send for the in
sentor to repair it, and if he showed any
cleverness would keep him hanging about till
he had found out what ingenious ideas the
unsuspecting inventor had got floating about
in his head The professor always had bis
own workshop in every town he visited, and
TO this he would retire with such ideas as he
hal managed to picH up and work them out
a. his own inventions. He was very canny,
was Professor Anderson, and apart from the
merits Of his performance he is accounted
one of the cleverest showmen that ever lived.
Professor Anderson had another daughter
beside the unfortunate lady referred to
above. She used TO take a prominent part in
the performance, and regularly accomplished
some really marvellous mnemonic feats
Every day she used to learn OF by heart the
contents of three newspapers. At night her
father would blindfold her and invite people
in the audience to indicate any paragraph in
either Of those papers which they would like
the young lady to read by second sight. She
would repeat it word for word without ever
making a mistake. This is, perhaps, the
most remarkable feat of memory on record.
She is middle aged woman now, and is en-
gagged in literary work in Leeds -Glasgow
Mail