St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-25
Manipulation Mixed With
Some Clever Mechanical
Devices.
How Some of the Very Clever
Deceptio15 Are Carried
Out,
The Child of the Air and 9th
er PuZZling FeatS Per-
formed.

The past week has witnessed our so
ciety and the general public flock in
crowds to the entertainment given at
the Newmarket theater by that marvel
of human wonders, Hermann, the
world-renOwned magician. Each night
has charmed his audience with incom-
prehenSibilitleS. He practiced that
form of deception which allows of no
solution through reasoning analysis.
All was accomplished through material
agencies. and in a manner and after a
studied movement. which, by deXterOuS
execution. left an effect, nlySteIiauSly
deluSiVe. for the relish and aStoniSh-
ment of the spectator. That the power
of creating such effect. and that IA the
most polished and artistic manner. de-
fying the detection of the average fac
NltV of sight or theory, Is possessed by
Hermann no one viii venture 10 gain
saw. And for the wonderful ability
and skill acquired through years of
practice and invention, Hermann is
very Justly acknowledged the most lie
VelOped tx, cuJOr of the mystic art lie
is not only q man WHO can
smoothly and with confidence
exercise his own profession, but
il has been Il matter of frequent failure
TO those who would battle him, that he
Is such a perfect master over every
emergency arising from the designed
scrutiny or watch of those attempting
to detect his trick, that history of his
professional career exhibits no incident
in which he was Hurried or became the
subject OF inability. He can rise to any
and all occasions. and the versatility or
his genius is SO elastic as to carry aim
over every crisis. lie knows The philoS-
Ophy OF the senses with which tie plays,
and, so armed, becomes a master of the
situation and the subject lie wonid de-
ceiYe. Many of the iIieXplicable con-
illusions which are in physical effect
before the dumfOunded spectator,
after certain movements by the magi-
clan, are merely optical decisions.
Many again are actual anu real. while
the modus opPrandi 10y which they are
attained constitutes the dpiuSiOn. 80
10 the subject who. relying upon the
sense of sight alone for an understand
ing of the subterfuge. the trick has the
greatest charm and seems to 1t pleas
ant shock of wonder. The active
mind, which will bear down upon
that impression. as obtained through
the optical lens, finds itself on no posi-
tive ground, for a solution of the prob
lem. In all, the trickSter who can best
appeal 10 the eye and rattle that sense
into quick though unaccOHntable con
CeptiOns, is real master of The art.
If the movement required 10 accom-
pliSh some of these startling results
which Hermann displayed during the
past week were necessarily cOmpilca-
ted and tedious, human hands and &C
tiyity could
HARDLY COMPREHEND THE FORCE.
Hermann himself, merely as skilled
tactician, executor of the manual of his
art. and as an inventor of its features,
some Of which are indeed startling, is
probably the ablest living exponent of
piestidigitati0n and its possibilities.
By varied exercise of these abilities,
and by catering to the public delight
and without any preteuse at prOfundIjy
or the possession of sealed ami hidden
theories, he has become one of the
Iyealthiest actors on the American
stage. he is a typical Partisan, and his
wife. who was once leader in the
society Of the French capital. was an
actress of much celebrity. He is the
proprietor of variety troupe, which is
noted as one of startling Speetacularity.
He is of shrewd commercial traits, aud
has long since learned to bring fame
and fortune to his feet.
In embarking upon new tour of the
country he always exhibits some new
thing which he holds as his own inYen-
ton. At this visit he brought out The
Cremation" a weird and chastity thing
to most beholders. 'FlnTine, the Child
of Air" is another. and this he exhibits
with confidence defying criticism or
detection. The Cremation" is a theat-
rical success, but as a spectacle it is a
horrible yFASaDf afinn fThn Hotai
public maryeled at FlOrine, and one,
concerted expression OF wonder and
amaZement went up from the crowded
floor. n young girl, poured into pair
of tights, with loose bodice hanging
in great pUffS and tuckS over the hips.
is revealed standing in the air, unSup-
ported and buOyant. The spectator
comments upon the black screen which
seems to rise up directly behind the
tripping, posing figure. Some say she
must be suspended on wire. or that
she is a tight-rupe walker and that she
stands on wire. which, in the sub
dued light, is not diScernible by the
naked eye, and theory upon theory is
vented and given out all over the mousse.
until Nine. Hermann hands the
ethereal goddess a tasSellated hoop.
All eyes are set upon the
hoop, and when the girl
undertakes to jump through it, turning
1t over her head and beneath her feet,
all declare in one accord that she actu-
ally retains her elevated perch unsup-
ported Because the hoop goes around
the figure. the idea thai she is hung on
a steel IOd. which projects through the
black and impenetrabIe background or
screen, is dissipated. If this were 30,
most people think the hoop could not 20
I, al.
trivance. The young lady-as much at
home in the air as a crow or fairy-iS
rugged out in a steel corset which fits
her as perfectly as her breath. Over
this there is another corset. also made
of steel, which turns around the inner
one, and which is fixed upon strong
steel rod fastened to
\ SUPPORT IN THE REAR
of the stage and behind the screen,
through which the rod projects. To
raise or lower the figure the adjusted
support behind the stage is raised or
lowered. Thus it can be seen upon
how simple mechanism the figure can
turn any and all ways, turn Sompr-
saults and get funny in general. But
that hOnpl When Nine. Hermann
handed Florine the hoop. an Obseryant
eye would have noted that the fair
tIorlne grasped it in certain
place and held it there-immovablp-
during the whole time she played her
antics Herewith. l he hoop was coy
cred with small, but confused taSseis,
and on that size of the hoop which was
toward the screen, there Was an opening
of four inches. Through this opening
the supporting rod passed. In that in
genIouS niche in the hoop lay the
whole mystery of this puZzling trick.
The egg trick, where seemingly
dlslnterested person leaves the audience
and mounts the stage, and there, at the
command of the magician, spits
three or four eggs, is the simplest thing
in the world. TO begin with, the young
man who so promptly assisted Nj.
Hermann when call was made for
"snybOdy" is a confederate. who has
travelled with. the magician for
long time. The young man holds in his
mOuth,-eXpresSiy for the OccaSi0n-a
loose piece OF bleached skin which he
breatheS to form the egg-shape bulge
which is seen by the spectators, as Herr
mann taps him on The head, as if to
knock an egg Oltt of his month Herr