Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-10-25
BILL NYE AND HOFFMAN,.
Any One May Become child Wonder
Ia ly in Life if Tie sticks to II.

the little wizard of the Uauufurtt would this
week be riding on the bounding billow borne
toward his home. | wanted to ask him n
great i-.any questions relative to music and
other things and so | had jotted down n few
winch would assist Inc and refresh nv mem
. DRY. wanted 10 ask him when il first oc-
Cured to him that he could succeed rs n
prodigy, also what books had helped him.
and whether Hofmaun was his real name or
ohiy nom de plume. 1t was nv idea that
could take him ON my knee and while |
told him about Jack and the Beanstalk |
could ever and anon read his very soul and
a4te'Wafu print several columns about him
called at the pleasant house of DR.. Lam
bert and his sister, on Twenty street.
ana Tor half an hour talked to them about
myself in very chatty but interesting wav.
While we waited for Josef to come down from
ms own room, which was q very pleasant one
on the first floor facing Twenty-seventh
street, and not only large, but very Hastily
furnished and CHEEKY. For another half
. hour talked about my struggles as a child
wonder and told my friends how l had sue
ceeded at last, at time of life when it
brought me very little joy.
d. Lambert said it certainly must be dis
heartenlng to lind myself at last within
reach of my goal and about to win a place
Tor myself as an infant prodigy, but, alas. at
a period of my life when no longer looked
well IN Garabaldi waist and knicker-
boclers.
Master Holman in the meantime was I'D
stars developing negative in a dark room
lie was given camera, etc, by Mr.. Falk the
other day, and now he can make u very good
picture and tell you how he does it. While
Ny-1y won. = lii I "a.
the negative under his arm. He wore a kind
OF belted blazer of soft dark red and black
stripe and knickerbockers and dark hose
His turn down collar was fastened with a
white scarf with pale pink dots on it, and he
mad the ar OF very busy man weighing
about forty-seven pounds.
He held out his hand to me and I tookit
in mine as would little stormbeaten tom
tit. l addressed him in easy, well modulated
tones, telling him that l had read about him
in the papers and that l had come to play
witE him and stay all night. He then drew
away from me and went in another room.
but returned in less than an hour and talked
freely with the family in Franco German
way about matters that were entirely foreign
to me. He speaks French and German flu
emily, and enjoyed his gestures very much.
and gathered from some of his gestures that
he was very much bored by something. do
not understand French as it runs. | know some
French idioms, but he did not seem to use
any Of those while l was there. German [
speak with strong, female seminary accent.
but when [ try to converse with people who
have never had the advantages of an Ameri-
can seminary do not succeed in riveting
their attention. l remained some time talk
ing with Dr. Lambert and then Master Hof-
maun said good-by to me and went upstairs
to bed, from which | gathered that the inter-
view had terminated.
do not claim to understand the German
language when uttered in the rapid and reck-
less, asthmatic tone assumed by Germans.
who rely upon it solely, but [ judged by the
way Josef took off his boots upstairs and
said his prayers that change of scene and
rest would do him good.
He is certainly q very bright boy, ex-
tremely nervous, precocious and very natu-
rally spoiled by the gross flattery he has re-
ceived while here As a matter of fact. his
parents have almost lost control of him since
he ihas been so worshiped as he has here.
And what can parent do with a lO-year-old
boy who can fill the Academy of Music and
turn people away every night for weeks with
his wonderful music! Can you reprimand
the musical hero of the season, or shut uD
the leader of an orchestra in a dark closet9
Can you deprive a pianist of his pie
when he may retaliate by refusing to
play? Can you spank a party with a
technique or tan the jacket of virtuoso?
Can you compel a composer to remain in
after school, or box the ears Of a maestro2
Nay, nay. Behind his divine fortissimo and
musical motif he is safe, When he said to
himself, 81 will become child wonder" he
began to outgrow the rules which govern the
actions of other children and, saving up his
pennies until he had enabled himself to pur-
chase a concert grand piano, it was not long
until he had a technique which sounded first
rate
Josef Hoffman, has shown us that steady
industry and devotion to one object will at
last succeed. This should teach US a valuable
lesson 1t shows US that one may become
child wonder early in life if he will set him
self about it and stick to it. Do not be dis
couraged about becoming a child wonder on
account Of your youth. Perseyere and you
may win at last.
Still, greatness brings its resulting penal
ties Little Josef Holman, at time when
other boys are just waking up to the sad
truth that ''the COW is in the lot" ''the pig is
in the sty," ''the sun is up and we are up,
too" etc, is receiving a mail like member
of congress each day, and in it people ask
him about his methods, and they ship large,
fat, plush autograph albums to him and ask
him to write in them, and they send alligator
covered albums and low proved leather al
/ buns and meek little floral albums with in
famed bouquets on each leaf and fancy de-
signs made by local penmen in violet ink and
bluing; also, albums in which Hetty asks
Alfrida ''if she remembers the day they went
over to Uncle Stikeleather's."
People write to ask him to come to their
homes to amuse them, for they are tired Of
other things and pine for phenomenon.
l do not blame Josef for going home where
freedom is not run into the ground. Had he
remained here another year he would have
gone home with softening of the brain or ST.
| Vitus' celebrated glide. Even great, strong
man like Chauncey Depew has all he can do
to stand i'll the full glare of the great public
eve and, with glass Of Apollinaris water in
one hand and cracker in the other, speak a
kindly word to each and all without giving
offense, or telling the same story twice in sue
cession, or impairing his gastric functions.
/ So what can little Foreground phenomenon
do with the applause of a great democratic
people, the majority Of whom feel moved to
GO to the man they love and remain with
/ him till Saturday? What can small child,
with a nervous system like a central Office
and body like baby's, do with the adula-
/ ton of a great country like oursl
1t is quite common to consider young
Hofmann,s early departure as result Of
trouble with his management, but such is
not the case. No money could repay the
parents for the death OF Inea Pa rum 81 14e
make them run the risk of breaking him
down He turns his back upon fortune