Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-07-18


The "Black Art" Is Very simple when
You Know How.
Magic art has undergone many remark
able transformations since Robert Hou-
din, the father Of all modern magic, lived
In Paris half a century ago. Perhaps no
one could compare with him in celebrity,
excepting tile original Hermann, who
died at Carlsbad couple of years ago.
and from whom the Hermann who at
present perambulates America took his
name and learned what he knows. The
present Hermann was known as Neu-
man, and was an assistant To his greater
prototype. He was always remarkable
for one thing, and that IL his very great
dexterity in sleight of hand tricks. To-
day there is nobody that can compare
with him in this line Of work, what is
known as palming. In fact anything
that can be done with the hands alone,
excepting deaf mute who travels
through the cheaper museums, and who
is said to have even far greater ability in
this line, but without the gift of express
ing himself.
THE FLYING BIRD CAGE.
Hermann, however, has never been
an inventor He finds his tricks ready
made for him abroad and buys their Sc
cret. As result he is compelled to
travel around with vast paraphernalia
that the old magicians would have looked
upon with great contempt. In fact, the
tendency of modern magic has been the
elaboration of the cumbersome, and
! Y,aala a x.+h,la ~ fur
niture 10 carry out one of his illusions.
The brightest mind in magic at the
present day is a prestidigitateur named
DE kolta. He holds forth in Paris, and
being almost a gentleman of leisure. only
appears about three nights "A week. He
has made all the most important of mod
ern inventions IN magic. The one that
brought him first into prominence in the
line of invention was the flying bird
cage, which is now SO familiar that il
can be bought in msgic stores for few
dollars, but IL made great sensation at
the time. Kellar was the first TO buy it
from De Kolta, and took the trick TO
Australia, where he made some $50, 900
out of it. He only paid $500.
Twoor three seasons ago in New York
the Vanishing Lady was accepted as a
very remarkable novelty. This was also
an invention Of DE Koltas. During the
past year another of his inventions, the
Cocoon, has been given in New York
both by kellar and by Hermann.
But the one that is now most familiar
and surprising De Kolta first brought out
two years ago. We have seen it with
Hermann under the name Of Black Art.
and with kellar under the name of Ori.
entail Occultism. The trick is precisely
the same with them both. and is merely
an illusion of blackness The whole
stage is draped in the blackest of black
the magician. he it Kellar or Hermann,
is completely robed i'm white, SO that he
stands out clearly in the gloom surround
ing him. Then he orders various objects
to appear. cup, sword, table, q
chair.
MAGIC Is WANING.
These things seem to suddenly start
into being, and yet the device Ii of the
simplest. The objects in question are
concealed behind black cloth until the
order for them to appear Is suddenly
given. The cloth concealing them Is
dropped and they seem to have come
out of chaos. In the same manner Mrs.
Hermann or Mrs. kellar stands on the
stage draped in white. but holding up a
black cloth between herself and the au-
dienee. At the word of the magician she
drops the cloth and stands revealed. To
the uninitiated the trick is most puzzling.
!, Ii is the same way that the head de
tached from the trunk appears To be car
ried around the stage. The illusion is
that the trunk is closed In black, and
standing against the blackness of tn,
scene, cannot be distinguished; the head
being white, alone appears. This il per
haps the cleverest of all DE koltas in
yentions.
OF mechanical tricks Maskelyne, o
London, and Kellar are tho most note,
inventors. Psyche, or the hand that tap
on glass table in response 10 the ma
gician's command, is an invention o
Kellar, and is simply piece of very deli
cate and intricate machinery. Ii is verl
similar to the Clio of Maskelyne, am,
0 both have a family resemblance Co Kel
lars chess board, originally invented b,
Maskelyne. Magicians generally Civ
the palm to Kellar for all tricksof
! mathematical kind. lie has a marvel
ously quick mind in this respect, an,
the most abstruse problems he can solv
in n few seconds-apparently. of course
J allowing it to be done by some mechani
. cal figure.
u Whether all tins comes within the ex
: act domain Of magic does not So mucl
E matter as that such tricks arc now nc
! cepted in magical entertainments am
y vastly more enjoyed than the old pistol
card and rabbit tricks to which som
: magicians still adhere-tricks that neces
. state the Use of confederate, AM
which are, therefore, OF little accoun
and at which even locals laugh.
The future of magic is hard % fore
q tell, Everything in the sleight-of-han
Q way has become familiar, and outside o
4 De kolta there is no inventor Of any
Il thing new. The result Is that reoen
/ prestidigitateurs, such as Hermann, ar
i compelled to add to their own some sor
/; Of variety entertainment to fill out tn
e evening. Even kcllar had 70 60 back {,
e the old Indian basket trick for a novelty
d New York Journal.
!