The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-08
A CHAT WITH HERMANN.
The Accomplished Magician Tells the
Secret of His Success.

The Accomplished Magician Tells the
Secret of His Success.
Hermann, the accomplished magician,
arrived in this city today and NEWS
reparter had a pleasant chat with
him about his art. He said:
every now and then a thoughtless
person asks me to explain an illusion or
tell how a trick is performed. / see that
in the last year or so an adventurous
ameteur here and there has fallen victim
to this treacherous Gu riosity and satisfied
the craving for this affection. Does any
one believe the world Is really anxious in
its best Of hearts TO have the illusions de-
stroyed. 1 will tell you why know it is
not. / have filled nearly every large
playhouse in the world for over twenty
five years, by presenting illusions, by
accomplishing feats out Of oil reason, and
leading laughing audiences through a
bewildering succession of surprises. Sup
pose / had failed to completely mystify
those who watched me so earnestly, sup
pose they had succeeded in their foolish
efforts to find me out, would they not
have felt cheated? Would they have come
again? There is nothing so melancholy,
so devastating as curiosity satisfied.
Curiosity is the most dangerous and the
most invigorating of i'm mpulses. IL Is
oing a dagger at its own life, and hunts
for the vital spot with a horricle and
restless persistence. Youth is beautiful
because it Ia in the midst of illusions.
One by one these arc torn into ugly
shreds, and from practical and uninter-
esting middle life the great portion of the
world looks back upon it's wondering,
happy..youth, full of thousand mysteries
and beautiful conceits, with sigh for
its less. To most of us the first great
tragedy comes with the explosion OF the
Santa Claus illusion. Some off ciously
wise person indulgently informs us
later that Jacks beanstalk was lie,
and that the STORY of the sleeping
beauty whom the brave prince kissed is
only an old woman's tale.
"No; will destroy no happy illusion
that may be left to this hard working
hktt buA WIN tNSiy 9N"t NhhA 1.-Two
shall seek to replenish the stock, to faunt
new mysteries in the face Of raging curl
osity. 1 would rather hear merry shout
OF laughter than perfectly clear ex-
planation Of It's physical causes and
effects. Magical shows have undergone q
revolution in my life time II is no
longer sufficient for magician to invite
few judges on the stage, and after an
elaborate and thorough performance OF
heavy ana rather tedious miracles, receive
their confession of good faith in his part,
and a complete mystifiostion on theirs.
Neither can he play upon the superstition
aud ignorance OF the world, because there
is put a very small amount OF either left;
In this, exposure and explanation have
served worthy end. To be successful
now magician must, above all things,
entertain. His performance must have
all the vim and shift action OF q comedy.
The world loves 10 be fooled, but not to
be imposed upon. There is, at times, a
great deal Of wisdom In little folly.
havo been asked many times what l con-
slider my masterpiece OF magic. l will
tell you. II IL the ability to make a
dyspeptic forget his dinner"