The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-13
HERRMANN'S HANDS.
Story OF the Magician's Acqulrenent OF
His Art.

This 10 a story OF hands. Not hands cast
in the mould OF fashion. or OF labor. or even
OF manual toll. but bhnds knotted 10y Jug
| elery. Hands in which little muscles are de-
veloped here and there. and in which hollows
are scooped ont for tho concsslment OF rsh-
bits and pigeons and other hecromaniic things
tbst are usually con iured into visible exist
enoe oy wizards.
In short. tho hands ere those of Hermann,
that arch coniuror with Tn, cold X-ray eye.
Thirty seven years ago slender, ihin.faced
boy with a Mephisto nose stood before n. mir
ror in a little room on the Rue Montmartre
In Paris His door was locked according 20
his daily custom. because the good lodgers
round about thought him crazy. Ths youth
was Hermann. and the glass was his audience.
IL IL hard 10 deceive mirror. either in the
matter of bad looks or bad tricxs. fate or
fingers.
Yet Hermann tried 20 deceive that mirror
for one long year. Tho mirror with the
image Of Hermann in II saw everything. and
the youthful conjuror was dissatisfied. AT
this stage he! went out on the street ana lured
one OF those shsrp-featured cbattering street
gamins of Paris TO his room. Then he put
forth the charm Of his magic. and tho boy.
thinking him the devil, fed. Willis the mir
ror had revealed faults. the street boy had
not detected them.
Then the youth with tho Bepbisto nose felt
| encouraged. Ho went Co work again. but be
| let the mirror alone. and devoted himself to
| his scqusintances There Is nothing 80 gull
| lible az n man willing 10 be Vulled, and Her
mann found 1t out
Some years ago Hermann sat at tho risht
| band OF James q. Elaine at banquet pivon
| in Washington. He picked up champagne
| glass, threw 10 in tho air. and IL apparently
| disappeared Then the wizard, turning TO
| the statesman, drew n brimming glass OF
| champagne from the larel of his coat THAT
beats any. political jugglery ever saw. :" re-
marked the Maine man.
| At this time the Juggling bumps and bol'
| lows on Hermann's hands were fully dsvel'
| oped and he had won fortune with them.
| He is now making $50 600 year by deception
| more or less base. and can make like
| amount in almost any European city he may
visit.
| "Yes," said Hermann: al have been on the
stage for 81 years. and have nevor missed a
performances. All that i have ever accom-
| plshed has been in the line Of fnesse Posi-
| tion is every thing. and almost every trick is
| performed solely by the cexterity of the
hand. Many people claim tEat tho hand is
| quicker than the eye, and that therein lies
tho secret Of so-cslled magic.
"wby. i can do many tricks very slowly
sipmly because can make an audience look
whore ! like. This Is moro than half the
battle. think that one very prominent fac
tor in my success has been the fact that try
my best to please the ladies. never do any
thing to offend or shock them. and cCnse-
| quently they como to see me-
'I suppose you have heard OF my Indian
venture. ] have just PVT in $4,000 on com
mission TO be- sent TO India. The purpose Is to
| provo that the Yoghis. or Indian magacians
are not what they are represented TO be. ]