The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-06
A REAL
LIVE
PRINCE.
IshmasI Is His Name, and
Mildred Irving Has a Chat
With Him.


We have all heard of entertaining an
gels unawares; but ! don't remember
hearing that these plantations have ever
before been able to swell with pride over
having In their midst a genuine chunk of
royalty.
Yet that In Just what we have here this
week, IL tho all-wise press representative
at Keith's may be believed; and whoever
dreamed OF questioning the veracity OF
press representative, least OF all of him
who is Mr.. Albee's promoter OF publicity7
Ishmael is the name OF his royal nibs.
1 forgot that he can read English but IL
goes, just the same.
And he is the only son of-well, / don't
dare 20 attempt 90 spell the name. but the
parental parsonage referred to is the Ma
harajah OF Ceyion.
Maybe, one would not regard the scoin
OF the noble house with the same feelings
as IL he were the Prince OF Wales: but he
Is indeed considerably more of curiosity
i'm his way, and among his own peculiar
people probably occupies a position TO
which Edward could never aspire, since
not all the wealth OF the Indies could pur-
chase his secrets. for he is one of only
three living high-caste Brahmins who can
perform those marvellous feats OF wizardy
concerning which all travellers in the east
havo lost their heads and all of Us have
read with wonder.
was presented to royalty soon after
its arrival in town this morning and
found 1t surprisingly democratic In man
ner, Of magnetic and rather fascinating
personality, unexpectedly fluent In the
use of eight different languages which 1
could not understand, well informed on
the worlds affairs and OF type Of manly
beauty as unusual here as interesting
and pleasing TO the eye.
The young prince told me. with every
appearance to verify his assertion. that
he is but q years OF age, and spoke most
entertainingly or his travels, during
which he was a conspicuous guest at the
jubilee OF Queen Victoria, In whose army
I'm India he had served so faithfully that
she presented him with several medals,
which he displayed with great pride,
and later and within only a few months
astonishsd the world by his mystifying
performances at the Paris Exposition.
And why do you perform in this
way?" / ventured TO ask. Surely, a
prince as a conJurer seems almost an
anomaly"
''Ah, my charming MISC" was the re-
ply. with a gesture "a graceful an any
woman could make. you do not under
stand these Things In your country. 1 do
IL because like to; and that is sufficient
In my country
A yeritabls 'woman's reason" wasn't
II?
Il should think some OF our magicians
would try to steal your tricks" L said.
Steal them?" and he laughed SO mus-
cally that i determined To try To pro-
woke another laugh at the first opportun-
ity, SO that could hear II again. why.
my fascinating miss suppose that
must be the way all princes talk, and
perhaps the way they win American
wiyes-'they may stand right In front OF
me when j do my tricks. i do not fear
them. They cannot steal, nor can they
buy. My secrets are a part OF my re-
ligion-ancient religious rites. No Hin
doc magician would. even for his life. sell
or reveal those secrets-they are sacred"
Then he established record with me
as an interviewer, asking a string OF al
together sensible questions with Calling
gun rapidity about American customs,
politics and institutions that nearly stag
gered me, displaying great intelligence
slip, would have thought him one OF
the most intelligent men / ever met.
That one slip, however, was fatal-he
had never heard Of either Granger or
Con.
II hope to learn q good deal about your
country while i am here" he said, az
ter j had opened the food gates OF my
knowledge for him, "and tomorrow, IL
the weather be pleasant, the press repre-
sentative has promised to take me to the
voting places. where you elect your pres
ident, TO the city hall, public library.
state house and police station; 10 some
Of the big stores and other places of In
terest. oh, expect TO learn a great deal
and IL In such a charming introduction TO
your city TO meet a newspaper LADY,
that was good, wasn't it?-"so soon after
! came"
The prince. who i am told is a Mason,
with 'S2'' after his name, also expressed
a hope that he might familiarize himself
somewhat with the American branch OF
the craft while here: and IL he manages
TO do half what he has laid out for him
self during the week, he must have hust-
ling propensitics not commonly credited
10 his race.
Then, by way OF entertaining me. he
performed several tricks OF magic totally
unlike anything ] had ever seen. Prob
ably. under tho circumstances. being
done In his room they were simple-es-
pecially " one knew how'-but TO mo
they were the most mystifying and amsz-
ing things have ever seen. And YET, ne
said they were nothing at all. moth
ing compared with my basket trick OF
making a mango tree grow right before
your eyes from a seed. which i shall do
all this week at Keith's Theatre"
7 predict that, aside from his wonder
hli art, Prince Ishmael will prove more
than a matinee IDOL" arousing the ad-
mration OF men and women alike. He is
rather slender, tall straight as an ar
row, with finely chiseled features and
thin delicate nostrils. his carefully curled
mustache and long heavy iet-black hair
betraying not n sign or oil his hands
small and delicate as q woman's, with
firruly knit shoulders and q sinuous grace
~ movement and lustrous black eyes ths
noid within a spell OF fascination
Such IL lshmael undoubtedly tie
prince OF magiclans whose swsrthy com
plexIon and delightful personality will
possibly arouse az much interest as his