The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-08-02
ONE OF HeRRMANN's TRICKS.
A Bit of ''MiAa Reading" by the Pa
nous Magician.

A Bit of 'MiA1 Reading" by the Fa-
nous Magician.
"The late Alexander Hermann always
went fixed for an impromptu exhibition
said q theatrical press agent who was
once associated with the famous ma
gician, land in the early part of his ca
reer he would go to extraordinary pains
TO lay his fences long in advance for
startling effects. In that way he was
frequently able to do things that seemed
next door t. supernatural, and the result
was no end of valuable advertising. In
later years, when he became celebrated
and systematic booming was no longer
necessary, the old man, as we used to call
him, would often refer to these exploits
and laugh heartily over the mystifcation
they had Occasioned.
"On one occasion. to give you an Illus
tration of his patience and forethought.
ne was in popular bar in Pittsburg and
CHANGED to notice a handbook lying on a
desk behind the cigar counter. The cover
bore printed number, which was in
plain sight. and when he got outside
Hermann quietly made a memorandum
of it in his notebook. together with the
address Of the place. There was not
more than one chance in a hundred that
the information would ever be of any
service to him, and he simply filed it
away. so to speak, for possible future
reference.
"Well, fully six months afterward,
when he was playing a return date in the
city, he piloted a party of friends one day
into this identical bar, and the proprietor,
who was present, was called up and in
frodYnod II honHo ~ koh 10
to have bottle of wine, and. as usual,
Hermann was urged to give an example
Of his skill. He performed several neat
tricks, and. remarking that he would
wind up with a little exhibition Of mind
reading, asked the cafe proprietor to
think Of some number that could after
ward be verified. Take the number of
your handbook he suggested, If you re-
member what it u.s. 4 don't recall it off
hand. but l can easily find out said the
barman. and going over to his safe he UNI
locked an inside compartment and pri-
vately inspected the book. All right he
said when be returned to the table; I am
thinking Of the number now
Hermann took him by the hand,
looked him in the eyes in his peculiarly
impressive fashion and said, THE num-
OcE 10 ASOsOOO. 1uhI b TlButy B1Speu the
cafe proprietor in an awestruck voice.
He was absolutely stupefed with amaze
ment. and so. for that matter, were the
others in the party. The fact that the
book had been locked in the safe and the
apparent impossibility Of Hermann
knowing anything about it in advance
made the feat seem almost miraculous.
1t is talked about In the house to this
day."-New Orleans Times-Democrat.
PortugaI . Dog In the Manager.
In the 500 years in which he has claim
ed the shore line of East Africa from
south of Lourenco Marques to north of
Mozambique and many hundreds of miles
inland the Portuguese has been the dog
In the manger among nations. In all that
time he has done nothing to help the
land or the people which he pretends to
protect. and he keeps those who would
improve both from gaining any hold or in
huence over either. His strip Of land 10
still unsettled and unsafe, its wealth I'M
developed, ita people untamed.-Scrib-
ner'R