Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-27
TUESDAY, MAY AZ, 1919.

these" he waved his hand along the
line Of dingy doorways set in solid
oak, each with huge brass paddock.
I'VE have had no occasion to open for
months at time.
when Kellar was performing bis
flower growing illusion, which was his
favorite, we had calls every week for
this trick from lesser magicians and
from wealthy amateurs, who wished to
perform privately among the wealthy
or in lyceums before friends. With the
retirement of Kellar this demand fell
away. Now we sell one or two every
three or four years.
TT was the same with the levitating
trick. Kellar's famous levitation cost
$1,000. We have them now out there.
| covered with the dust Of years, for
$75.
Our business was in its heydey 20
years ago. In those days we were SELL
ing illusions that brought big prices
You remember Kellar's Blue Room
That cost $4,000. In all, this great ma
gician's paraphernalia cost 5000. His
trunks alone cost $4,000. Nowadays,
the majority of tricks we sell can be
bought for from 81 to $50.
mot alone is the decline Of magic
due to the departure of the great lead
ers among the magicians. 1t also is,
in a measure, due to the fact that the
master inventors OF magic are dead
and their places have not been filed.
| There was De Kolta, who passed
out in 1908. He was the greatest in
ventor of them all. The flying fish was
his, as was his greatest Illusion. the
cocoon. This was first presented
abroad. and then, in 1897, brought to
New York and done at the Eden Mu-
see. .'' - t'tt'4i
| DE Kolta, you remember, pasted
plain sheet Of paper across frame,
drew picture of silk worm upon II
and then smashed the paper. Out Of
the hole burst monster cocoon. With
a movement he rent the cocoon asun-
der, and from it's depths emerged a
great butteriy-his wife. This was
the master illusion Of them all.
when Hermann. with his magnetic
personality, was in the field his mere
appearance on the stage gripped the
Imagination Of the audience. They al
ways were ready to expect anything OF
Hermann. He was better sleight-
of-hand artist that Kellar, but not so
great an illusionist.
'I do not wish to disparage the pres
ent magicians. A few Of them are very
clever. There are Goldin and Mrs.
Herman, and Carter and Howard
Thurston, all excellent, but not such
great leaders as some Of their prede-
cessors. To see Hermann perform
new trick was to send hundred peo-
pie hurrying here to buy 1t next day.
| The same was true Of Kellar.
Nowadays we even have hard
time holding the annual performance
before the. Society Of American Magi-
clans This was for years a great event
in the world Of magic, and 1t always
was easy to get one Of the big magi-
clans to furnish the entertainment.
This year the entertainment was
scheduled for Carnegie Hall, but had
to be declared of because no magician
could be obtained to conduct the per-
Torrance.
while we naturally have felt the
gradual slipping of this once popular
art our business will, Of course. con-
tinue, for we supply all other coun-
tries with magicians paraphernalia. /
do not think 1t is generally known that
the faiirs Of India purchase all their
tricks from US, but such Is the case.
We ship boxes there ever so often.
can look forward to the time. however,
when magic viii become one of the
forgotten arts."-New York Press.