The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-01


 ma of personality round at the Lyric for when he was here last ana every body was trying to find out now It was done," I poked my inquisitlve nt- tle old nose into the pot and made desperate effort to discover how this
 "wireless" sort of music is made. What found was very nice young
 man, apparently about 25 years of age,
 hailing from Chicago, and for the past nine years drawing a salary In vaude- vile that would stagger most bank presidents.
 What does he do
 Just sit still in the boat minute, and I'll tell you, as any habitue of the three day" will corroborate, Mer- cedes gives a very puzzfing, baffling exhibition of what he is pleased to call thought transference."
 He skips up and down the aisles round at the Lyric with careless aban- don and asks anybody in the audience to name any piece of music they'd like to have played; for example, you mur- mur in his ear that you have deep desire to hear Ben Bolt" and then with the politeness of an auction play CT you say to the young lady sitting before the piano blindfolded-Ml lle. Stanton (shes the same girl who has been with him for years)-"please play my selection,'' and the young lady way up there on the stage answers back;
 You wish me to play Ben Bolt?' and you look thunderstruck, while sne quietly plays your selection. Mercedes has done the deed.
 The audience applauds, and Mercedes begins again to amble up and down the aisle, looking like a young Spaniard, his dark eyes flashing, his jet black hair combed straight back from his brow and his white flannels immac late and perfectly cut like the swell" who has just arrived at the summer resort.
 Now 1t appears from what Mercedes
 told me, as well as I can remember its been two years, November 4, 1914, was the date, since I saw him here that this phenomena was due to some sort of "waves;" not ocean waves or Marcel waves, or waves of prosperity, oi iliOi al WdNCS, PuL IIOuSHL waves, if you please.
 recall that Mercedes showed me a photograph of some perfectly good thought waves" the afternoon perched upon big theatrical trunk in his dressing room and cross examined him like a little lawyer man would examine witness, and they were the queerest, weirdest looking little fhinpc theu 1nnkad like they were too young to be out without their mother; they were as infinitesmal as microbe or germ; kinder crazy looking, with long, slender, modish sort of figures, and a tail as long as Halley's comet, and they were snaky and silky like Nazmova, ana they didn't look like they had right good sense to me; but I suppose they have, since Prof. Hugo Muensterberg and Prof. David E. Rice and Mr. James II. Hyslop, founder of the Society for Psychological Research, and a lot of other "highbrows" have become inter- ested in Mercedes and this thought wave" business. sl-@7h
 Even MT. William Randolph Hearst got one of Mercedes thought wave" bees in his bonnet recently. and re- quested private demonstration, which was truly marvellous, Mercedes being in Boston, and Mile. Stanton in Provi dence, R. l., miles away, presenting the same stunt" they do round at the Lyric.
 Just short time go President Will son became so interested in Mercedes that he asked private audience with the gentleman and he and Mrs. Wilson were completely fascinated by the clever demonstration that was given.
 He's some puzzle-is the baffling MT. Mercedes!
 And he looks that unconcerned!
 Just stalks about, careless-like, tell ing you that Mile. Stantone will play for you through his wave transfer ence" any old tune from Too Much Mustard" to Brahms Hungarian dances.
 The audiences which confront "Mer- cedes" are made up of people of all kinds and descriptions-from those who don't know the difference between fugue and a box of fudge to those to whom Bach and Beethoven are as 'old college chums."
 At the matinee yesterday afternoon just to show you the variety of selections asked for I'll name:
 La Boheme," Mendelssohn's Spring song." Rachmnainoff' Prelude in c Sharp (don't bother-there were lots of us besides you who couldn't pronounce it; Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata" 'The International Rag" Annie Laurie" He's Devil' (of course), The Evening Star" from Tannhauser, The High Cost of Loving" Chopin's Funeral March," Annie Rooney dts been ages since I even heard the name), Every body Loves a Chicken" Underneath the Stars" The Memphis Blues" Evelyn. Quit Your Devlin','' T Love the Ladies'" When I Were Tulip and goodness knows what else, for everything from Ru- bernstein to Einstein was asked for.
 I remember when Mercedes was here before, an awfully funny thing happened at one of his performances
 A big old red faced bum who looked as if you punched his face the beer would spurt clear across the street, and who was trying his best to look musical-his middle name" was Harmony, you know requested Ishabibblesky's Bulgarian Scherzo- -Romantique in the key of "umpty- -ump' flats.
 Did he phase Mercedes or Mile. stan- tone?
 Not on your life.
 They knew he was ''kiddin' D and Mer-