The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-07-14

bills in every tongue, some printed on
silk, testify to the wanderings of this
American magician. And speaking Of
Americans, Mr.. Keller was asked who
were the best exponents of his art.
He answered, "Americans.'
Further questioning elected the fact
that practically all the present top
notch illusionists are American born
and bred. The foreign-sounding
names of most of them are assumed
for advertising purposes. Even the
Hindoos, famed as fakirs, he says, are
children compared with an American
magician, their tricks being so simple
that they are regarded as only in the
primary stage of the art.
Keller was born in Erie, Pennsyl-
vania, shortly before the stirring days
of the War Between the States. He
attended school and during vacations
worked in a drug store as sort OF
general roustabout. When he was in
his tenth year he heard that the Fak1r
Ava, a noted magician of that day,
whose real name was Henry Hughes,
wanted a boy to assist him in his per-
formances. The boy Keller walked to
Hughes's farm just outside of Buffa-
10 to apply for the job.
Gas I walked up to the house a
black and tan dog ran out and escort
ed me to the front porch, Keller said.
Hughes met me at the door. He no
ticed the dog jumping up on me and
licking my hands. That is a good
omen he said, that pup has chased
off about two dozen kids who came
here for that job. I guess he has
elected oyu.'
Thus Keller started on the career
that was to take him dozen times or
more around the world. Under
Hughes he learned all the tricks of
the trade and he proved to be an apt
pupil. Keller was always blessed
with a remarkable memory. One
glance at number, no matter II it
runs into the millions, and he can
repeat it to you,20 years after.
Fools His Partner.
He gave an instance of this power
in an incident concerning Bill Fray, a
former partner of his years before.
He had left Fay in London and had
not seen him for thirty-five years.
Fay, who had quit the stage and set
tied in Australia, while on tour Of
the United States was guest of the
Kellers in Los Angeles.
One evening Keller, who is full of
sly humor, said to him:
"Bill, do you know my wife is a
clairyvoyant?"
Fay, who had been in the game too
long to have any illusions about such
things, laughed.
whats the joke, Harry?" he ask
ed.
I'm not joking. I'll prove it to
you. What is your watch number?"
Fay confessed he did not know and
started to pull the timepiece from his
pocket. Keller stopped him.
ssNo, this is clairvoyance, not mind
reading. What is the number Of your
wife's watch?"
Fay did not know that either.
Turning to his wife Keller said,
"Tell them the numbers, my dear"
Mrs. Keller promptly gave the cor
rect numbers Fay was dumbfounded.
Experienced as he was in the game
this was something new to him.
"But how did you do it," Keller
was asked.
Simple enough" he replied. Il
remembered the numbers and had
given them to Mrs. Keller"
Suppose Fay had bought new
watch since you last saw him." I OBJ
jected.
81 would have been stuck" Keller
confessed. "But then you see I knew
Bill Fay"
Keller had a system of remember
ing numbers. 1t is based on the pho
netic system each figure having cer-
tain sound. The sounds are asso-
ciated in a sentence like the key SEN
tences that medical students have for
remembering the names Of nerves or
bones.
Keller also knows all the arithmeti-
cal shortcuts and tricks. He can cube
any number that you give him under
100 just as fast as he can write the
number down. His mind works like