Evening star., 1934-09-30

]
ere they never rePosed.
editors Of Billboard. . theatrical publication.
was the originator Of the idea that the Durbin
Theatef was the ideal place for the first In
ternational meeting Of the magicians.
"The grand passion of my boyhood days"
Mr. Durbin told the writer as he half turned
from signing Government papers and shifted
to . more comfortable position in his chair.
was magic Away back in 1876. when I was
TO- Robinson's Circus came to town. won
an Annie Oakley by carrying water and wood
for the performers. And I gained admission
to that tent Of marvels, the sideshow. guess
my eyes were protruding SO far that you could
have knocked them out with lead pencil after
I gazed at the fat woman, the armless man
who wrote with his toes and the snake charmer
who wound snakes around her body like sprays
Of May flowers.
"But the man who ran q dagger through his
arm without even q vince Of pain-he was
the star of the show in my opinion. never
forgot that man and the dagger. ] thought
of him during the Summer and throughout the
Winter. I couldn't think Of much else, to the
CONSERVATION and transformation Of the COW
which I was supposed to feed and milk regu-
larly. That man was my juvenile introduction
70 m6SlC, GplSOuc tWO OCCWlCO d1tCI AAAA
read advertisement about book on black
magic in a young peoples weekly which
neighbor gave me. My pal and collected rags
and old paper for weeks in q strenuous effort
to raise the 80 cents needed to pay for q copy
Of that booklet. That book when it came,
started me In the amateur business Of mystify-
ing folks, q hobby in which I still delight and
from which I gain thrills, despite that I've
been at it now for So years.
IN, of
necromancy was the purchase of paraphernalia
then used by the montebanks. We also built
simultations Of appurtenanceS and illusions
which sold at prices we could not pay. Soon
we gained proficiency and staged our first show.
That led to another and many other per.
formances. Finally we devoted our idle hours
Of one entire Winter to building . tent and
various magical appliances The day before we
were scheduled to give our first entertainment,
. late Spring snow buried our tent and equip
ment. We welded shovels next day like coal
stokers In an ocean liner. Even then, we were
mculcated with the stern dictum OF the theater
that the show must 90 on"
The world Of magic with its triumphs and
fanfares about that time had to break ground
Young bill" Durbin had to abandon the suave
dexterity Of the amateur In favor Of an ap.
premiership as coremaker in an iron foundry.
But he wasn't enrolled at the foundry q week
before he instigated a new style of magic" in
that establishment-a reading club of workers
who spent part Of the noon lunch hour daily
listening attentively to what Bill read from
carefully selected publications.
Later, Mr.. Durhin secured q Government Job
as laborer in Washington, attended National
Law University at nights. and through Civil
Service examination he eventually secured .
post as an examiner in the Treasury Depart.
ment. In the next four years he put him.
self through law school, took . postgraduate
course, aided in the support Of his mother
and sister back in Ohio and saved 81, 800.
Magic has afforded me o wealth of am,,se-
ment and recreation while 1t has also been Q
source Of revenue whenever I capitalized on the
fruits of my hfetime's hobby" Mr.. Durbin told
the writer. THE greatest benefit have gained
from the so-caIled black art Is . mastery Of
detail which has proved exceedingly invaluable
in all my business interests. Legerdermain and
conjuring are based largely upon practical
details. Unless q certain table or chair Is
placed h exactly the right spot, an otherwise
remarkable trick miscarries and Is . flop In.
stead OF success. Or. II the aid Of the assist
ant Il not timed and executed to the split
fraction Of . second. clever illusion Is ruined.
T1melne@ and perfect timing. skin Of execu.
tion and strict attention 10 details are the
alphabetical fundamentals Of successful necro-
NANCY.