The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-10
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

TICK q CdTu, Sdlu Rlcudru Timber. Pick any card"
 I picked card and put in my vest pocket. Timber then tossed over notebook containing the names of all the New York pub- fishers. Pick name," said the chubby orchestra leader. ''Pick any name, and call 'em up.'
 So I called DeSylva, Brown and named Blguhnewh, or something like that. MT Timber" I said, feeling pretty silly, has just had card, as in poker. He says you can tell me what it is. Yes, of course I can look at it and find out, but he insists this is trick. The ace of diamonds? Thank you"
 hung up and looked at the card. It was the ace of diamonds. looked at Richard Timber. He was innocently engrossed in new bit of legerdemain in which he losses a quarter against the ceii- ing, and when 1t comes down it's half dollar. By long practice he hopes to be able to toss up a half dollar and catch a new song hit, or maybe a New England boiled dinner.
 Did he play card games? I asked. The pale blue Timber eyes grew sadder than usual as he ex- plained that he doesn't dare gam ble because If he wins everybody thinks he's crooked. Sometimes he plays blackjack, without ac- cepting the deal, he says. But even then the aces he gets are suspected of coming from unor- thodox sources. Like this,' said Timber, reaching over and cx- tracting an ace of spades from ,my left ear
 WAS RUNAWAY BOY
 I was calling on Dick Timber because of an academic curi- osity about what makes various prominent Broadwaymen click. But I couldn't make much sense out of this one. It seems that he ran away from home at some ten- der age, and somewhere acquired a fiddle and knack for playing it. He had played in several bands by the time Rudy Vallce began incoming into a saxaphone, so he sought out Rudy and said: T believe you have great possi- bilities, so have decided to work for you" There was no getting rid of him after that, even though Vallee didn't pay him anything for while, so Timber finally be- came his office manager and book ing representative.
 When he left Vallee, Timber had a few dollars, a photograph al fAI. bull in my china shop" and the ner few lucky breaks for him. self. So he hired an orchestra and paid them with promises un- til they began getting engage ments. And now he has the most loyal band Nn Broadway. There is no evidence that Timber him. self knows anything about the technical side of music, orches- trations and such, yet he gets along we'll enough to land some of the choicest assignments in Manhattan. The Ritz-Carlton, for example.
 CAN'T RESIST CHILDREN
 He doesn't drink or smoke, and has some weird ideas about diet alternate meals of solids and H. quids. He's good at everything re- quiring muscular co-ordination-- rifle shooting and billiards in ad- dition to magic and Adding. He's faddist for clean lyrics. And is so fond of children that he's likely to plant an enthusiastic kiss on the brow of any strange youngster. While the parents are recovering from their astonishment Timber will dash away and return with 2. big box of candy.
 SEEKS TO FOOL MAGICIANS
 The street has a number of amateur magicians, and the best of them are Timber, Milton Berle, Harry Green and Leo Friede. These and most of the profession als gather in the magic shop aAi Fifty-fourth and Broadway, anct the ambition of every prestidigita- tor is to fool other magicians. Car dini, Nate Lepzig, Dave Vernon and other famous tricksters drop in there.
 The tricks they perform usually are not of the sort which would show to advantage on a stage, but are mere manuniplations requiring great dexterity. Sometimes secrets are exchanged, but only the orig inator of trick has the right to reveal it to anyone else. You might think this would bring up some delicate problems in ethics, but there's astonishingly little jealousy or suspicion within the profession.
 - .s.glalanzsl.seslssss1ees11A
 <TAA AAS~~AkS