The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-19
In New York

New York.-At a time when many of our better printing presses are grinding oute conomic and po- litical philosophy, interpretations of vital current affairs, significant biographies and various studies in whither- whiteher America, you probably wouldn't guess that the fastest selling non-fiction books are those on black magic. Well, they are. While one American is buying Stuart Chase's "Economy of Abundance" three others are toting away copies of "Albertus Magnus, the Approved, Verified, Sympathetic and Natural Egyptian Secrets" While thou sands are reading Franklin D.. Roosevelt's "On Our Way" just as many are boring over sixth and Seventh Books of Moses" or Pow Vows, or Long Lost Friend" Walter Lippmann's "The Method of Freedom" is far behind Policy Pete's "Mutuel Number Dream Book"
 Best Sellers
 In the stalls of Book Row, on Fourth avenue, the proprietors say they scarcely can keep black magic books in stock. All kinds of peo- pie buy them, and among the customers are more well-dressed, apparently intelligent, native | Americans than you'd imagine. There's a real estaet man who has a standing order for every new or old magic book that comes along; hos looking for certain charm to use in his business.
 A woman went into a shop re. gently looking for specific instruc- tions on how to sell her soul to the devil. She said that was all she had left to liquidate. A man got | out of flashy roadster the other day and asked for something to in- terpret dream he'd had abou. playing backgammon with Jean tenced to be hanged ordered sent describing q charm which would prevent his neck from being brok- en by the rope.
 Captivating Literature
 | Besides conjure and hoodoo | guides, there still are published a lot of brochures on flirtations, love letters and the language of flowers. There's a big mail order demand for these dictionaries of the voluptuous arts, even from the | West Indies and Africa. "New
 Book of Flirtations, No IS" ia popular, because 1t contains "the Language of Postage Stamps, All the Secret Signs, Insinuations and Captivatoins, Also the Art of Flirting With Cane, Fan, Hand- kerchief, etc. Also Language of Flowers and Autograph Album l Verses" On page 37 are Direc- tions for Kissing.
 Breaking cigar in half means,
 T wish to speak to you" Balanc- ing a knife on a fork plainly says, Meet me in the garden after din- ner." Sending a bouquet of purple
 verbena, mustard seed, dead leaves and agnus castus declares, T weep for your indifference and am mel ancholy on account of your cold
 ness." She Had an Interest
 k A little old lady went into one
 of the larger second hand stores in Book Row and timidly inquired about a copy of ''The Life of Cole
 Younger" Her hair. was snowy.
 her crisp black taffeta immaculate, and she looked as though she prob abfy carried smelling salts in her
 reticule.
 Cole Younger. if you don't re- member. was one of Quantrell's
 guerillas in Kansas and Missouri
 before the Civil War, and later
 became one of the playmates of
 the James boys. Legend has made
 him a dashing figure, chivalrous
 and dashing, but a brutal fighter
 He was caught in 1876.
 We'll, 1t happened that the shor
 had a copy of the book. It was in
 good condition. valued at S4. The
 old lady counted out the money
 completing the amount with nick
 els and dimes ''l cant afford Il lat ali," she said. But just must
 have 1t. You see, I'm Mrs Cols
 Younger"