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sion, he can take it from me that it never hung over the door at No. 4 Duke Street the office of Or-
nums. I did all the fitting the room ever got, and was present at the moving.
From the time I had made the business strong enough for Mr. Munro to come into it, I started to de-
vote myself to the making of apparatus, and opened a workshop in Walworth, sharing my time be-
tween it and No. 4. Phil Davis was doing nothing at that time so he joined me at the workshop for a
regular wage. This went on for a fair time, and then he joined Chung Ling Soo, eventually going
with him to Australia, where he severed his connection with him. Davis was a clever, brainy man;
but his knowledge of Magic was practically nil when he joined us. We were together quite a lot, and
when he left he knew as much about Magic as the next best man. Soo came and told us about the
wonderful man he had found. He acclaimed his ability, his knowledge of Magic, his apparent ad-
vanced ideas, and so on; and then wondered why the recital of it all left Munro and myself quite
cold. Phil Davis had not left us, so we pleased ourselves whether we told Soo we knew him; and we
most certainly had nothing to say against Davis. The only regret was that I had taken so much trou-
ble with a man who was not eventually of any use to Ornum. When Soo returned from Australia he
said:- So Davis was one of your pupils, was he. I wish you had told me, for I like to know who I am
listening to when a man speaks.
One day I hope to write the details of that trip Soo made to Australia. I am about the only man who
knows all the facts from every source. It would be a story of humour, tears, entreaties, treachery,
and tragedy.
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There is no finer school for Magic than a Depot where one can collect endless knowledge of tricks
by judicious exchanging of secrets, etc. It lead to Mr. Munro suggesting I gave lessons, and I readily
agreed. The fee charged was moderate, being five shillings per hour; and this we shared, no matter
in whose time the lesson took place. Many are the delightful evenings I have spent at pupils private
residences, and many are the yarns I could spin of curious, happenings, and more curious pupils. At
one time I was instructing three German Waiters. One lived near the old Sadler s Wells Theatre; the
second near Waterloo Station; and the third at Vauxhall three of the dowdiest neighbourhoods
and houses it has been my lot to enter. Giving lessons is a kind of snowball stunt. J. Shannon wanted
some moves, and then recommended me to Ronald Pocock, and Ronald to someone else; and so it
went along. By these means I was giving lessons to men who hardly knew the existence of Magical
Depots, or the ways and doings of Magicians. I have no record of the number of men I have taught,
but one has left a lasting impression. I was recommended by Dr. Wingfield, and called at a house of
another Doctor in Shaftesbury Avenue. Everyone seemed quiet, sad, and glum; and when I was left
alone with the Doctor s brother, I felt far from happy. After instructing the silent pupil, I suggested
he should try some of the moves; but he declined, and then requested me to continue showing him
sleights. Now that worked out at a Special Conjuring Entertainment In Your Own Home for five
Shillings an hour, a ridiculously low price. So I started to patter to him, and he seemed to like it,
whilst the hands of the clock seemed to work overtime. Again and again I called, and at last he tried.
He mocked me splendidly, and I was pleased. I was never happy with the quiet man, yet sorry when
he left to work the Hydros. A few weeks passed, when a press cutting told the end of the story. Alas;
he had gone the wrong road. Here was a cultured man, unassuming, and of refined tastes (as I knew
him) charged with begging in the streets. Police evidence showed he had been a voluntary inmate in
an Inebriates Home at Cockermouth, and they gave other pathetic evidence. Shortly afterwards I
heard he was dead. What a fool. Drink, like many other things, is meant for our enjoyment, and it is
a poor nincompoop who at some time or other has not overstepped the mark; but to let it get master
to that awful extent where a man will beg to get money for drink only goes to show a diseased mind.
I could name a dozen or more who have gone that way, but the percentage is so low that I fail to see
why millions of folks should be deprived of the normal use of alcohol because a few demented peo-
ple abuse it. That could only be the idea of a crank, a busybody, or killjoy; and these are as maniacal
as the diseased mind craving for drink.
CHARLES MUNRO. Munro s brother joined the firm, and was incidentally the cause of us leav-
ing No. 4 Duke street. He brought money into the business, and the idea was to take larger premises
to attract more customers. I was against the idea from start to finish, and argued it out with Munro
on any and every occasion. There is just so much business in Magic. It is shared unequally amongst
the Depots, but no one Depot will ever succeed in getting it all. There is certainly money in Magic,
but you must keep your expenses very low so that the profit is not swallowed up in that direction.
We made a profit, after paying all expenses, at No. 4. Our total rent and light account did not exceed
£1 a week, and that gave us a chance to earn more than our salaries and all other expenses; but the
moment we moved to larger premises our expenses were so great, that the battle was lost the mo-
ment we started fighting it. It could not, and did not increase our business.
While I am writing this, Magic in general is experiencing one of the hardest times it has ever been
through. General trade depression, glorious weather, and a year of Wireless has struck Magic an
awful blow; yet only a few months ago an Editor expressed his opinion that the time was now ripe
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