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town or if you live there, be sure to look him up. His mail address is P. 0. Box 1103, Houston. But if you feel that meeting him there might cramp you or your style, try him at his home which you'll find at 1203 Isabella St. However, if you prefer to tear him away from his business, phine him at Preston 0892, All of these addresses being in Houston, Texas, of course!
JOHN BREARLEY writes a very interesting letter and comments about the history I dug up in a recent column re the origin of the Stamp Album idea. You may remember that I located the effect in one of Ainslie's Unsolved Problem columns. It now turns out that the idea did originate there and that the conjuring chap who developed it into the trick we now know so well was John Brearley. It was first performed around 1926 and Mr. Brearley included it in his program given at the Command Performance of the Magic Circle. So, at last, Mr. Brearley gets the credit he rightly deserves for such a swell trick (Paul Clive is the only dealer I know of who actually credited him with it in his catalog) and it was his friend, and ours, Stanley Hunt, who made it popular on this side of the water.
E. CALVIN COREY comes to my aid with an answer to the, non-colored egg problem. Mr. C. says to paint the white egg with flesh-colored paint. Says he has used it successfully for a long time. He has a problem, however, he'd like to know how to roll a card in a cigarette. He would also like a simple four-ace trick that can be done with an easel on the stage.
Dear Cal: Thanks for that flash about the flesh. I tried it out and it doesn't seem to suit me. Guess my flesh color paint must be too good. I held up the painted egg and said "Here is an egg" (I have to say these sort of things in my act. . . you know, it's the type of audience I work to) and a very cultured lady yelled, "Nuts . .. it's a blister on your hand!" That upset me and the next night I thought I'd prevent any such embarrassment, so I left the egg its fleshy brown and painted my hands white. This time when I announced that I had an egg, a fellow reclining beneath the nearest table informed me that it wasn't an egg, just me finger sticking through a hole in my glove. So I'm still awaiting a dealer who'll market 'em as the farmers market 'em.
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However, I really appreciate your effort to help and maybe other readers will have better luck. Guess I'm just too fussy!
Now for the rolling of the card. Here is the way I did it whenever I performed the trick. Get a steel knitting needle to roll the card on and slightly dampen the card so that it is somewhat limp. Now, if you carefully roll the card around the needle, you should have no trouble getting it the right size to insert in the cigarette tube. I, too, have used the cigarette-making-machine and have found it quite satisfactory. However, you really have to use the paper tubes supplied and they are not a good match for a borrowed weed, if you are a close worker. The best way of getting the tobacco out of the regular cigarette is to leave a package in the open for a week or so and let them dry out thoroughly. Then, all you have to do is roll the cigarette between the fingers a few times and the tobacco just falls out. After inserting the card, you stuff a little of the tobacco in each end, and trim flush with scissors.
I hope this solves your problem and if readers have any other suggestions, please send them in and I'll publish them here for all the card-in-cig workers to read.
A very effective four-ace trick using an easel is the effect manufactured by the Petrie Lewis Company. Drop a line to Percy Abbott and he can supply you. If you are searching for something a little cheaper, you can use the twenty-five cent four-ace trick that uses double faced cards. This is as effective as any for platform use. Then there is the method using the envelopes with the cut-out windows. If you aren't aware of this routine, let me know and I'll explain it in detail. A method also appears in De Lawrence and Kater's "Modern Card Effects."
NEAL ELIAS is interested in tricks with marked cards. He is having difficulty in obtaining the necessary inks for the marking. Mainly because he requires such a small quantity and doesn't want to purchase a flock of chemicals to mix up large batches. So he d like to know if I can help him in some way. He already possesses Litzau's book so warns me not to suggest that as an answer to his problem.
Dear Neal: Not being an expert marksman, as far as card work is concerned, I can't give any information that would be author-
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