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JUNE 1953
Mulholland Rounds Out 40 Years in Magic
By Demon Rembrandt
June 1 is a significant date for John Mul­holland, internationally known not only as the editor of The Sphinx and an outstanding performer of Magic, but as an authority regarding things magical. June 1 marks the completion of forty years as a professional Magician for John. And here's congratula­tions from TOPS and Abbott's for having come thus far on a brilliant magical career.
John is now fast recovering from the opera­tion in March for a shoulder injury that has been troubling him in a painful way for the past three years.
Magic has been John's major interest since he was five years old when he saw a per­formance by Harry Kellar. Since then he has seen almost every Magician who has played in New York and a great many more on his several trips to Europe and a round-the-world tour.
He always has had the greatest regard for other Magicians and was so well liked by the group that met in Martinka's that when he was in his early teens, he was permitted to go to the meetings in "the little back room." When he was 16, the SAM changed its rules and he was permitted to join as a junior member.
His first professional show was given on June 1, 1913, and his fee was $25 as that was the highest fee he had ever heard of a Magi­cian getting and he early decided that he would never work for lower than the highest fee that Magicians could get. When he learned Magicians could get more money, he raised his fee accordingly and realized he could get the highest fees for his performances.
His advice and counsel in magical matters has been sought by many Magicians. Houdini and Thurston came to him for help and in later years, Ade Duval, Fred Keating, Birch, Jack Gwynne, and still later, Milbourne Christopher, Tommy Martin, Haskell and many others have been helped through their talks with John.
His connection with The Sphinx dates back more than thirty-five years. He was assistant to Dr. A. M. Wilson and when Dr. Wilson died in 1930, he left the magazine to Mulholland and John has edited it ever since.
John has been a frequent visitor at the magical conventions and is firmly established
as a "regular" at the Abbott affairs, where he always is on hand when there is fun and Magic or — Magic and fun.
All the best for another forty years, John!
WILLS $15,000 MAGIC TO YOUTH
A United Press dispatch from Atlanta, Ga., April 20, told of a local high school student, 15-year-old Dick Miller, who inherited $15,000 worth of equipment from Leroy S. Lowner of Harrisburg, Va., whom he had met -only twice. Lowner, known as Leroy, the Magician, died in January at the age of 61 and willed all his Magic apparatus to the boy.
The story goes on to say that Miller first met the Magician when he was called to the stage during Leroy's performance in 1949 and made him "float through the air." The lad stayed after the show and Leroy showed him some tricks and they later corresponded. Miller saw the Magician again in 1951 when he stopped off at Harrisburg on his way to New York. At that time, Leroy told the lad, , "If I die tomorrow, all this will be yours".