PROFESSOR MASON.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1890, 23 April 1892, Page 2

PROFESSOR MASON.

f Professor Mason, with his clever musical quartette, still holds the boards at the Town Hall, drawing crowded and delighted audiences nightly. In fact, each succeeding night discloses a rapidly-increasing audience ; and it is just possible that were the Professor to change his mind and his plans and decide on turning his seven days' season into as many weeks he would still hold the field with undiminished popularity, or, rather, it should bo said, with a popularity that would seriously teat the holding capacity of the Town Hall. The truth is the more the Professor's entertainment is seen the more attractive and popular it becomes. This is about the best and most searching test that can be applied to an entertainment of this kind ; and the result is about the most conclusive proof of its excellence that it ia possible to supply the public with. Flaring handbills, glowing and extravagant advertisements, and the other various stratagems by which tbe typical showman trumpets his wonderful and most frequently visionary achievements to a wondering world are religiously eschewed by the Professor. Like an honest tradesman be shows his wares, invites the public inspection, gives tangible proof of the capacity of both himself and his company to amuse, to enlighten, instruct, and charm, and this done he calmly awaits the verdict. Now,this is precisely what Professor Mason has done ; and the verdict of the public has been entirely in his favour— a fact abundantly proved by the immense crowds that flock night after night to the Town Hall. Of course it msy appear somewhat wonderful to those who have not yet had the pleasure of seeing for themselves to understand how a company, comparatively small in numbers, can provide night after night the material for entertaining large crowds of discriminating people. But the fact remains that it is done, and done, too, very largely through the instrumentality of the versatile Professor in his capacity of lecturer on a variety of practical subjects, such as phrenology, physiology, electricity, and others in the 3ame line. In truth, there seems to be no limit to the range of subjects of which the Professor is master. On Wednesday evening he discoursed on diseases of the throat and lungs, a subject on which all people who value their health or take an interest in the wonderful mechanism of the human frame are desirous of knowing something about. In this respect they were not disappointed, the subject being treated with a lucidity and homeliness com« prehensible to the dullest intellect. There was also an interesting chat on phrenology with delineations towards the close ; practical proof of the Professor's skill in this interesting science being given by the reading of five or six heads from among the audience. The Professor has also supplied himself with electric belts warranted to cure a very considerable percentage of the ills the flesh is heir to. On tbe virtne of these "wonderful little ■ belts," he descants freely, but yet without exaggeration, and gives conclusive proof of his faith in them by informing his audience that " the price of this little belt is 10a if it suits and nothing if it doesn't suit." This is about the fairest thing in belts we ever heard of • but of course, they always suit, and the Professor avers that in all the thousands he has sold he has never yet known one to fail in performing - the miraculous properties attributed to it But we mustn't forget the ivory extracting part of the entertainment, one of the smartest as well as the most mirth-producing items on the programme. On Thursday evening five adults presented their jaws and their molars were whipped out in a twinkling— a regular chain-lightning proceeding. Then there is the singing and musical portion of the entertainment, to which, we fear, we have not left ourselves anything like space to do justice to. Let us briefly say, however, that the singing was superb. Of Mr Oadzow's tenor voice and Mr Geo. NeiU'a baritone it iausposabletQ

speak too highly ; nor can we forget to mention Mr Morrfa'a side-splitting comic songs, or Miss Harris's brilliant performances as accompanist. We strongly advise those who have not seen the Professor and his company to make a point of doing so, as Monday night closes tho season.