DANTE THE GREAT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 31 January 1899, Page 2

DANTE THE GREAT.

Looking down the long line of illusionists who have appeared from time to time in the colonies, and even, in England, no one can question Dante's claim to be called " Great " amongst the illustrious crowd. The entertainment to be given by him tonight and to-morrow night at the Drill Hall is said to be the very best that has been presented by any conjurer in JNew Zealand, and ifc is generally admittd that Dante is the finest performer in his line that hau ever visited Australia. When the long list of clever conjurers is re called this is a large admission. Those who believe in heredity will find support for their claim in the fact that Dante can trace back his peculiar gifts as far as his maternal great grandfather, a Scotchman, named Anderson — the celebrated Professor Anderson, the celebrated and original "Wizard of the North." The New Zealand and Sydney Press came to the unanimous conclusion that Dante is absolutely the greatest conjurer we have ever bad in the colonies, and looking backwards what an array of talent we have hud of the magic art. Professor Jacobs was the first to mystify colonial audiences in. '55, and since then the following luminaries of the mystic world have appeared : — Mons Theo, the French magician ; Professor Anderson, tho "Wizard of the North" ; Dr Lynn, Robert Hellar, Louis Hazehnayer, Madame Cora, Dr. Silvester, the " Fakir of Oolo," Tolmatpie, Harry Kellar, Chevalier Thorn, Professor Philip Anderson., Professor Jensen, Professors Perron and Morrit, and last, but not least, Carl Hertz, who will probably be best remembered by the younger generation. Many of the cognoscenti state that Dante's work is so remarkable and extraordinary that he starts where the great Carl Hertz left off, and there is no just cause to believe otherwise, judging by the hall-mark that Australian critics have stamped on Dante's performances.