Totten presenting an evening of magic and illusions

              New and Wonderful
Totten 
Presenting an Evening of Magic and Illusions
ANNOUNCEMENT
SINCE the gifted Maro forever laid down his magician's wand, many artists have com¬peted for the high place of leadership in this field, which he had easily held for many years upon the American platform. But it is our belief that James Morrison Totten, Magician, Humorist, Impersonator, has won the coveted prize. By common consent of the lyceum public, no artist today wields the magic wand of Maro with more deli¬cacy, skill, mystery and charm; no personality so completely fills his wizard's mantle; no entertainer wears the cap and bells of this great master of legerdemain with more grace and ease than Mr. Totten.
We confidently present him for his tenth successful season as the most gifted artist in his chosen field that is before the public today. Totten is a big all-round man and a big all-round magician and entertainer. He has not only won his spurs, but he has tested their quality before hundreds of Chautauqua and lyceum audiences, the most critical in America. The ver¬dict is open to inspection. It is not only favorable but enthusiastic. His return list of dates is immense. Totten's art is on big lines; it is sure; it is finished. It is an art that comes only out of a big personality, wide in its sympathy, captivating; a personality glowing with pur¬pose and the humor of life. His art is disciplined, finely chiseled, not broad nor coarse, but wholesome and uplifting. Ariel himself under the guidance of Prospero did not work more mystifying transformations, more impossible feats of illusion, all co-operating to a happy end.
Mr. Totten has grown steadily in the appreciation and admiration of the American peo¬ple, and this enlargement of his work is but the natural outcome of his own growth and development as an artist. Committees, we believe, cannot afford to miss presenting to their patrons the new, greater and better Totten, who ranks among the greatest of the entertain¬ers who have added to the gaiety of nations and done so much to sweeten the atmosphere of this good and happy old world. '                                                       TH£  MANAGEMENT.
The Totten Company Program
PART L LEGERDEMAIN—Mr. Totten has no superior in the art of legerdemain. Under the deft touch of his fingers articles appear and disappear in such a marvelous manner that you will rub your eyes and wonder if you are "just dreaming."
PART II. ILLUSIONS—The Totten Company carry a line of large illusions, prominent among them the Magician's Xrays or the dissolving of the human body to a  mere skeleton,    fl The  wonderful  head  in  a
easket. This head is endowed with all the senses of a human being. || The production of a speaking likeness of some of the great men of the past and present, who will make their mysterious appearance and disappearance on a brilliantly lighted stage, but from "whence they come and whither they go, no man knoweth." II is all mystery, mystery—mystery ! fl The Great Barrel Mystery.
PART III. READINGS, IMPERSON¬ATIONS—Mr. Totten is truly a finished "product of the pure fun law." To see him exercise that face of his in character work would cause a smile to creep over the face of an Egyptian mummy. His work in this line is artistic, refined, ele¬vating. You retire to your homes light-hearted and care free, and with a feeling that you have "God's own sunshine in your soul."    Program subject to change.
Little Rock., Ark., Dec. 23, 1909. Porter Lyceum Bureau, Des Moines, la. My Dear Mr. Porter:—That man Tot¬ten must be a wonder. He is doing more to cure the blues over this country than any man I know of. I have followed him four years on lecture courses. I know more about his work than anybody living, although  I  have  never  met  him  in  the flesh; but I know him just the same. I know him as a wonderful man. He has cured more dyspepsia throughout the United States than all the doctors and patent medicines combined. I know him as a rare and fine personality who upsets towns with a gale of laughter, who catches the hypochondriac off his guard and yanks him out of the depths into sunshine and optimism before he knows what has happened. He leaves everybody laughing out their own mystification. One school superintendent told me he had heard Totten seven times and laughed more the seventh time than he did the first.
For four years I have been camping on his breezy trail and I have never heard of his disappointing, but I have heard "\skyfuls" of praise. Chautauqua managers, com¬mittees, fellow artists, and all those competent to judge, tell me every day that Totten is always an event long to be remembered in any town. He is long remembered. He is demanded again* And everyone informs me what a fine gentleman lie is off the platform as well as on it. While I have never met him, yet I number him among my choicest acquaintances, for I have seen the effect of his magnificent work, and I know, for I have been hearing for four years the laughter he leaves behind liim with his magic, his remarkable impersonations, and the wholesome ripple of mirth, entertainment and pleasure he scatters with such extravagant prodigality. Yes, I know Totten, and his work is of the best, the finest, the truest. Cordially yours,
EDWARD ALBERT WIGGAM.
Rev* Chas* W* Welch* Chairman Platform Committee of The Jackson Chautauqua Association* Jackson* Tenn*—Mr. J. M. Totten was with us during the entire ten days of our Chautauqua season, and no one of the many capable and efficient artists taking part in that most successful series of entertainments gave more general satisfaction than did Mr. Totten with his "Impersonations" and "Magic."
J* J* Parker, Merom Bluff Chautauqua, Merom, Ind*—One of the best attractions we had on our program in this year's Chautauqua was J. M. Totten in his "Mysteries of Magic" and impersonations. This is Totten's second appear¬ance here and I think we shall have him again.
Edward G* Bauman, Supt* City Schools, Mount Vernon— I take pleasure in saying that Mr. J. M. Totten was one of the attractions at the Nokomis (Illinois) Chautauqua last summer. He was with us throughout the entire session, August 27-September 3. His work was in every way most satisfactory and we were delighted with the entertainments he gave us. The audience always looked forward with much pleasure to his entertainment. Totten is as fine a reader and impersonator as I have seen. More than that, lie is a most clever magician. I consider his work in magic of a high order and equal to that of the best. In many ways his work pleased better than that of Maro, Durno, Hendrickson and others, all of whom we have had on the program. His repertoire is most complete and he is the best all-round entertainer it has been my pleasure to meet. He is a perfect gentleman. Moreover, he is not afraid that he will give you more than your money's worth, but is ever ready to help out in any emergency. I wish to say to managers of Chautauqua and Lecture Courses that Totten is all right and you will make no mistake in giving him a place on your program. He will make good every time.
Daily Freeman Tribune—The first number of the Elmo Lodge Odd Fellows lecture course, given last evening, was an unqualified success. "Totten," magician, humorist and impersonator, entertained a large audience in what was pro¬nounced one of the best entertainments of the kind ever attempted in the city. He kept his audience in uproarious laughter for fully two hours.    The Odd Fellows are cer- tainly to be congratulated on the suc¬cess of the first number of their lecture course.
Louis E. Steinbach, County Supt. of Schools, Plymouth, Ind.—James M. Totten, the magician, furnished an evening entertainment at our County
Teachers' Institute. It gives me pleasure to say that the entertainment was excellent and that the people were highly pleased. Many expressed themselves that it was the best of its class ever seen in the city of Plymouth. Mr. Totten is a thorough gentleman, and I shall try to secure his services for next year. Daily Tribune, South Bend, Ind*—Nothing in the line of amusement which the Teachers' Institute has had during the last three years, excelled "An Evening in Magic" or "Seein' Things at Night," presented by James M. Totten, at last night's session. As a magician and impersonator, Mr. Totten ranks with the first in his class. At Wednesday evening's session Mr. Totten entertained with some very delightful readings and impersonations. His masterly efforts were thoroughly appreciated, and the quality of the program was highly pleasing. His dialect and humor are interesting in the extreme.
Merom, Ind«, Chautauqua—James Totten, the Magician, appeared yesterday after¬noon as James Totten, the reader, and a remarkably fine reader he is! To say that he made "a decided hit" is expressing it mildly. For genuine fun he is certainly up to the mark. At night he pleased the audience with some very entertaining magic. Mr. Totten is undoubtedly a popular feature of the Chautau¬qua.—Sullivan Daily Times.
Jackson, Tenn*, Chautauqua—Mr. Totten delighted the audience with a number of sketches, and a reading of James Whitcomb Riley's poem, "When the Frost is on the Pumpkin and the Fodder is in the Shock." By special request he gave the sketch called "Watchin' the Courtin'," and should he give it again we would nut grow tired. He is an artist in his work and appeals to every heart. In the even¬ing he mystified the audience with his magic and made us believe that we were in Fairyland. There have been many wonder-workrs in Jackson, but none so clever have we seen as Mr. Totten.—Jackson, Tennessee, Whig. L* V. Cravens, Manager Madison, Ind*, Chautauqua—James M. Totten, the all-round entertainer and magician, was at our assembly this year for four days. His work in every line was up to the standard, while the audience stared in wonder at his dexterous, magical work, and encore after encore followed his humorous impersonations.
H. E. Coe, County Supt*, DeKalb Co*, Auburn, Ind.—For one of the evening entertainments of the DeKalb County Teachers' Institute, it was our good fortune to secure J. M. Totten. It is impossible to express the surprise and delight that awaited  us.    An  evening  in  magic,  humor  and  impersonations  such  as  I  am
certain the  most of us  had  never before witnessed  was presented.    Mr.  Totten certainly surpasses anything in his line, not only  in one of the lines mentioned, but  all  three.    His  feats  of  magic are simply   wonderful  and  seem  to  surpass human comprehension.    From  the ftrtt appearance  before  the  audience,  the  intensity  of interest never abated.    It is certainly a complete gratification to those interested in securing good talent for entertainments to secure such talent as that possessed by Mr. Totten. Madison, Ind., Chautauqua—Whether as magician or mirth maker, Totten is an excellent entertainer.—Madison   Daily Herald.
The Rapid City Daily Journal—It is just impossible to say enough about the splendid Chautauqua programs that are being given to the public every day. Today is to be the best day, and everybody who possibly can should attend. The Hall-Wright players put on several playlets very acceptably, one of which was one in three acts with Benedict Arnold and the heroine. This was a strong piece of acting by the masculine member of the com¬pany. The gentleman also gave a nuniber of impersonations that were very comical. In the evening Rev. F. 11. Wedge, the fighting parson, entertained and elevated his audience by giving some incidents from concerning his life from bootblack to preacher. Professor Totten, the magician, made friends from first to last. What he cannot do in the line of magic no one else need to try. There is just no use to explain for it cannot be done. The amount of stuff he can take out of a gentleman's hat showed that it is of no use to take a trunk when one is traveling. Just get a man's hat and the deed is done. Professor Totten's make-up for men who have been in the public eye was the best ever. There was Grant, Roosevelt and many more and they were so perfect one could almost believe the earth had turned back and was bringing upon the scene of action again all those illustrious men. The Norfolk Daily News—The evening entertainment will be lastingly impressed upon the minds of a host of youngsters who for the first time witnessed clever feats in legerdemain. A thirty minutes' prelude was enjoyed, thanks to the art  of Mrs.  Avery, who set the audience astir with  her funny, pathetic and intensely patriotic renditions.    Then came the ap¬pearance of a slightly bald man in evening dress who started in a wheezing voice, accompanied with  an  expression  of counte¬nance  that  invited  the  service of a physician, to tell a pitiful story of illness which  his doc¬tors had told him would make it     almost     suicidal     to     talk through one of his lungs, wind-ing   up   an   alarming  crisis   by bellowing  out,   "but  lie  says  I may   talk   through   the   other." This chap is Totten, the magi-cian.    The clever and mystify¬ing tricks he performed were almost amazing and, if he had lived in the good old days of witchcraft he would long since have been sent to the devil, his master, with pomp and great public cere¬mony.    His work was equal to any of that which is sometimes shown   by  the  remarkable  jugglers  of  India,  the  home  of  the black art.
What others say
Clean-Clever-Refined
Magic-Mirth-Mystery
Spectacular
Marvelous-Weird
MISS FLORA E. TOTTEN
A talented young lady who displays rare ability in the mysterious art. Miss Totten originated many of the experiments performed in this wonderful program.