Every week the Town Crier blog will look back at Seattle’s near forgotten Town Crier magazine to see what was happening then and talk about what’s happening now. One of the largest sections of the original Town Crier was “What People Are Doing,” highlighting things like, “It is called the ‘Hospitality Club’ and it has come into being without flourish of trumpets and is meeting a real demand on the part of sailors and soldiers for a quiet, home-like place where they are welcome to read, write, study or amuse themselves in their own way.” In this new series we’re revisiting the old column and tying it to our community’s current happenings, asking: “what are people doing?”

Today’s entry…

The December 7th, 1918 edition of the Town Crier was very excited about the arrival of Carter the Magician. He brought with him “a company of twenty-five people with fifteen tons of marvelous illusions.” Carter, the Town Crier writes, has “astounded the world with his incomparable mysteries and uncanny, laughable entertainment in conjuring.” The act included levitation that—it was said—he learned from “the native fakirs and mahatmas” on “the banks of the sacred River Ganges.” The show that took place at Seattle’s prestigious Metropolitan Theatre created quite a furor.

Another astounding event coming soon, one that will undoubtedly create a furor at Seattle First Baptist Church, is Seattle Radio Theatre’s holiday show, A Very KIRO Christmas. No word on if there will be levitation, but KIRO Radio voices and other local celebrities, along with live music, sound effects, and family-friendly holiday laughs, will present a light-hearted holiday comedy live on stage.

Don’t miss A Very KIRO Christmas at Seattle First Baptist Church on 12/11!