1870 - Professor Morey

Sacramento Daily Union, January 7, 1869
   Academy of Music — Professor Morey continues to amuse with magic, ventriloquism, etc., at the Academy of Music.
 

 

Daily Gleaner, May 16, 1870

   WE have much pleasure in announcing the arrival yesterday, in the French Steamer Darien, of Professor Morey, "The Wizard of the East" an astonishing performer in the Magic Art, Ventriloquism, &c. Professor Morey has just returned from the Pacific, having performed to crowded houses in British Columbia, California, &c. We have perused the opinion of the Press upon Professor Morey's performances, and can venture to assert that few in the Art can come up to his excellence. Professor Morey, we may add, will only remain in this city for a short time.

Daily Gleaner, May 19, 1870
   PROFESSOR MOREY, whose arrival we have already announced, will give his first entertainment at the Theatre this evening. The Professor comes with a reputation which surpasses ail that we have received of similar performers visiting this country, so much so that he has earned the cognomen of the Wizard of the East. He knows either personally or by reputation most of the Prestigiateurs who have visited us of late, and he seems confident that if they gave satisfaction, then he is prepared to excite astonishment. The Box Sheet will be opened at the establishment of Messrs. DeCordova, McDougall & Co., at 9 o'clock this morning, where tickets may be secured,

 

Daily Gleaner, May 22, 1870
   PROFESSOR MOREY, the great Illusionist and Ventriloquist, gave his first entertainment at the Theatre in this City on Thursday evening, and it affords us pleasure to state that, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, there was a large attendance, and the performance fully merited the patronage thus liberally bestowed; for the Professor is a Magician of considerable self-possession and coolness, quite in contrast with the numerous tribe of his craft, who mostly depend upon the glitter of their Magic Temples and the artificial excitement they are able to produce upon the spectators for accomplishing their illusions. The several feats on Thursday night were remarkably chaste and perfect, creating no little wonder in the minds of the spectators as to the means by which they were performed. Those that were not new were presented in a novel and therefore more acceptable phase. We can scarcely be expected to enumerate the various tricks by which he astonished the spectators, but we may mention, one which has not been presented to a Kingston audience, we are credibly informed, for upwards of forty years; namely the instantaneous growth of flowers, in which tbe Professor places three small tables at the footlights, and on each of two of them he sets an ordinary flower pot filled with. sand. Over one of these he puts an ordinary paper cone, which hides it from view. On lifting it a growing plant is seen. He covers it again, and on removing the covering a second time the plant is shown ftill grown and laden with flowers. He repeats the process with the next flower pot, with like result. He then goes to the third table, and on that he produces from the same cone a full growth of flowers flowerpot and all. This trick alone is worth a visit to Profespor Morey.
   As a Ventriloquist we venture to say the like of Professor Morey has not been seen in Jamaica for a long time. In the delineation of this branch of his art he affected no less than six distinct Voices—we understand he has the command of ten—and kept his audience amused for fully half an hour. This is an acoompltshment that will of itself be sufficient to attract, as it is seldom that anyone is found to possess such an extraordinary control over the voice. The audience was highly delighted, and we expect that at the entertainment to-night there will be an overwhelming house. The box sheet will be opened at 9 o'clock this morning at the Stationery Establishment of Messrs M. DeCordova, McDougall & Co.

Daily Gleaner, May 25,  1870
                 WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 1870.
   ☞ IN consequence of the inclemency of the weather, PROFESSOR MOREY'S Performance, advertised for Tuesday Evening, has been postponed till Thursday Evening.

Daily Gleaner, May 26, 1870
                  THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1870.
                       PROFESSOR MOREY.
   Professor Moray, as may be judged by the Bills that were issued, prepared a grand array of most artistic feats in legerdemain, &c., for the entertainment of his audience on Tuesday evening; but in consequence of the inclement state of the weather, although a number of the fair sex embraced the opportunity of visiting the Theatre, the performance had to be postponed till this evening. It has been so much the custom of late to indulge in fulsome adulation of every second-rate entertainer who comes here, that we are almost constrained to remain silent when a man of truly great merit is before the public, satisfied that he can win his way; but it would hardly be doing Professor Morey justice to omit a single reference at least to the programme of this evening's performance, and direct especial attention to the incomparable spectacle of the Egyptian Sphinx. So as not to misrepresent the Professor we quote from the programme: —
                 WHAT IS THE SPHiNX?
   it a miracle? — No — Because it is the result of Natural causes.
   Is it a Mechanical Contrivance? — No — Because it is intelligent, and has the power of speech.
   Is it a living thing? — No — Because it has no viscera, and is confined in a very small compass.
   Is it a mere shadow? — No — Because it is palpable to the feeling and to sight.
   Is it an inanimate thing? — No — Because it has the power of vision and motion.
   Is it animate? — No — Because it is inert, and neither eats nor sleeeps.
   Is it Human? — No — Because it is a head without a body; and an intelligence without a Soul.
   Is it a block of Stone? — No.—Because its features are Mobile and Flexible
   Is it flesh and blood? — No.— Because it has neither fibrous tissues nor blood.
   ls it of supernatural nature? — No.—Because none but ligitimate causes produce the Mysterious results.
   Is it to be explained by any popular theory or by any generally known cause? — No—Because it is a paradox.
   What is it then? — A mystery.
   Apart from other attractions, this alone would be sufficient to secure Mr. Morey a great house.
   The Box sheet will be opened this morning at the stationery Establishment of Messrs. M. DeCordova, McDougall & Co.

Daily Gleaner, May 28, 1870
   PROFESSOR MOREY'S second entertainment on Thursday night was remarkable for one of the most astonishing, and therefore interesting, illusions ever produced here, namely the Sphinx. A table of simple construction is presented to the audience, on which the Magician places a paper cone, after a few words of explanation to the audience, the cone is removed, when a venerable looking head is presented to view. It answers all questions put to it with intelligence and promptness, drinks a glass of water, smokes a cigar, and puts out the surrounding lights. It is again covered with the cone, and, on this being removed, it is found to have disappeared in the same mysterious manner! It is certainly the most perfect illusion that has been presented among attractions of the kind to a Kingston audience, and will, we are sure, notwithstanding the many new feats prepared for this evening's performance, be the object of most attraction. It is expected there will be a crowded house, and intending visitors to the Theatre are advised to secure their seats early. The box sheet will be opened at the Stationery Establishment of Messrs. M. DeCordova, McDougall & Co., at 9 o'clock this morning.

 

I have not found anything certain about the career of this interesting performer beyond what is on this page.