IN THE BEGINNING


It was 1956, a freezing cold November morning in Baltimore, MD, and the snow was pouring down and beginning to drift. I stepped onto the bus, dropped my dime into the box located beside the driver, and headed to the rear of the bus. I had been saving my allowance and my goal that morning was to visit Phil Thomas’, Yogi Magic Mart. I had watched Phil on Channel 13, WAAM in Baltimore for quite some time. He had a Saturday morning TV Show where he presented magicians and also ran movies of the “Little Rascals”. Yes, those were the good old days. Black and white TV and a 10″ screen.

By the time I reached downtown Baltimore the snow was 2′ high and still coming down. I tucked my gloved hands into my jacket as I trudged four blocks through the snow drifts to 215 North Charles St., my breath painting the air like clouds with every step I took.

After looking for a sign, I finally spotted a small one, about 5″ x 12″, hanging directly over a small doorway. Strangely, my heart was beating with anticipation. The sign proclaimed “Yogi Magic Mart”. Opening the door I peered in to see two flights of stairs leading to the second floor.

At the landing between the two sets of stairs there was a small dim light bulb that partially illuminated the dark stairway. The old wooden stairs creaked eerily as I started up them, and there was a distinct musty odor in the hallway. Looking up the stairs to the second landing, I could barely see a number of old faded magic posters at the very top of the stairs.

I continued up the stairs past the second landing and when I reached the top landing, I made two sharp right turns,and walked down a narrowhallway. The hallway was lined on the left side with all kinds of magic posters some bearing pictures of imps and devils, alongwith famous magicians. As I crossed the threshold of the magic shop a…
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