ERDNASE

Discuss general aspects of Genii.
Roger M.
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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Roger M. » December 28th, 2016, 2:00 am

S. Tauzier wrote: Erdnase was no amatuer - this we know.

Critically important to any discussion on either the book, or the author - is that we know nothing of the sort.

performer
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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby performer » December 28th, 2016, 9:06 am

I believe Erdnase was a magician and NOT a cardsharp! I am psychic and know these things. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if he had rarely played cards for money. He knew too much about sleight of hand. Card sharks don't. He reasoned that books on cheating sell better than books on magic. And he was right. And that is why he did not put his real name to the book. People would realise he was full of tosh and that he had never gambled in his life.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 28th, 2016, 9:50 am

S. Tauzier wrote:One thing I know has misled the whole movement is the anagram sacred cow. That whole misguided mess needs to be led to pasture and slaughtered once and for all. Let go already- it doesnt make any sense!
When writers use a paeudonym- they never just simply scramble the letters of their real name. Dont they usually come up with something totally obscure that bears zero resemblance to their real name.


Misled? A misguided mess? Mr. Tauzier, you obviously haven't read David Alexander's essay on W.E. Sanders.

"...they never just simply scramble the letters of their real name." Really? Mr. Tauzer, let me pass along a piece of advice given to me by one of my English professors at the university:

Never speak in absolutes!

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 9:57 am

Brad - if you read the review there is a meanstreak in it that brings up topics that have nothing to do with the review.
Bill - did you read the book or Chris' posts? There is some info on him performing magic.
Performer - why cant someone intrested in magic, learn a bunch of card tricks and then at some point play cards, start using some slieght of hand to cheat, then start a deep study of cheating techniques, then become a cardsharp? That doesnt seem too far fetched for me.
Ive read all the work on the Erdnase sluething and so many things that bothered me were absent in the Wasshuber book.
Nevertheless- anyone interested in the subject should read this book and temper their thoughts with its contents.
It holds weight IMHO.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 10:07 am

Mr Leonard, please pardon my hyperbolic absolute but please name me one author
in the last 120 years that has simply scrambled the letters of his true name to arrive at a pseudonym so that I may humbly stand corrected.
I like the German 'Erdnase nickname' theory. It makes more sense to me.

S.T.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Bill Mullins » December 28th, 2016, 10:20 am

S. Tauzier wrote:Bill - did you read the book or Chris' posts? There is some info on him performing magic.


Yes I did. Did you?

Gallaway was in a show which "consisted of a series of stereopticon pictures, purloined from old family albums, showing our own Donnelley dignitaries as they looked in early life. . . .To attempt to tell how funny some of our staid executives looked in their swaddling clothes and velvet knickers of early youth is futile. The wild guesses voiced by the audience, before Gallaway, officiating as Bustin Homes, announced their identities, was evidence of their oddity in most cases. "

Gallaway emceed a slide show. That's not a magic performance, despite the show having been titled "Magic Wand". One of the reviewers mentioned Gallaway and his "bag of tricks" -- a common enough turn of phrase, but clearly it doesn't refer to conjuring in this case. Gallaway was no more a magician than Felix the Cat.

Of all lapses of logic in Chris's book, this is the most serious. If it had been true, it would have been an important piece of evidence in favor of Gallaway. As it is, it taints everything else in the book.
Last edited by Bill Mullins on December 28th, 2016, 10:34 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Bill Mullins » December 28th, 2016, 10:31 am

S. Tauzier wrote:please name me one author in the last 120 years that has simply scrambled the letters of his true name to arrive at a pseudonym so that I may humbly stand corrected.


Persi Diaconis wrote as R. Sid Spocane II.
Martin Gardner wrote as Armand T. Ringer.

That's just from people who are relevant to the Erdnase mystery. There are more, I'm sure.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 11:03 am

Bill... really? You name two authors closely related to the research on Erdnase? Give me a break- the theory that Erdnase swapped his letters around surely gave them the idea to do that with their names! Are you kidding?
Name two non- magicians because most magicians are aware of this theory and they would be tempered to do the same thing. 'Normal' authors are not known to do this.
Stephen King-Richard Bachman
Samuel Langhorne Clemens-Mark Twain
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson-Lewis Carroll
Benjamin Franklin- Mrs. Silence Dogood
Isaac Asimov- Paul French
S.T.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 11:06 am

Bill- Then it is quite obvious that you have not seen Felix The Cats classic version of "Cups And Hairballs"

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 28th, 2016, 11:56 am

S. Tauzier wrote:Name two non- magicians because most magicians are aware of this theory and they would be tempered to do the same thing. 'Normal' authors are not known to do this.


No problem S.T. The Genii grants all wishes:

"Arrigo Boito" = "Tobia Gorrio"
"Edward Gorey" = "Ogdred Weary", = "Regera Dowdy" or = "E. G. Deadworry" (and others)
"Vladimir Nabokov" = "Vivian Darkbloom", = "Vivian Bloodmark", = "Blavdak Vinomori", or = "Dorian Vivalkomb"
"Ted Morgan" = "(Sanche) de Gramont"
"Dave Barry" = "Ray Adverb"
"Glen Duncan" = "Declan Gunn"[29]
"Damon Albarn" = "Dan Abnormal"
"Anna Madrigal" = "A man and a girl"
"Tom Marvolo Riddle" = "I am Lord Voldemort"
"Buckethead" = "Death Cube K"
"Daniel Clowes" = "Enid Coleslaw"
"Siobhán Donaghy" = "Shanghai Nobody"

Several of these are "imperfect anagrams", letters having been left out in some cases for the sake of easy pronunciation.

As you can see S.T.--you are wrong--very mistaken. I gave you a list of more than two authors who have used anagrams as pen names. Even the poet and songwriter Jim Morrison used an anagram of his name calling himself "Mr. Mojo Risin" in his song L.A. Woman.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Brad Henderson » December 28th, 2016, 11:58 am

pt selbit - Percy tibbles.

magician who was unlikely to know anything about the erdnase theory created his name by reversing it.

but I think you demand we dismiss magicians is putting the cart before the horse. perhaps erdnase was merely a magician who made his decision by having seen other magicians like tibbles make similar pseudonyms.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Brad Henderson » December 28th, 2016, 12:00 pm

such an enthusiastic defense by mr tauzier suggests something more must be at hand.

perhaps tauzier is an anagram for washuber.

this is fun!!!

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby performer » December 28th, 2016, 12:43 pm

S. Tauzier wrote:Performer - why cant someone interested in magic, learn a bunch of card tricks and then at some point play cards, start using some slieght of hand to cheat, then start a deep study of cheating techniques, then become a cardsharp? That doesnt seem too far fetched for me.


Because magicians have led sheltered lives and have little knowledge on how to lie, cheat and steal. Or have the mentality required. Except of course illusion makers that run off with your money. But then illusion makers generally do not know much about sleight of hand.

The book is too well written for it to be authored by someone terribly wicked. And magicians are far too boring to be terribly wicked. And it was obviously written by a magician. Card sharks know about 3 or 4 moves at the most. They don't know a fraction of what is in that book. There is a whole section in the back about magic because the author couldn't resist doing it. And in the supposed card sharping section there are clues in some of the words and expressions used which give the game away the author was a magician.

Magicians are mostly all talk about gambling and card cheating. Sure, they might be able to do the moves required but alas they don't have the mentality to risk having their hands broken if they get caught. This particular book reminds me of the myriad works by magicians on so called "cold reading" and other silliness when they have never done a paid psychic reading in their life.

Having said all that, I have cursorily read all the various theories on who Erdnase was. I shall merely say that as far as I am concerned Chris's theories have as much validity as anyone else's and I think I have indeed detected some mean spiritedness and lack of respect for them which for some reason other theorists don't seem to get to the same extent.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 12:55 pm

Leonard- to be exact, we should be looking at authors that would have set a precedent in the 1800's. Buckethead? Jim Morrison? That is hilarious.
Makes more sense that Erdnase is the german nickname "earth nose" and that our author was of German descent.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Brad Henderson » December 28th, 2016, 1:20 pm

ok so now we can't use a magician or anyone after a certain date as proof that the idea is a common one.

I have you a magician from that age who did exactly what erdnase may have done.

and Chris didn't discover the earth nose idea.

I personally
pointed it out to Richard hatch well over a decade ago and apparently I wasn't even tne first then.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 1:32 pm

Well I like the 'earth nose' trail.
I also like the anagram but thats just because I like anagrams. It just doesnt seem likely to me that this is the case here. My thought is if he wanted to hide his name, why risk it on a simple anagram? Too easy to figure out from those around him that may have been curious. Lets please not just argue for arguments sake; when we play devils advocate- the only winner is the devil herself.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Brad Henderson » December 28th, 2016, 3:44 pm

why are we assuming erdnase truly wanted to completely hide his identity?

seems to me it he truly wanted to remain anonymous he would have accredited its authorship to 'anonymous'

why can't the degree of anonymity
afforded by an anagram not be exactly the degree he desired?

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 28th, 2016, 4:02 pm

S. Tauzier wrote:Leonard- to be exact, we should be looking at authors that would have set a precedent in the 1800's. Buckethead? Jim Morrison? That is hilarious.


Oh--you are now setting parameters in the search for authors that used anagrams as pseudonyms? The author should be from the 1800's? And not a magician? Certainly T.S.--happy to oblige you and from that original list I gave you:

1. Arrigo Boito = 1842--1918

Set a precedent in the 1800s? Of what exactly? So far you have already been proven wrong.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 5:22 pm

Brad- yeah, I see what youre saying.
Leonard- ok, you win.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 28th, 2016, 8:09 pm

A digression within A Tale of a Tome?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby S. Tauzier » December 28th, 2016, 11:14 pm

performer wrote:
S. Tauzier wrote:Performer - why cant someone interested in magic, learn a bunch of card tricks and then at some point play cards, start using some slieght of hand to cheat, then start a deep study of cheating techniques, then become a cardsharp? That doesnt seem too far fetched for me.


Because magicians have led sheltered lives and have little knowledge on how to lie, cheat and steal. Or have the mentality required. Except of course illusion makers that run off with your money. But then illusion makers generally do not know much about sleight of hand.

The book is too well written for it to be authored by someone terribly wicked. And magicians are far too boring to be terribly wicked. And it was obviously written by a magician. Card sharks know about 3 or 4 moves at the most. They don't know a fraction of what is in that book. There is a whole section in the back about magic because the author couldn't resist doing it. And in the supposed card sharping section there are clues in some of the words and expressions used which give the game away the author was a magician.

Magicians are mostly all talk about gambling and card cheating. Sure, they might be able to do the moves required but alas they don't have the mentality to risk having their hands broken if they get caught. This particular book reminds me of the myriad works by magicians on so called "cold reading" and other silliness when they have never done a paid psychic reading in their life.

Having said all that, I have cursorily read all the various theories on who Erdnase was. I shall merely say that as far as I am concerned Chris's theories have as much validity as anyone else's and I think I have indeed detected some mean spiritedness and lack of respect for them which for some reason other theorists don't seem to get to the same extent.


Thanks Performer. You make great points.
Perhaps he was a magician first and then became a gambling move junky? Certain people are going to become obsessed with their chosen hobbies and trades. Even if gamblers only know/use a few moves, he could have been one of those guys that had to 'learn it all'. Just saying because we dont know- therefore anything is
possible.

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Re: The Hunt For Erdnase

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 28th, 2016, 11:15 pm

S. Tauzier wrote:Leonard- ok, you win.


Which proves that "normal" authors outside of magic have indeed used anagrams of their own names as pseudonyms. The sacred cow should not be put out to pasture. Challenging the anagram theory keeps us on our toes S.T. so I thank you for that.

The fact that W.E. Sanders played with anagrams of his own name as a schoolboy is compelling enough for me to continue believing he is the leading candidate in the hunt for the identity of S.W. Erdnase. The fact that Sanders purchased a stack of playing card decks before his Colorado camping trip certainly bolsters his candidacy as well.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 29th, 2016, 11:22 am

The fact that "WE SANDERS" appears reading downward in the slightly shifted triangle of text on the title page is also unlikely to be happenstance.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 12:56 pm

Leonard, so you have a list of folks who used an anagram of their name as pseudonym. Have you checked what their motivation was to choose that pseudonym? Was it a cute artsy thing to do? Or did they have a serious reason to stay anonymous such as fear of prosecution, bodily harm, loss of employment? Has anybody from that list outed themselves later and said, yeah that's me? Or did they all keep it to themselves and only after their death folks connected the dots?

Erdnase was in a precarious situation if detected being a cheat. We as magicians glorify advantage players, because we look at their awesome sleight-of-hand skills. But in reality they are crooks, cheats and thieves, because they steal money. If they are found out they will suffer serious consequences. In the times of Erdnase they might get beaten to a pulp, stabbed or perhaps even shot on the spot by the mark from whom they stole. At the very least they will be ostracized. Nobody will do business with them. This is the simple and obvious reason why Erdnase truly not only wanted to but needed to stay anonymous. Anything else is silly talk by magicians who have no idea what it meant to be found out a cheat during Erndase times.

For somebody like Gallaway who was working in the print industry in customer facing positions it would have meant the end of his career if people found out he is a cheat. The only profession one can openly pursue as cheat is the one of a reformed gambler. However, a reformed gambler would have certainly claimed EATCT as his own, because he earns his money with writing and lecturing on the methods of cheating.

One other comment on the anagram business. The only version for which there are at least rumors is the reverse spelling, meaning an E.S. Andrews. Once we start to leave out characters, exchange them with others, or go to a complex anagram then there is not even a rumor to support it.

The troubling weakness of the reverse spelling is that it is way too easy to figure out, and everybody knows that it is way to easy to figure out. That means for a cheat it is unacceptable as pseudonym. The easy spotting of the reverse spelling is also most likely the source of the rumor. There is no evidence that the reverse "Andrews' hint actually originated from Erdnase himself. Most likely one of the Drake's realized that S.W. Erdnase in reverse yields a common name. That means it is a particularly weak theory to begin with.

Nickname theory: I think the first who recognized that Erdnase can be understood as German word was Tom Sawyer. My contribution was to establish that the word Erdnase was in use in German literature before Erdnase, and that it is in use as nickname. That is the basis and factual underpinning of my nickname theory. Gallaway fits the nickname theory extremely well.

But keep in mind that all of these - reverse spelling, anagram, nickname, etc. - are theories, because we have no evidence how the author chose his pseudonym. The various theories are only some of the possible ways he could have chosen Erdnase.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 29th, 2016, 1:48 pm

lybrary wrote:Erdnase was in a precarious situation if detected being a cheat. We as magicians glorify advantage players, because we look at their awesome sleight-of-hand skills. But in reality they are crooks, cheats and thieves, because they steal money. If they are found out they will suffer serious consequences. In the times of Erdnase they might get beaten to a pulp, stabbed or perhaps even shot on the spot by the mark from whom they stole. At the very least they will be ostracized. Nobody will do business with them. This is the simple and obvious reason why Erdnase truly not only wanted to but needed to stay anonymous. Anything else is silly talk by magicians who have no idea what it meant to be found out a cheat during Erndase times.

The troubling weakness of the reverse spelling is that it is way too easy to figure out, and everybody knows that it is way to easy to figure out. That means for a cheat it is unacceptable as pseudonym. The easy spotting of the reverse spelling is also most likely the source of the rumor. There is no evidence that the reverse "Andrews' hint actually originated from Erdnase himself.


Yes, the author of The Expert did indeed want to keep his identity a secret but not exactly for the reason you cited. According to Hurt McDermott in his essay "Erdnase in Chicago," the contents of the book could have been considered immoral under the Comstock Law. There was an incentive to avoid a prison sentence, 5 years of hard labor, and a fine.

Yes, the reverse spelling anagram is too easy a trail to follow. Perhaps that is why it took a detective like David Alexander to finally discover W.E. Sanders. Alexander believed that Sanders expected the E.S. Andrews theory to surface and welcomed it as a red herring to throw off those on his trail.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Bill Mullins » December 29th, 2016, 2:00 pm

lybrary wrote: Nickname theory: I think the first who recognized that Erdnase can be understood as German word was Tom Sawyer.


The ebook says (wrongly) that Richard Hatch first discovered this.

My contribution was to establish that the word Erdnase was in use in German literature before Erdnase,


No, there were other people who noted this before you got interested in the subject.

Upthread, Mark Lewis said "I think I have indeed detected some mean spiritedness and lack of respect for [Chris's theories] which for some reason other theorists don't seem to get."

To the extent that I am one of those who doesn't extend respect, and has been mean spirited, the examples above are one reason why. Alexander, Hatch, Demarest, and other serious theorists have offered candidates in the spirit of "Here's an interesting guy. I'm not saying he's Erdnase, but he might be, and here's the evidence for him." Chris has said, "I've proved that Gallaway is Erdnase -- case closed" and been disdainful of not only the other candidates, but of people who don't agree with him. Others have asked for help, graciously accepted it, and given full credit to those who went before them. Chris has taken the work of others as his own.

Despite the fact that the tone of exchanges between Chris and me has gone south over the last year, I still think that Gallaway is, in the words of Richard Hatch, a "person of interest", and still continue to offer suggestions that may develop his standing as a candidate.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 2:23 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:The ebook says (wrongly) that Richard Hatch first discovered this.

Then you are reading an old edition. This has been corrected a while ago.
Bill Mullins wrote:No, there were other people who noted this before you got interested in the subject.

I was not aware of that. I certainly found other instances then the ones mentioned. Big deal. You had to correct yourself many times before on this thread. In any case, I was the first to formulate the nickname theory and later realized that it fits Gallaway. I did not develop it after I found Gallaway. This is an important point. I did not make it fit Gallaway as some wrongfully accuse me. I developed the nickname theory many months before I even found Gallaway.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 2:29 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:Chris has taken the work of others as his own.

Please educate us all where I have taken work of others and passed it along as mine.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 2:53 pm

Leonard Hevia wrote:Yes, the author of The Expert did indeed want to keep his identity a secret but not exactly for the reason you cited.

Interesting. And how do you know the exact reasons of Erdnase?
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby performer » December 29th, 2016, 3:08 pm

I really must try this anagram business the next time I go on the magic cafe.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 29th, 2016, 3:21 pm

lybrary wrote:
Leonard Hevia wrote:Yes, the author of The Expert did indeed want to keep his identity a secret but not exactly for the reason you cited.

Interesting. And how do you know the exact reasons of Erdnase?


The same way you do.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 3:30 pm

The Comstock law simply adds to the fact that a cheat was in a precarious situation. But you do not need these laws to explain the need for anonymity. Common sense tells you that a cheat wants to stay hidden. Even a kid knows that. It is such an easy fact to grasp except for some folks posting here.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Roger M. » December 29th, 2016, 3:41 pm

Anybody who had anything to do with anything "immoral", include writing about, participating in, or in any way making an effort to advance the field of cheating at playing cards would have been majorly influenced by the Comstock Laws which were in effect, and somewhat of a witch hunt at the time.

The simplest explanation for an anagram on the EATCT cover would be that, in an effort not to give a prosecutor direct evidence with which to bring charges against him, an author of a questionable book simply wouldn't give his actual name as the author.
There was no effort to "hide" from anybody at all, and no risk of being beaten or shot ... simply not using ones real name protects the author from self-incrimination under the Comstock Laws.

Because Erdnase wasn't actually trying to hide from anybody, an anagram would work perfectly well.

As to the comments about "mean spirited" exchanges, Chris gives as good as he takes.
Other Erdnase hunters have (as Bill noted) displayed a far more friendly and cooperative tone to this thread, and in their own written works.

Clay noted recently that there was nothing wrong with the strength of ones convictions.
This I read with interest, and noted that there is at least one other well known author who has declared that he has "found" Erdnase based on the evidence, and that author hasn't been questioned heavily on his findings.
The reason for that is, he made his statement based on his convictions, and let it resonate as it would on its own.

He didn't come into the Genii Forum and begin implying that anybody who disagreed with him was misinformed.
He didn't come into the Genii Forum and insult those who asked difficult questions, or disagreed with said authors comments.
He did simply make his choice for Erdnase, and left it at that.

Comments like the one seen in the previous post noting "It is such an easy fact to grasp except for some folks posting here" seem to be the exclusive domain of Chris - and as noted, you reap what you sew.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Leonard Hevia » December 29th, 2016, 3:45 pm

lybrary wrote:The Comstock law simply adds to the fact that a cheat was in a precarious situation. But you do not need these laws to explain the need for anonymity. Common sense tells you that a cheat wants to stay hidden. Even a kid knows that. It is such an easy fact to grasp except for some folks posting here.


You do need those laws if you want to stay anonymous when publishing a book such as The Expert. Erdnase could have walked into a pick up card game and not worry about being identified if he had used his true name for the book. There were no photos of him in the book. The other players would not have been able to identify him on sight.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Roger M. » December 29th, 2016, 3:49 pm

lybrary wrote:The Comstock law simply adds to the fact that a cheat was in a precarious situation. But you do not need these laws to explain the need for anonymity. Common sense tells you that a cheat wants to stay hidden. Even a kid knows that. It is such an easy fact to grasp except for some folks posting here.


You should read Forty Years a Gambler by George Devol.

Perhaps one of the most famous card cheats of all time, he hid from nobody, and plied his trade with a gun in his belt.
He was an actual card cheater, and he feared absolutely no one at all.

Your depiction of a card cheat in the late 1800's and early 1900's is terribly misinformed.

Indeed, Devol wrote a book about his experiences 10 years before Erdnase did ... and Devol used his own name contrary to your take on why an author might be afraid to use his own name as the author of a book on cheating at playing cards.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 4:19 pm

Leonard Hevia wrote:You do need those laws if you want to stay anonymous when publishing a book such as The Expert. Erdnase could have walked into a pick up card game and not worry about being identified if he had used his true name for the book. There were no photos of him in the book. The other players would not have been able to identify him on sight.

Then you should read Erdnase more carefully. In several places Erdnase mentions that it is absolutely necessary for the cheat to not even arouse the slightest suspicion. It was a point he made again and again and very strongly. It would be very foolish indeed to risk identification. And Erdnase was certainly no fool. But the point I make in my ebook is more about his career. Erdnase told Smith that he was a cardshark who was going straight. So clearly Erdnase must have had some other employment or profession in mind after his cardsharking to support him, particularly since he 'needed the money'. Being identified as a cheat would have meant a big problem for him to earn his living. So the threat of past marks finding him and beating him up is less than the threat to his future career in whatever other profession he had.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Denis Behr » December 29th, 2016, 4:20 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:
lybrary wrote: Nickname theory: I think the first who recognized that Erdnase can be understood as German word was Tom Sawyer.

The ebook says (wrongly) that Richard Hatch first discovered this.

I would guess that almost any German who read the book "discovered" that Erdnase sounds like a fun German word. I know I did, it's hard to miss.

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby lybrary » December 29th, 2016, 4:22 pm

Roger M. wrote:
lybrary wrote:The Comstock law simply adds to the fact that a cheat was in a precarious situation. But you do not need these laws to explain the need for anonymity. Common sense tells you that a cheat wants to stay hidden. Even a kid knows that. It is such an easy fact to grasp except for some folks posting here.


You should read Forty Years a Gambler by George Devol.

Perhaps one of the most famous card cheats of all time, he hid from nobody, and plied his trade with a gun in his belt.
He was an actual card cheater, and he feared absolutely no one at all.

Your depiction of a card cheat in the late 1800's and early 1900's is terribly misinformed.

Indeed, Devol wrote a book about his experiences 10 years before Erdnase did ... and Devol used his own name contrary to your take on why an author might be afraid to use his own name as the author of a book on cheating at playing cards.

Read my post above. My primary argument is about his career after cardsharking which would be seriously impacted being found out a cheat. And perhaps Devol was of different opinion than Erdnase. I am sure you read EATCT many times. You will remember several places where he strongly advises against the behavior you describe Devol exhibited.
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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Bill Mullins » December 29th, 2016, 4:28 pm

lybrary wrote:
Bill Mullins wrote:The ebook says (wrongly) that Richard Hatch first discovered this.

Then you are reading an old edition. This has been corrected a while ago.


The edition I am reading is the one you sold me on 11/30.

You've said many times here on the Forum that one of the great advantages of ebooks is that errors can be corrected. If you are correcting errors of fact, why aren't you sending updates to previous purchasers? You've got my contact information. Every time you make a change, you should be sending me (and the others that bought the book) an email saying that "Version 2.03 is now available, with the following errors corrected". And there should be some sort of tracking, so that two people with different versions can have an intelligent conversation about the contents, without one saying "The book says this", and the other saying "No, they book says something else".

If you don't proactively push out corrections, then this supposed "advantage" of ebooks is only a source of confusion (as we see here).

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Re: ERDNASE

Postby Bill Mullins » December 29th, 2016, 4:30 pm

performer wrote:I really must try this anagram business the next time I go on the magic cafe.


If we see a post there from "Ms. Warlike" or "Mike Rawls" we'll know it is you.
Last edited by Bill Mullins on December 29th, 2016, 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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