Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.03.2007, Blaðsíða 13

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. mars 2007 • 13
Hated by his idol
It’s not easy to follow in the footsteps of a master — particularly one whose
name has become a house-
hold word. But escape artist
Dean Gunnarsson, who has
performed all of Houdini’s es-
capes and created many of his
own, once received affirmation
in an unexpected way.
“There’s a famous author
who has written a lot of magic
books, William Rauscher, out
of Philadelphia, and I was there
last year doing a show. At the
end, everybody clapped, and
this older gentlemen stood up
and said, ‘It was a great show,’
and introduced himself, add-
ing he was the author of many
Houdini books.” Rauscher
knew Houdini’s widow and
was a stage magician himself.
“He said, ‘I would just like
to say that if Houdini were
alive today, he would have hat-
ed your guts.’”
The audience gasped.
After a moment, Dean said,
“Thank you very much. That’s
the highest compliment you
could give me.”
The audience still wasn’t
buying it. William Rauscher
said, “No, no! Wait, wait, wait.
The reason I think Houdini
would have hated your guts is
that I think you’re a better es-
cape artist than Houdini was.”
The significance of that re-
mark rippled through the audi-
ence, who started clapping.
On reflection, Dean thinks
Rauscher may well be right.
“Houdini was so much into be-
ing the best — and that’s why
we remember him today,” he
says. “Anyone who came along
to outdo him, he would have
tried to squish like a bug. He
would not have accepted me as
a friend.”
Dean Gunnarson is an es-
cape artist based in Manitoba,
and is preparing for an upcom-
ing tour in China.
Dean Gunnarsson
ACROSS
1 Salmon
4 Vaunt
9 Been
12 Opera solo
14 Indian currency
15 Fur coat
16 Domestic help
17 Beginning
18 Attorney (abbr.)
19 To wait
21 More prosperous
23 Frozen water
24 Sky
25 Sheep’s head
28 Distress call
31 Small particle
34 Gains a point
36 Manipulate
38 Shoshonean
40 Pans
41 Lay to rest
43 Obstruct
44 Imitate
45 Pole
46 Moving the boat
48 Sports channel
51 Tiny mark
53 Neck
54 Note of debt
56 Escudo
58 Rotten shark
61 Made bird-guides
66 Against
67 Automobile
69 Bear or Berra
70 Hera
71 Swiss mathematician
72 Make
73 Cut
74 Mature
75 Pod vegetable
DOWN
1 Dalai __
2 Arabian
3 Baker’s dozen
4 Rodeo bull
5 Parts of pounds
6 Niche
7 Behold
8 Neon fish
9 Together
10 Wager
11 Better than yogourt?
13 Insert
15 Large
20 Military officer
22 Roman three
25 Extent
26 Chooses a candidate
27 Tax agency
29 Outwit
30 South southeast
32 Spring flower
33 Repent
34 Resort hotel
35 Title of respect
37 Be incorrect
39 Chick holder
42 Affirmative gesture
43 Communication Workers
of America (abr.)
47 __ upon a time
49 Softness
50 Neither’s partner
52 Lodge
55 Stomach sore
57 Tough
58 Pilgrimage to Mecca
59 Water (Sp.)
60 Male monarch
61 Juice solids
62 Seed bread
63 Cleaning agent
64 Giant
65 One of Columbus’s ships
68 French “yes”
ANSWERS ON PAGE 15
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21 22
23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
34 35 36 37 38 39
40 41 42 43
44 45 46 47
48 49 50 51 52 53
54 55 56 57
58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
66 67 68 69
70 71 72
73 74 75
The Lögberg-Heimskringla Crossword Puzzle
by David Jón Fuller
“Thorramatur”
One hundred years ago
this week, Heimskringla ac-
cused Lögberg of telling a lie
in its most recent issue, which
had appeared in the Tribune
also, namely that an election
pollster, upon inferring that a
voter intended to vote for Con-
servative candidate Thomas
Sharpe, commented that the
voter would “at any rate not be
voting for an Icelander.” Heim-
skringla said this story could
not be verified.
Lögberg published Mani-
toba provincial election results.
The newspaper responded to
Heimskringla’s accusations,
saying it ought to look more
deeply into the matter and take
it up with the Tribune, who
knew the source of the story.
A summary of the efforts of
the Icelandic communities in
Pembina, ND to be linked by
rail was presented. At a recent
meeting of people in the area,
it was proposed that the only
way to have a railroad line
was if the farmers built it and
owned it themselves.
Fifty years ago this week,
Heimskringla featured a front-
page memorial to “a great
farmer” Pétur Thorsteinson,
who lived four miles west of
Wynyard, SK. Also commemo-
rated was Guðni Júlíus Óleson
of Glenboro, MB, respected
writer, publisher and essayist.
Elman Guttormsson’s speech
to the Manitoba Legislature on
why he opposed the sale of mar-
garine, coloured or uncoloured,
was printed. “The sale of mar-
garine hurts the dairy farmer of
the province,” he wrote.
Lögberg declared that Can-
ada had developed significantly
in 25 ways since 1948 under the
government of Liberal Prime
Minister Louis St. Laurent.
Dr. Richard Beck represented
North Dakota State Univer-
sity at a celebration of alumni
in Minot, and at a conference
in Fargo as a consultant for
foreign students. “Battle with
Wolves on Christmas Eve” was
an account from Jón Thomsen
during the Gold Rush in Cali-
fornia.
Twenty-five years ago this
week, Lögberg-Heimskringla
reported that Icelandic farmers
were planning to visit Canada
in July 1982. Lori Johannes-
son was crowned Queen of the
Riverton Ice Carnival. Iceland
would become, in April, the
100th country visited by the
Harlem Globetrotters. Mil-
dred E. Olson retired from the
University of Minnesota after
34 years in the university’s
School of Medicine. Einar
Arnason wrote of the early
days of winter fishing on Lake
Manitoba, when dog sleighs
heated by kerosene lamps
were used. The late Rev. Kol-
beinn Simundsson of Reyk-
javík, Iceland, passed away in
the home of one of his children
in Seattle, WA on February 23.
The INL Brúin Chapter hosted
a January birthday party at the
Selkirk Betel Home, celebrat-
ing ten birthdays.
Compiled and translated
by David Jón Fuller. For com-
plete back issues, visit www.
timarit.is.
Eric Stefanson, FCA
Regional Managing Partner,
Central Canada Region
800-200 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
T: 204.926.7200 F: 204.926.7206
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