Anton Zamloch - Early Years Touring The West

Early Years Touring The West

In the early years of his career, Zamloch toured mining towns and other locales in the western United States.

The first press report found on Zamloch was a review in the Morning Oregonian on November 11, 1874 reporting that “Prof. Zamloch, the clever magician, made his professional appearance for the first time in Portland, and gave a number of good tricks.” In October 1879, the Oakland Tribune reported on Zamloch’s performances at the Dietz Opera House: “The continued success which Zamloch the magician has met with at Dietz Opera House this week is almost unprecedented in the history of public entertainments given in Oakland. . . . . His extravaganzas of magic were so swiftly executed and so mysteriously subtle that two centuries ago he could have been richly deserved being burned at the stake as a necromancer of the blackest arts and disciple of his satanic majesty. But at this advanced age in anno domini 1879 he is a pleasant gentleman and harmless entertainer. The world does move.”

In 1881, he visited southern Utah. To secure publicity for his shows, he went to the office of the local newspaper, The Silver Reef Miner. Supposing it would amuse the editorial staff, he made three unopened quarts of whiskey and a large box of cigars vanish. Zamloch later recalled that the editors were not amused, accused him of banditry, and he was nearly shot. The incident ended with the return of the whiskey and cigars, and the paper ran an account Zamloch’s hoax. Zamloch kept a clipping from The Silver Reef Miner in his scrapbook. He once traveled with a sixteen-mule freight operation from Silver City, New Mexico to Winnemucca, Nevada – a ten-day journey of “continual dust.”

When Zamloch appeared in Tombstone, Arizona, site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the local paper reported: “Professor Anton Zamloch returned to Tombstone, on November 19, fortified with more experience and the plaudits of other communities. . . . ’His spirit rapping, taking three cages and as many canaries from a hat of one of the audience, shooting doves out of an omelet, and hundreds of other amusing deceptions kept the audience in good humor."