Viking Magazine - February 2015 - 9

Newmann the Great
N
BY JEFF M. SAUVE
orwegian-American magician C.A. Newmann (1880-1952), aka
" Newmann the Great " garnered attention for his startling feats while
performing hypnotism and mind-reading shows in the Midwest. Born
Christian Andrew Naeseth, he spent his boyhood in Kenyon, Minn., where
his father, John K. Naeseth, served as the newspaper publisher.
As a colorful showman, Newmann once advertised, " Learn how children
may be controlled, diseases cured, bad habits corrected, mental and moral
reform demonstrated, a possibility through hypnotic suggestion. " Audiences
were entertained over the next two hours and encouraged to " come,
investigate, meditate, think and laugh as never before. "
At the height of his career in 1909, Newmann was widely known for
one particular stunt, the " blindfold drive " in a horse-drawn carriage. A
committee of solid citizens that included a university student, a physician,
a businessman, a churchman and a police chief would hide an object
somewhere in the city. Then, Newmann would be blindfolded and led to
the carriage. With crowds trailing him and amid much fanfare, he drove the
carriage still blindfolded to the spot where the object had been hidden.
Although nearly forgotten today, one of Newmann's contemporaries,
magician Howard Thurston, wrote to him, " Without hesitation I think you
are the most wonderful hypnotist I have ever met in all the world, and your
psychic power as demonstrated in mind reading was astounding. "
Jeff M. Sauve serves as an archivist for the Norwegian-American
Historical Association in Northfi eld, Minn.
Cycling Th rough Bergen
In September 2017, Bergen will host one of the
largest cycling events in the world-The Road
Cycling World Championship. After the city held
a national championship in 2008, organizers
suggested bidding for the 2016 Road Cycling
World Championship. Doha, Qatar, won the
2016 bid, but Bergen beat out cities in Australia,
Colombia and Austria to host the 2017 races. The
nine-day event includes road and track races in
Bergen and surrounding areas. A cross-country
track built for the championships will pass
through the heart of the historic city. Other
courses will run from the Norwegian mainland
to the islands of Sotra and Askøy. The race is
expected to attract more than 300,000 spectators
and millions of television viewers around
the world.
CHAMPIONS OF THE SEA
Norway is the world's second largest seafood
exporter. Throughout the year, 35 million
seafood meals produced by Norway are
consumed worldwide each day. Here's a look
at the world's top fi ve export nations.
1. China
2. Norway
3. Thailand
4. Vietnam
5. United States
For more on Norway's seafood industry,
see page 18.
Salmon Fishing in the Norwegian Fjords = " Laksefi ske i de norske fjordene "
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PHOTO (RIGHT) COURTESY OF NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOC., NORTHFIELD, MINN., CHARTICLE SOURCE: STATISTA.COM, 2012

http://www.STATISTA.COM http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - February 2015

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