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By Milbourne Christopher
Blitz traveled extensively here and abroad, Wyman was widely known in the eastern part of the United States, Harrington was "The New England magician." During his long period of activity as a magician ventriloquist, he seldom was more than a few days' travel distance from Boston.
A visit to the performance of Mr. Charles at the amphitheater in Boston's Washington Garden in 1821 led the 12-year-old Jonathan Harrington to take up sleight of hand and vocal sorcery. He appeared in public professionally five years later at Boston's Castle Street Hall. Offers for other engagements were forthcoming but his parents saw to it that he got a solider, if less remunerative, job at Samuel May's Hardware Store. But an ambitious young man who could throw his voice behind copper-bound kegs and boxes of nails was not to be kept cooped up in the four walls of a workaday shop.  He was heralded as the "second American ventriloquist" in the United States May 28, 1828. In addition to his voice control, he worked out a baffling routine of tricks and soon had another feature in an automaton band. Like the other successful wizards he offered his program with humorous comments. An 1850 critic said he had "Two hours of roars of laughter" and five years later the Boston Bee called him "the funniest man alive."
In 1859 Harrington inaugurated a custom which he and other magicians continued for years afterwards - a Fourth of July conjuring show for Boston children in the public garden. He gave seven performances throughout the day and an estimated 30,000 Bostonians visited the garden.
After a run at the Tremont Street Temple in 1862, he signed with P. T. Barnum, who was then managing the Aquarial Gardens, for an engagement under his banner. By 1864 Harrington had gained "time-honored popularity and fame," according to the Boston Post. He was held in high regard and seldom left his retirement to perform but when he did he was cordially welcomed.
That Fourth of July the wizard slowed down his pace. Giving but five shows through the day. He gave them in three different places, the Boston Theater, Fanueil Hall and Tremount Temple. Fourteen years later Harrington was still giving his annual shows on the Fourth, though now they were but four in number, all at Tremount Temple.
He was 69 and affectionately known as "Old Harrington." Fathers brought their sons to enjoy the tricks and ventriloquy that they themselves had enjoyed when they were youngsters. Harrington was a Boston tradition. His humor had a strong appeal and he could be relied upon never to offend New England sensibilities.
Performing in Yorke, Maine, in April, 1881 Old Harrington caught a cold. He found it difficult to throw his voice in nooks and crannies and even when he succeeded at lacked the wonderful vibrance and quality remembered from years before.
The cold turned into pneumonia and May 4, 1881 Jonathan Harrington died at his home in Revere, Mass.
Two months later many an old Bostonian was saddened as he read the list of magicians billed for the annual Fourth of July festivities. Fillebrown, Balabrega, Harmon, Wilbur, Oliver, Bryant, Lugardian - but no Harrington. There would still be holiday shows for the youngsters in the spirit he had initiated, as much a part of the great American day as fireworks, the stars and stripes and martial music, but Old Harrington had made his voice emanate from a puzzled child's lips for the last time, had pulled his last carrot from a puzzled child's nose.
(MUM, Volume 42, Number 5, October, 1952, pps. 128 - 129. Copyright MUM 1952)
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