Thibodaux minerva., 1853-10-22
Tricks and Tricksters,

Tricks and Tricksters.
Very few readers of "The Drawer" but will
remember 90 Professor Anderson, the adroit
trickist, and the skill with which he managed to
blind his audiences to the modus operandi OF his
operations, some of which, to say the least, were
very remarkable, and past finding out, by the
shrewdest and most watchful 1ooker-on. When
the professor said, in his peculiar way,
"Would army gentleman aw lady lend me a
poket- -engkerchief?- f?-Thenk-ye!" there was mis-
chief: for thereby hung g trick" that has
hitherto defed solution by the most acute and
penetrating observer But this apart.
There are other professors" it would seem; /;
| and in Europe they abound. OF one of them, a
celebrated f1ute-player, the following amusing
anecdote is recorded: 9
s.He advertised concert for his benefit in a
country-town and in order to attract those
who had no music in their souls, and were not
moved by concord of sweet sounds, he announced
that between the acts he would exhibit an ex-
traordinary feat, and one never before heard OF
in Europe He would sshold in his left hand a
glass of wine, and would allow six Of the strong
est men in the town to hold his arm; and not
withstanding all their efforts to prevent him, he
would drink the wne!''
j So novel and surprising display of strength,
as it was of course naturally enough regarded,
attracted very crowded house. Expectation
was on tip-toe, when the professor " appeared
upon the stage, with wine glass, full of wine,
in his hand, and in very polite and courteous
phrase, invited any half dozen men to come for
ward, and put his prowess AZ the test,
Several gentlemen, among whom was the
Mayor of the police, Immediately advanced to
the stage, and grasped the left of the g Pro-
fessor," apparently rendering the performance
of his promised feat out of the question
There was an awful pause for moment, when
the manacled g Professor, eying the gentle
men who had pinioned him, said in broken
English:
sGenteel-mens, are you all ready 7"
"We are ready." was the reply, they
grasped still more tightly his left arm.
. Are you quite sure you have got a fast
holds ~
The answer having been given in the affirma-
tive, by very confident nod by those to whom
it was addressed, the ssprofessor," to the in
finite amusement of the spectators, and to the
no small surprise of the group around him, ad-
vancing his right arm, which was of course en-
tirely free, very colly took the wineglass from
his left hand, and bowling very politely to the
half-dozen gentlemen who weresexhausting their
strength upon his left arm said
g Genteel-mens, / have the honor to drink all
your goot healts %
At the same moment he quaffed off the wine,
amid general roar of laughter, and universal
cries of, well done well done!"
This is almost equal to the Yankee expedent
for cruising the wind some years ago, in one
of our far-western States. The exhibitor had
tried various ways of "getting an honest liv-
ing," as he called it, without hard work. He
had toiled for many years on farm, that yield
ed a scanty return for the labor bestowed upon
it, and all "for the old man" but becoming
heartily tired of this kind of exercise, he deter
mined, as he expressed it, to "1eave the old
homestead. and shnk for himself"
HIT first tried clock -peddling; but his instru-
ments--not the best made in the world, probably
we're returned back upon his hands, having
been only warranted;'' he next essayed school
keeping; but with a praiseworthy frankness, he
said he failed in that, s'cause he didn't know
enough then he tried phrenology, which he
explained as g dreadful risky business bumps
was 50 different folks; and Qast-but-one-ly) he
essayed dentistry /; but his s'travels" in that
humane avocation yielding him but small re-
muneration, he went into another line. He
mingled Phrenology with Zoology!
He gave out that on certain evening, after
his chronological lecture had been concluded,
lie would exhibit to the audience two of the
most remarkable creatures that had ever been
publicly exhibited in any country. They had
been caught among the sublime fastnesses of
the Rocky Mountains and were:
Is First, an animal, known In that remote and
seldom-visited region as the ." Prock;" crea
ture that was only caught land caught always
with the greatest difficulty on the side Of
mountain, along which, and nowhere else, could
he Craze. He had short hind-leg, and short
fore-leg also, for the convenience Of browsing on
n%os,, do &1oeI hosr,
tended to keep him erect; and the only way in
which he could be caught was to sshead him !"
on the side of the mountain, when he would
turn suddenly round, and his long legs coming
on the uphill side, he would fall down, from
lack of under-pinning on the lower side, when
he at once became an easy prey to the hunter!
The other animal was called the Guyanosa;
a terrific monster, and very dangerous, caught
in one of the widest passes of the Rocky Noun
tains, by some forty hunters, who secured him
by lassos, after he had been chased for four
days. Dangerous as he was, however, the lec-
turer said, he had been strongly secured with
chains and could be seen without any appre-
hension on the part Of the audience.
The eventful night at length arrived the
chronological lecture was delivered to crowd
ed house; and all the spectators were awaiting
with breathless expectation erising of a green
baize curtain which had been suspended behind
the lecturer, and from whence had come, at diff
ferent times during the intellectual performance,
the most hideous sounds. s15ss
Before proceeding to exhibit the animals, the
lecturer dwelt at some length upon the charac-
teristics of each; and describing especially, the
rayenous nature Of the Guyanosa, and his en-
ormous strength. He then retired behind the
curtain, to arrange the animals for immediate
exhibition.
~ 49,
There was an interval of some FIVE or six
minutes, when a great clanking of chains was
heard, and roar, half animal, half human,
which shook the whole house. In moment
shrek, as of one !" smit with sudden pain,' was
heard, and out rushed the exhibitor, his hair
erect, his eyes starting from their sockets, and
dire terror depicted in every feature:
s.Save yourselves ! ladies and gentlemen -
save yourselves!" heexclaimed: "the Guyanosu
has broken loose, and has already killed the
Prock ~ @ T
The house was cleared in two minutes; and,
what is remarkable, neither the lecturer the
ssProck," nor the " "Guyanosa" was ever seen
in the village afterward.
There were some who doubted whether the
strange animals were present at all; but such
ineredulous persons were answered by hundreds:
Z" Why, we heard 'em howl, as plain as we
hnor yyory cnnot ~, 7-|