Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-11-18
The Necromancer in Algeria.

l
of conjurers, he is an able mathematician ant
mechanician, and his electric clock, made fol
the Hotel de Vile, of his native town of Blois
obtained medal at the Paris Exhibition. 1t j:
not generally known that he was sent to Alge
ria by the French Government on mission con
nected with the black art-probably the first
time that conjuror has been called upon to ex
ercise his profession in government employ
Some details of his expedition have just beer
published. Its object was to destroy the infu
ence exercised among the Arab tribes by the
lnarabouts-an influence often nischevously ap
piled. By few clumsy tricks and impostures
these marabouts pass themselves off as sorcerers
no one, it was justly thought, was better able
to eclipse their skill and discredt their science
than the man of ofinexhaustible bottles.
One of the great pretensions of the marabou
was to invulnerability. Atthe anoment that 0
! loaded musket was fred at him, and the trigger
pulled, he pronounced few cabalistic words, and
the weapon did not go off. Houdin detected
the trick, and showed that the touch-hole wa:
plugged. The Arab wizard was furious, and a.
bused his French rival. You may revenge
yourself" quietly replied Houdin take pistol
load it yourself; here are bullets, put one in the
barrel, but before doing SO mark it with your
knife"
The Arab did as he was told. "You are quite
certain, now" said Houdin, shat the pistol is
loaded and will go off. Tell me, do yon feel no
remorse in killing me thus, Notwithstanding that
authorize you2" "You are my enemy" cool
ly replied the Arab; 81 will kill you" With.
out replying Houdin stuck an apple on the point
of knife, and calmly gave the word to fire.
The pistol was discharged, the apple few far a.
way, and there appeared in its place, stuck on
the point of the knife, the bullet the marabout
had marked.
The spectators remained mute for stupefac.
ton; the marabout bowed before bis superior.
"Alah is great" he said, II am vanqnished. '
Instead of the bottle from which, in Europe,
Robert Houdin pours an endless stream of ev.
ery description of wine and liquor, lie called tor
an empty bowl, which he kept continually full
of boiling coffee, but few of the Arabs would
taste it, for they made sure that it came direct
from the devils own coffee pot. He then told
them that it was in his power to deprive them
of all strength, and to restore it to them at will !;
and he produced small box, SO light that o
child could lift il with IT'S finger; but it sudden
ly became 80 heavy that the strongest man could
not raise it, and the Arabs, who prize physical
strength above everything, looked with terror
at the great magician who, they doubted not,
could annihate them by the mere exertion of
his will.
They expressed this belief; Houdin confirmed
them 10 it, and promised that, on day appoint
ed, he would convert one of them into smoke.
The day came the throng was most prodigious; !;
a fanatical marabout had agreed to give himself
up to the sorcerer. They made him stand upon
table and covered him with transparent
eauze then Houdin and another person lifted
the table by the two ends, and the Arab disap-
peared in q cloud of smoke. The terror of the
spectators was indescribable; they rushed out
Of the place, and ran long distance before some
of the boldest thought of returning to look after
the marabout.
They found him near the place where he had
been evaporated but he could tell them moth
ing, and was like drunken nan, Ignorant of
what had happened to him. Thenceforward
Houdin was venerated and the marabouts despis-
ed; the object of the French government was
completely attained. The fashion of ''testimo
nialsn having, it appears, affected even the A
rabs, number of chiefs presented the French
conjnrer with piece of Arab writing wonder
fully decorated, hyperbol:cal and eulogistic, and
to which they were so attentive as tn append
French translation. Besides this memento of
his Algerine trip, Houdin has rosary which he
one day borrowed from an Arab to perform a
trick with, and which the owner, persuaded
that Shettan in person was before him, refused
to receive back.-7En,es'e Paris Cor.
PAYNE SMALL BILLS DUE MRcHANrcs-It is
very common practice tor individuals to cd
gage mechanic to do job of work, the cost
of which would probably amount to dollar or
two. The work must be done Immediately, be-
cause it is generally such necessity that wait
ing is not possible. The mechanic puts aside
his other business and does the job; but instead
of being paid at once, and engagements on both
sides completed, as they ought to be, he is told
to call at some future time for the money. fhe
does so, he, OF course, has to be subjected toI
that loss of time, and which was not included
in the cost of the job. If he repeats his visit he
gives offence, though it is evident that, having
earned his money, he is entitled to it promptly,
and he is the person who has reason to COM
plain that his visits have to be so frequent, oom-
peling him to earn his money twice-once by
efforts to collect it. Persons now fully able to
pay all such debts as these as soon as the work
is done, take advantage of the present monetary
difficulties to delay payments for weeks and
months, and, in some instances We have heard
OF them taking the tour of Europe and leaving
such small claims undischarged. This WAS
great wrong to industrious mechanics and re-
suits in mischief to the community, for the
trouble in collecting such debts has grown so
great that mechanics are obtained with ditticul-
ty in times of ordinary prosperity for jobbng a.
bout house unless they know their customers
make it rule to pay promptly on the compile.
ton of the job.-PMI Ledger.
Almost every advertisement judicously plac'
ed, will give On adequate return. If it secure
but one or two customers, and in this it rarely
fails it pays tor itself But it is the continuous,
persistent advertiser who reaps the harvest
This all newspaper publishers and some business
men know Advertising, like all other business
efforts, has its risks but the heavier and more
general the advertising the more the risk dimin-
ishes until positive certainty of profit is OBJ
taiDed When the business of firm or the
qualities of any one Article have been advertised
up to certain mark, they acquire wonderful
momentum fpubplicity, and the gain increases at
an extraordinary ratio. Further progress then
merely depends on the preservation OF what has
been gained, by vigorous continuance OF ad-
vertising The true secret is to advertise large.
ly, for to the greater extent this Is pursued
the less il the risk incurred, as it is matter
of impossiby for an advertisement repeated day
after day, and continually presented to the OBJ
servation of the public, to be otherwise than
source of certain profit. Whenever there has
been the enterprise to originate this system and
the nerve to pursue it to definite end, the OBJ
iect aimed at has been secured and the advertiser
recompensed BY an expanding business and in
creasing profits. s.-Baltimore american.
During session Of the Circuit Court at Lynch
burg, an Irishman was indicted for stabbing an
other on the canal, and the only witness, Dennis
O'Brien, was required to enter into bonds for
his appearance at the next Court. The recogni'
zance was read to him in the usual form:
.You acknowledge yourself indebted to the
Commonwealth tn of Virginia. in the sum of $500" ;"
Qeunis-"I don't owe her q cint, Sir"