Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-02-07
CORRESPONDENCE,
The Great Secret Out.
Lake Mills, Feb'y 4th. 1862.

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or through them has set the community
all agog to ferret out if possible the philos-
opby of the naodus operandi- the means 10y
which the subtitle forces brought into
requisition to produce these wonderful and
astonishing manifestations. The people
are divided mainly into FIVE parties who
take and maintain with great earnestness
as many different theories, each equally
confident of the entire correctness of their
opinions. Besides the persons composing
the divisions mentioned, there are many
more having theory of their own, each
one for himself advocating the tenability
of his own conclusions, while deneuncing
those of others as ridiculous, fallacious or
unphilosophieal. AS the Inhabitants of
our town have the reputation of being ex-
eeedingly learned and intelligent, also well
instructed in the occult sciences, presume
the ideas brought out in these discussions
will be considered interesting, and of in
calculable value to your readers, therefore
l will give you brief synopsis of the the
cries advocated and applied by each of the
five parties.
Then will present my OWE view, which
| am fully assured is the only one by
which this apparent mystery can be ex-
planned. Especially the phenomena of the
rapid extricatien from the ropes. When
this is accomplished the other manifesto
tions, such as exhibiting the hands, playing
the instruments, &c., are readily, and ca
silly accounted for.
For convenience I will designate parties
who interest themselves iu this controver-
sy BY numbers. The first being those who
dispose Of the question by attributing the
various manifestations to jugglery, decep-
ton, or optical illusion.
The Second stoutly arguing, that it is
a power brought to bear upon the audi
ence, causing them to see, hear, feel, and
believe in Q fact, when in fact there is no
fact.
The Third with great eagerness, and
powerful arguments maintain that the boys
by long training and practice in "handling
the ropes" have attained such dexterity
and EXPERIENCES, together with the unusual
t1exlbillty of their arms and hands are en-
abled in some way to relieve themselves
IN order to make the demonstrations, but
fall to account satisfactorily for almost in
Simultaneous relying.
The fourth, who comprise our most in
telligent citizens, ascribe the phenomena
exhibited, especially at private circles to
magnetic forces. It is claimed as the
boys or mediums are sitting at either end
OF the table-one being positive the other
negative, forms, or creates powerful mag
netlc battery, which takes hold of the in
struments, carries them around the room
at will-gracefully descending at pleasure,
tapping each ind viaual, playing accompa-
niments to singing, ard performing many
other interesting feats as only such intelli-
gent and educated magnetic forces could
be expected to perform.
This understand is the favorite theory
of enc Of cur Honorable N. DIS who has
by his great power of augmentation and
demonstration on this point succeeded in
gaining many preselytes from the three
preceding classes The learned Doctor al
SO very sensibly accounts for the phenom-
ena OF the exhibition of the hands through
the aperture in the box by stating that
one or both the boys could by bis great
elasticity and fexibility of muscle, bone
and skin SO stretch himself out as to reach
the aperture, and in order to satisfy some
OF his friends as to his success in this mat
ter, at meeting of the Temple of Honor
held at the hall whore the boys performed
the DIR. proposed to try the experiment
himself. | will here state our friend the
DIR. IS rather a spare man, about i've feet
nine inches long, quite pliable and ductile
On more than one respect After being tied
firmly to the seat in the box, and by ma
king only one powerful effort of the will,
| am eredibly informed that he positively
elongated his body just two feet seven in
ches, thrusting both hands through the
aforesaid aperture, then instantaneously
contracting like piece of India Rubber
to bis original length. Here was a DEM
onstratl0n, without the necessity of argu-
ment, quite satisfying all present, that the
thing could be did. After this feat his
friends favoriDg the elongatory idea were
greatly eemforted; also they were reliev-
ed from strong dilemma in a desperate
case-and by which performance be has
gained for himself much renewn.
Psychologists may object to the truth of
the matter on the ground that no human
being has the capacity for such a stretch