The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-10
DAILY LEADER.

good family and great requirements, VIII
came hither from his provincial hom
about six years ago and has worked hi
way from poverty and obRcurity TO a lu
crAtive profession and an Acquaintance
with everybody worth knowing in tn
capital BY the aid Of q talent for wonder
working that leaves all FiYsk in the shade
His feats Of prestdl gitAtion are equal {,
those Of the most renowned professors o
the art; and in one department, that o
tricks performed with a PACK of cards, h'
far surpasses anything accomplished By
them.
But the most astonishing Of his fsats arr
Of an entirely different order, and such a
no other wizard ever attempted. For in
stance his head tied up in q couple Of
towels, and then covered with 8 paletot, be
will request one Of the audience to 20 to
the fArthe6t corner of the room, and there
TO write on 8 sheet of paper 3 mass OF
cipher, arranged in parallel columns and
60 through the most complicated operation
with them, s~ubtraeting, multiplying, rdi-
viding, stating the square of such q cipher,
some minute fraction of another cipher,
and so on-Plsying, as it were, with the
figures written on the paper, and apparent
ly reading them as soon as written. At
one of his he threw q folded paper
70 q lady friend of mine, who had naver
seen him, requesting her not TO open it, but
to put it at once into her pocket and keep.
it there until he should ask for it which
the lady accordingly did.
Absorbed in watching the marvellous
done by the performer, The lady had
quite forgotten the psper in her pocket
when de CASTOR, turning TO her, requested
her to name one of the three kingdoms of
nature. Thus interpOlated, and feeling
rather nerYnus at seeing the ewes of the as
sembly liked upon her, the lady huFTiedIy
thereupon singing out another lady with
his eye, requested her TO name some class
Of objects belonging to the vegetable king
dom. "Flowers," replied the lady thus ad-
dressed. Turning to q third lady, the wiz
ard asked her TO name q flower. HThe
rose" said the third lady.
Turning again to my friend, he requested
ler to read the contents of the paper in
ler pocket on doing which she found that
t contained these words: "The Vegetable
Kingdom. Flowers. The Rose" Aman
If great literary requirements and reputa-
ion here, being invited to q private per-
ormsnce of de Csston's, at which he an
'wered every question written by the par
ons present. performed the most sstound
Dg leafs Of ~divination Of numbers, stated
he events that occu! red at an immense |
lumber of dates writtcn by them-each
being folded and held By the writer
went away very much Disguised, regard
Dg the whole affair rs a series of tricks
reduced b. the collision of the parties
Chow very impudent," said this gentle
nan to himself "a company of thirteen re-
pectable-looking, gentlemanly, and intelli-
lent men, all in League with a chsrlatan r.
day or two Afterwards he received 8 note
rom de Castor, saying that he should do
himself the honor of calling on him in the
curse of a day or two, in order TO give him
specimen of his powers in his house. M
- accordingly being determined
D bsfie his visitor got down some rare old
from one of the shelves Of his
brary, and picked out shout twenty dates
little known historic facts in the annals
t several countries, and in remote ages.
drew up Lis paper with great internal
.tisfsction, feeling sure that he had pro-
lde1 q poser for de CASTOR, folded it put
away IT his waistcost-pocket, not show
lg it to any one, and awaited the expected
The latter arrived next day, and
as shown at once to the study where |
C. was writing IN article for some
ewspsper.
"Prsy don't disturb yourself" said de
aston on entering, Hkeep your seat ana
t me place myself herep and drawing q
TO the opposite side of the table, he
8 folded paper from his pocket, and
ave it 10 NJ. c.. HDon't open it ill 1
K you to do so" said de CASTOR; and NJ.
. placed it unopened in his pocket.
Hua-ozus oh
?" demanded the visitor.
"Here are dominoes, replied M G.,
king the box out of one of the table
and handing it TO de Osston, NAs
7 cards, 1 don't think there are a6y in
10 house; but I'll ring formy servant and
nd out for 3 pack"
"Do nothing of the kind" replied de
aston, tive can do just ss we'll without
.rds Is with them by simply imagining
lat we have them" snow" he cOntin-
I'd, holding out his hand, 'iust imagine
lAt I am offering you q pack Of cards, Of
hich You select fur" '
NJ c. extending his hand in turn,
signed to draw out four cards, and to put
lem before him on the table.
"Be good enough to write on 8 paper
hat cards you have chosen, and fold it up
} soon as written"
M. G. did as requested.
-"You have chosen the Ace of Spade-,
he King OF Clubs, the Knsve of Dia-
londs, and the Queen of Hearts," quietly
smsrked the wizard, as N e. finished
,lding his paper. Those being the cards
( which M. G. has just written down
be names. sf 7IH
After performing several other feaEs,
qualify inexplicsble, with the inns einarY
ards, and with the dominoes, which came
! play next, de CASTOR asked M. G. to
rite q number of historical dates on q
iece of paper, fold it up and hold it in his
and. l
~ have my list a~lreadyP cried N.
- triumphAntly, and produced the pa
er he had prepared the day before.
avery good" replied de CASTOR, with 9
mile and g bow. HBe so kind as to open
paper 1 gave you on entering
Ouf hluu1s
Judge of my stupefsction," said M.
- on recounting this little scene to
our correspondent "When I found that
he paper be had given me on coming into
he room, contained an exact duplicate Of
~ list, not one being changed or missing,
nd the dates following each other in ex-
city the same order as In mine" -7
On another occasion, M. c. being
lsO present, 9 little group of scientific
len, including the great astronomer, NJ.
,eVerrier, had assembled privately 10 wit
ess de Csston's wonders.
IL do no. pretend TO any vast amount Of
remarked that gentleman to his
armed audience, 'but I have discovered
method of calculation which enables me
} solve any mathematical problem, no
latter how difficult instantsneously."
Nonsense, sir" shouted d. LeVerrier,
Iho is very irascible and very rude when
ut of temper, '4he thing is impOssibleF
airy me" returned De Castor, request
lg 3 great mathematician present to pro-
Ound some very difficult problem in the
pper regions of algebra The nAthemas
clan took out his pencil and wrote out
he terms of terrihcSlly abstruse and COM
licate comput atom, uDoD which ali pre-