Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-08-08
seATs OF PARTISAN NEoaOMAN-

CEN.
asd-semcthing more Wonderful
than spirfsuaitsttc Performance.
PARIS corrsspossenee Of the Moatr.si Herald
Among he strangess Of the many strange PEG
pie Who ssecsssively "turn up" In this CITY .
certain NJ de CASTOR, man Of good family and
great aeqareneu.. Who came hither from bis
provisional home About sir years ago, and has
worked bic way from poverty and ooscurify 20
q lucrative profession and an acquaintance With
everybody worth knowing in the capital. by the
aid Of a talent for woodworking that leaves ell
rivals in thsshade. Hs feats Of prestidi Citation
are equal 10 those Of the most renowned profes-
ssrs Of the art, and in one department. that of
tricks performed with . pack of cards. be far
surpassss anything accomplished BY them. But
the most astonishing OF bis fsats are Of totally
dlfsrsnt order, and such a. no other wizard ever
attempted. For instance, his bead tied up in
couple Of towels, and then covered With . pale
tot. be will request one of bis audience 10 90 to
The fsr,hes, corner Of the room. and there TO
write on sheet OF paper mass OF ciphers ar
ranged in parallel columns and 20 through the
most complicated operation With them. substract-
Ing, multiplying, dividing stating the square OF
such cipher, some minute fraction OF another CT
pher, and 80 on-plsying. a. !. we're. with the
figures written the paper, and apparently
reading them a. soon as written. At one of bis
ssaness he threw Q folded paper to lady friend
Of mine. who had never seeu him. requesting her
not 10 open 10, but 10 put Il as once into her
pocket, and keep il there until he should ask for
IL, which the lady accordingly did. Absorbed in
watching the marvellous things done BY the per
former, the lady had quite forgotten the paper
ia her pocket, when de CASTOR, turning to her,
requested her TO name one Of the three Kingdoms
Of nature Thus interpellated. and feeling rather
nervous at seeing the eyes Of the assembly fixed
upon her, the lady hurriedly named The vege-
table kingdom" De CASTOR thereupon. sing-
ling out another lady with his eye. requested her
70 name some class Of objects belonging TO the
vegetable kingdom. Flowers, replied the lady
thus addressed. Turning again TO my friend. he
requested her TO read the contents of the paper
in her pocket; on doing which. she found il con-
tanned these words, 1.-THE vegetable kingdom.
Flowers. The rose" man OF great literary
requirements and reputation here. being invited
to . private performance OF De Caston's, at which
he answered every question written by the per
son present. performed the most astounding feats
of c:vination of numbers, stated the events that
occurred at an immense number OF dates written
by them-esch paper being folded aud held by
the writer-went away very much Disguised, re
garding the whole affair as series OF tricks pro
duced by the collision of the parties present.
How very impudent," said this gentleman to
ulmscis OF tuTtteu rfspeCthDlt-
looking gentlemen, and intelligent men. all in
league with a charlstsnl" A day or two after
wards. he received note, from de CASTOR, say
ing that be should do himself the honor OF call
ing on him in the course OF day or two, IN
order to give him specimen of his powers in
his own house. II. L-G- accordingly,
being determined 10 battle his visitor. got down
some old histories from one of the shelves
Of his library. aud picked out about twenty dates
Of n IL Of
several coun tries, and in remote ages. He drew
up his paper with great internal satisfaction, feel
ing sure that he had provided a poser for de
CASTOR, folded it, and put It away in bis waist
coast pocbet, not showing il TO any one, and
awaited the expected visitor. The latter arrived
the next day. and was shown at once to the study
where M. C. was writing an article for some
newspaper.
PRAY don't disturb yourself" said de CASTOR
on entering, keep your seat and let me place
myself here" and drawing chair to the oppo
site side Of the table. he took folded paper
from his pocket, and gave il TO Mr. c..
Don't open it till ask you TO do 80, said de
Castor; and Nj. G. placed il unopened in his
pocket.
Have you pack of cards and box Of dom
inocsr demanded the visitor.
Here are dominOss, replied NJ c. taking
the boz out OF the table drawers. and handing is
to de Castor, las for cards don'I think there
are any in the house, but III ring for my servant
and send out for pack.
"Do nothing of the kindl' replied de CASTOR,
I'VE can do Just as we'll without cards as With
them be continued, holding out his hand. JUS.
imagine that am offering you psck Of cards
from which you select four"
NJ G. extending his hand in turn, teigncd
to draw out four cards, and to place them be
fore him on the table
BE good enough 10 write on paper, what
cards you have chosen. and fold it up soon a,
written"
M. Gid as requested.
"You have chosen the ace OF spades the king
OF clubs, the kDave of diamonds. and he queen
Of hearts, quietly remarked the wizard ~ NJ
c. finished folding his paper. Those being
the cards of which 81. e. had just written
down the names
After performing several other feats equally
ineIplicsole, with the imaginary cards, aud With
the dominoes. which came In play next de Cas-
ton asked NJ. c. to write a number OF his
torlcal dates on piece of paper. fold it up and
hold il in his hand.
Il have nv list already cried NJ. c. tri
umphsnily, and produced the paper he had pre-
pared the day before.
VERY good" replied de CASTOR, with smile
and a bow. "be so kind as to open the paper
gave you on entering your study.
Judge Of my stupefaction, said NJ. c.,
recountng THE little scene TO your correspond
sut, when found that the paper he had given
me. on coming into the room. contained an eI-
act duplicate of my list. no one being changed or
missing, and the date following each other in L
actly the same order as in mne."
On another occasion NJ. c. being also
present. little group of scientific men, includ-
ing the great astronomer. III. lie Verrier. had
assembled privately to witness de Caston's won
ders.
81 do not pretend TO any vast amount of sci
ence." remarked that gentleman to his learned
audience, "but | have discovered q method of
calculation which enables me 10 resolve any
mathematical problem, no matter how difficult.
instantaneously." Nonsense. sir" shouted NJ
lie Vsrrier, who is very irascible and very rude
when out of temper, "the thing is IMPOSSIBLE
TRY me" returned De Castor, requesting
some great mathematician present TO PROFOUND
some very difficult problem in the upper regions
Of algebra. The Mathematician took out his
pencil and wrote down the terms of some terrif-
eslly abstruse and complicated computation,
upon which all present at once set TO work, pen
Gil il hand, when de CASTOR, placing his paper
on the instant before the mathematician, re
marked. Il think. Monsieur. you will find that
this Is the correct solution OF your problem"
"fo on see. Monsieur, that nv method of cal
culatlng really yields very useful results" said
de CASTOR 70 lie Verrier But the latter, furious
at seeing his statement refuted, and giving fall
course to his Ill temper, assaed de CASTOR with