The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-05-21

Have you seen Planchetie? II you
have not, We advise You to make its
acquaintance ut once IL you do not wish
to be behind the times. Planchette is
the new thing, the latest wonder OF the
age, and promises to become the popu-
lar amusement OF the day. In social
circles IL Is the grent topic-impeach-
ment is nothing 10 IT, IL, do we say ?
Why not ne or she? Plauchetts Is cef-
tainly a sentient being-Or at least
some people think so. 1t will tell You
all that ever you knew-if not that
which you do not know, II has the en-
trance of the best families, and many
put faith In It's oracular utterances.
But what Is PlanchetteR For the
benefit ofthe uninitiated we will de-
scribe the Instrument. The name. like
the thing, Is French, and signifies
little board. The machine consists OF
piece OF board, shaped like a heart,
perhaps six Inches long. AT the wider
end liz Is supported on two revolving
wheels, very sensitive TO movement; at
the narrow end a pointed pencil Is
thrust through a hole in the board, thus
forming the third leg OF the instru-
ment- This Planchette. Now let Us
see what 10 will do. Place IL on n piece
OF paper, and let two persons lightly lay
their fingers upon IL. Now ask IL a
question, and without conscious move
ment on the part of those whose hands
are upon IL, IL will move over tho paper,
writing an answer as IL goes. IL will
tell you what you had for dinner, or
whom yon saw yesterday, or where
you are going to-morrow-if you hap
pen to know yourself. People who
like to have their fortunes told get very
satisfactory answers-someumes
Young girls who ask whom they will
marry are not always satisfied with the
answer. Politicians who ask who will
be the next President generally get
the man OF their choice.
All this Is very amusing-astounding
II You willard not to be readily &C
counted for, though the mystery Is not
perhaps impossible Of solution. Let Us
see first what Plancbetts really does
| and what IL does not do.
some people have not the power TO
move IL. Generally new hand has 70
exercise a little patience before IL Will
start Sometimes 10 writes nothing in
tsllIgible, but merely scrawls. Some
times IL misspells word-just as the
ouestioner would do IL he were writing
| Il, very likely. It's answers are some
times right and sometimes wrong
| usually the latter when relating TO the
| future.-When it has written n word It
starts of at a tangent, making long
mark in the paper to let you know IL
has finished. Its answers are usually
| such As the ouestioner has In his own
mind, either consciously or uncousct-
ously at the time OF asking the ques-
| ton. When the question Is put by a
1 third person, and the answer Is un-
known % those who have their hands
upon Il, the answer given is usually
/ wrong, though It may sometimes be
/ right. When two persons who have
| their hands upon &c have different
answers in their minds the reply Is apt
i to be rather mixed. sometimes the
answer given Is what You already
| know, though you were not thinklnB
| Of II at the time. All this it honestly
does with conscious effort on the part
| of those using II, but II you strongly
will Il to write a word that word Is
generally written very distinctly.
From all this we conclude thai Pan
Ghetto Is but the instruments OF our own
nervous organization. The mind con-
| trolls the body through the nerves. II
does this often without conscious effort
/ on our part. The hand viii at times
write the word which WAS strongest or
latest in our mind when our intention
\ uas 10 have written another uorus
I Planchette Il but the instrument ofthlH
/ subtIe power. It illustrates the myste-
| lions influence Of unconscious vo1tion.
IL shows how littls we are conscious OF
1.-The workings of the spirit within rs,
which controls the bodily orgs ,llL non q
| with a magnetic power. II hints even
/ At the possibility OF one person exert
inc a MAGNETIC Influence over another.
/ Fisnchette is ther efore, a sort OF physt.
| illogical toy, serving the purposes OF
/ amusement, but possibly containing
the germ OF some great principle OF ma
| ture vet 10 be fully developed. In this
view OF the matter, which we are aware
is not entirely satisfactory, all that Is
| singular about Planchette Is the man
1eT in which IL acts-the way In which
/ IL fs made the unconscious instrument
OF the mind. How Il the power VI ieh
make IL move commuuicatedt and how
is 1t made to form letters and words
when we are not conscious OF forming
THE letters In our mindf This Is mys-
terry which we do not attempt TO I'M
ravel. -