Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-08-14

My next letter will he observation on
the treatment Of consumption, catarrh 60.
My Acquainta nee with Plan
| chette.
;; There is an innocent little my stery that
goes upon three legs and is called ..Plan-
chette." Who invented it uobody can tell
and opinion ia divided ss to whether It is of
is not hunbug. One is very sure that It
moves with alarming readiness. Fire heart
shaped BIT Of wood ssays to every motion:
the castors turn with the slightest breath
Of influence; the pencil point marks lines
and words on the smallest provoeation.
1t is natural tor rs to think that motion
has always On intelligent cause, aud that 40
light an object as this will he dependent tfr.
on something mere reaf than magnetism.
I Now. haze had my own experiences
with Planchette, and have reached inv own
conclusions, agreeing doubtless with those
OF other observers aud experimentcrs. To
nj. just at present. there is Ii tc myste =
in the matter, but in its place hus arisen .
strong interest. And as all truth ia hest
IN the concrete. I have decided to writa
down just what I think. and how cam2
to my c,nclusions. asking no pardon Of
anybody but myself for the frebncnt use
Of the personal pronoun.
So far as am aware, the earliest men
ton Of Planchette is in an ANONYMOUS
novel. IFho. Breaks, Pay.." repn6lished
ameng the Tauncl,nitz volumes Il, f6Gf A
a standard book. The dcscription ia nc
curate though short. The little heart
shaped table with its two renfagroph
wheeis and its pencil Icg, is Just like our
own familiar friend. 1t writes ..now.' and
Lillian" and adds a cross at the end Of
the nanrS---a, thing. fct me sar, that ehakcs
my faith in tho. authors k,i0wf dge, since I
never knew Planchettc to make a cross.
for the simple reason that it cannot take
up its pencil point and must always write
a running hand.
The later literature 6f tic subject CON-
sists Of two articles, ohe entitled "Pian.
clctte,' and the other "A Three Legged
Imposter." and both republshcd in Every
Saturday during the past winter The first
OF these two accounts piqncd my curiosity.
and as it contained an engraving Of the
proper character to work from, very sooR
had possession of ample means of exper!.
m"nt. This original Pianclette lies bc.
fore me rs l write. just as it often lies to
me and others. 1t is precisely eight inch
es lnns hy sever switlc, and not quite a
third Of All inch thick. 1t has two brass
pcntagrap1l wheels. which are al, inch and
three quarters IN height. and whose rollers
are narrow and very sensitive. With this
have conducted at one time and anothera
number of tests, whose results am about
to condense in this paper.
When one sits with his finccrs rcsfinS ~,
the wood (iu this case seasoned ASH, uuvar-
nishcd) there runs through his arms and
those Of his partner. if they are prope:
mediums, sense of electrical force. The
tinging extends from the finger er,]s tYp
the arms. meeting at last through tie shoui.
ders or pricking its way across the fore.
head; aud after that Planchrtte is usually
very active. The hands are drawn hither
, aud thither by THE magnetic furce and nj.
though they barely touch the wood, it fol.
lows their directiQir anil writes intelfiaib4v.
A lady who is n fine ''medium," but
who is ignorant of the f:ct, placed htr
hands on Planchettc with me one evening.
AMI without q moments hesitation wroie
ELLIE" and attcrwerd the name Of ar,oth-
or friend. When charged with the fact.
she Iadnlittcd that these persons were ia
her IifiiM. On another Occasion the au.s-
= ton was asked. What is the mime of those
;, nuts on the sidcboard!" and the answer
!. was most singular. One partner thought
II "Shrllbarltsr'-'th. ether "Hickory nuts.. -
For scveiaT letters there could be seen the
. effort to write both. but at last, when this
e was impossible, it followed the stronger
= will and wrote Hickory nuts" And 1u.
h I'll the whole word was written. neither
. knew how mech tlrr Thought lrad affected
the language.
: a gentleman. great skcptic. having his
hands touching mine, injured : "1id T
r settle at the bank to night" Far nv
A part did not know. and SO remained ma;
:. sire, and rs he lid. the answer WIS corr.ct.
IL much to his astonisl,ment.
BY placing my hand above those of tw
l. tyros have made planchetts scribble of
9 whatever wished; and by taking tbei,
i, hands. while their other hands were upou
tlfe iustr'tl1ent. lave drawn it to me or
e sent it from me. II will occasionally du
II t6'erahFy we'll for single person. hut
!. have found that without any muscular nc
tim | can invariably coMpcl it to write
,ssot wish aud as wish-cveflN choos,
e to misspcll.
II Such knowledge dcstroys tn romance. !
to is true. but it only lIeightens the charm q
- reality for 1t rs Competent in skilled hand,
to draw from an unsOphistical person ans
wcrs which are the property Of that one
n only. Yet hare still tn learn the in,
st stance where the stronger would not con,
:, troll.
N My conclusions are these
a l. That the Planchette Is dependant
~ upon the same principle as the ..turhins
= table " for motion-i. e., ON the pceulia
&c power M certain persons. Iuto this sub.
. ject conmot at present enter. II has bee,
done fully by Count Asenor de Gasnarin
Is aud DR.! J. Ealale,s work ON .MesmerisIr
l. as applied to sutgery.'
l. 2. That after motidn is obtained, tn,
III Intelligent motion is the result az though,
r. and VIII either Conscious or unconscious.
g. That the stronger will controls il
all tases.
4. That Planchette answers nothiue
ut which the mediums do not know or guess
,e This accounts Tor it, Wild predictions and
N laughablc blnndefs.
= ). That left to itself it will nSturaij
~ write nothing until there be a clear though
e. in the mind. ! reserve nv opinions for IL,
IA present concerning the source OF its motion
~ tho characteristics II etod 'ncdiu,ns.' I'll,
;. application of this little instrument TO n,
rcfutatlon OF certain grave and i,nportsp
Ut errors and its use in the iuvestigaiisn d
10 ot mes'neri:nli ;dlogy. animal n,aguetissu
. aul matters kindre,l thoruto 'rL... -