Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-07-14
"pLANcHErTEn

TlOS0 OF our EcnucEs WIZ udNo uOt
already heard of the new "institution"
called Planchette, will undoubtedly soou
be grati6ed or amused or puzzled, as
the case may be, by its appearance, as
it is already offered for sale in several
cities. 1t consists of a simple oblong,
or sometimes heart-shaped board, about
eight inches long by FIVE to seven wide,
and q quarter Of an inch thick, support
ed on wheels or casters, on which it
moves freely when touched, and has a
soft pencil fastened into one end. The
work Of this pencil is the mystery of the
whole. It is declared that when placed
on a sheet of white paper, and lightly
pressed by two persons for n few
minutes, it will trace on the paper an
answer, more or less intelligent or cor
rect, to any questions a third may pro-
pose. 1t is also asserted by some that
the past and the future are equally re-
vealed, and that distance creates no diff.
fculty to this wonderful iuanimate for
tune teller, matters passing on the other
side of the world being rs certainly
made known as those in the same room.
Marvellous stories are told Of the super
natural powers Of %Planchette" by its
admirers, such as making known the
doings of friends in other h~emispheres,
and various other miraculous informa-
ton, such as is usually expected from
mesmerism, spirit rappiugs, aud the
like; while on the other hand some do
not hesitate to pronounce it a base i'm
posture, aud to declare that, having fol-
lowed all the directions infinitely, they
are unable to extract a word Of any sort
| from the r~eticenr machine. A writer in
Chambers Journal is especially severe on
wha. he calls the /" three-legged impos-
tor :" and, though acknowledging that
marvellous tales were told him by TWO
Of his friends, who were eye-witnesses,
one an accomplished lady and the other
a scholar Of q~uickness and humor, and
who, he thinks, certainly believed them
to be true, yet disbelieves the whole Of
it because he could never succeed in any
such efforts at conversation.
1t appears to be of French origin its
name signifyiug a little board, and it is
known to French, Russian and Spanish
Courts. In England n maker says he
has sold four hundred and sixty-six
Plauchettes, besides sending several
abroad. This maker declares that the
wood must be good, hearty stuff, and
we'll dried, but declines to give any
other advice as to its construction.
However, it is now conceded that they
can be made by any ordinary carpenteri
and we recently saw a very simple one
in this city, made of a piece of cherry
board, in the shape Of a heart, the d.
mansions being as above, the two little
casters being of brass, and placed under
the broad end Of the heart, while the
pencil was placed at the point Of the
heart.
The author of a volume on Planchette,
published in England, gives minute in
struction for its use, by the observance
of which he thinks most persons may
in time become conidants Of its mystic
ries. It is not maintained by any that
all the answers given are true, or that
any person, however successful he may
be in its use, can put implicit reliance
on its teachings. There are various
theories as to this remarkable little
companion, some maintaining that the
influence is mesmeric, others that it is
electricity, or scme unknown connec-
ton between the brain or nervous system
of the operator and the board so lightly
touched by his fingers. There are some,
Of course, who will attribute it all to
supernatural causes, and some who ut
terly refuse the least credence to any Of
the mysterious results affirmed.
These latter just now occupy the SAT-
est ground. 1t seems to be clear that
in the cases when Planchette" moves
without being mischievously or design
eddy impeLed BY the operator, that the
influence is magnetic, just as in the case
of stable moving" under similar condi-
tons.