Nebraska advertiser., 1868-10-15
PLANCHETTE.
BY E. STUART PHELPS.


many happened to hold a pencil at
arms length in pair of scissors, and
observed Allowing either to the trem-
ulOusness of the hand, or to the vivid
ness Of the imagination, or to cause
unknown intelligent words traced
themselves upon paper.
This was a crude Planchette. In
Is 0 or 81, novel was published in
England with the title Of "WhO
Breaks Pays" On searching this vol
nme the curious reader will meet
with young lady who beguiles her
weary hours" with very well de-
scribed Planchette. ~ @
in the winter of 1913 uncanny-loOk-
ing word sprang into very black adver-
tisements in our American cities; and
to-day a counter without Planchette
is fossil. They trundle in the win
dOws of the tract-hOuses and tobacco
houses, dance among opera scores and
Sunday-schOOl books = -heaFt-shaped
Planchettes, square Planchettes, Plan
chettes for eight dollars, and Plan
chet'es for fifty cents, Planchettes of
walnut, ash, mahogany, gutta percha,
tin, glass-Planchette on pegs, coils,
and pentagraph wheels. Planchette
cOnfrOnts you at the dancing-pa
and i'll the minister's study, in the
drawing-rOOm and the 'sitting-room,'
is a substitute for the weather and
Charles Dickens in the social circle"
and the end thereof who can fore
tell?
Like most discoveries, it is eminent
/ ly simple. Why did nobody ever
\ think to stick a pencil through little
board before?
1t is said that the patentee, whose
claim dates back to 1861, has not dared
hitherto to bring the thing to light;
fearing that the public would label it
spiritualism and run away from it.
A word for the benefit of the unini-
| tiated as to the use of the toy. Old
mediums may skip to the next par
agraph.
The tips of your fingers are placed
very lightly upon it, the elbows raised
from the table. Two pairs of hands
are better than one. Few people can
operate fluently alone. 1t has been
noticed that when the hands are very
| heavy, either from natural weight or
| from wearinesS, each operator may use
one with better effect. About five
persons in eight are able to control
| Planchette. 1t may move for you at
once, or it may stand like Atlas be-
fore your patient eyes for half an
hour. When the board is thoroughly
charged it trembles, clicks a little,
slides away under your hands, hesi-
tates, stops, tries again, warns with
the subject, darts to and fro across the
paper rapidly, traces embroidery pat
terms and crowfeet, and whirls about
i'm great circles which seriously threat
en- the equilibrium of your elbow
Joints. In this mood ply Planchette
with questions. Your experience will
not be unlike this?
"Will it rain tomorrow"
| PLrg1chette - Yes" Distinctly
written with no muscular action of
your Own.l
Tomorrow dawns without cloud,
but you do not know that yet, and
trustfully proceed.
"Of whom am / thinking?"
PJunchette-" "Bevelina Bangs"
You are thinking of Miss Bangs,
and YOU know it, and so does every
body else, when, blushing up to your
hair and down to your neck-tie, you
hastily resign your position, and con-
tent yourself with interrOgating Plan
i chette through another operator.
YOu ask in silence, "WhO will
preach in Kings Chapel the first Sab
bath in next DecemberW
Planchette scribbles over halfasheet
of paper with cOpy-bOOk ms, has hts
of reflection, has spasms of hope,
struggles to write. but writes nothing.
AtoUd-"Whow will preach i'll Kings
Chapel next winter?
Ptdnchette prODlptly)-' Beelzebub.'
/ In view of this novel prospect, ques-
tion the operators closely. The chan
ces are that one or both Of them had
the word in mind.
TRY once more. "What is the num-
her of INV watch ?" (siIently.)
! PIanchette falls to dancing polka,
but deigns no reply.
WPIanchette, aloud, "what is the
number of my watch ?"
| PyqHchetfe-"l7 ,S6l."
| The number of your watch is 4 $50,
but across the room, in the corner,
Sits a lady whose watch numbess H.
"a Acain. "PIanchette, draw picture
of the next President of the United
! States.n
Planchette Immediately draws a
man with a cigar in his mOuth-n IT
en- artistical as might be, but still it is
a man with cigar.
A pretty young author in the com
Many ventures timidily-
"How many copies of my book,
oTbe Cracking Hinge will sell this
autumn ?"
nPlanchette," this from the incred-
pIous man of a philOsOphic turn of
mind. y how long shall / live ?''
Pda,chettc (cOnfdeRtLy)-" Yes"
| Tacrc(fuiOus Philosopher, 1Oith deciS-
lion-'sNVhen shall I die ?''
PIaachette- Never"
| -Four Planchette parties out of five
would not accomplish anything more
important or more mysterious than
this. The fifth will make prophecies,
some of which will verify themselves,
/ write the signatures of absent men in
their own hand, tell the most secret
thoughts ofpersOns whose touch is not
upon the board, write in any language
known tn the operator. and witness