The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-24
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
INTO THE FUTURE.


Since Biblical days, when Saul doGed his kingy
Nestnre and In disguise visited that ancient spiritual
medium, the Witch OF Endor, with view OF doing
something sharp on his neighbors the Philistlnes,
down 10 the present time OF card-shufnng ana taoe-
rapplng, wltchcraft-L c., f0rtune-teig- N neNeI
been wholly repressed and to-day Is nourlsnins
better than ever. - -, -, "a.
Ruise Tor the purpose of inducing her, through her
familiar spirit to call up the deceased iIVPnSI 1auS'
secntion With which he was wont to follow up the
profession generally. The wltcn compneu, anu Gne
Sa,th Sa1I Int whether this conversation DiUd
poce or Interpreted through raps unueI uhe UDle OF
jacksof spades and queens OF hearts, tne sacreu MS
shaEespeares witches, who danced round boiling
caldrons OF poison, singing snatches OF wild, weird
songs in the way Of business or playfully vaulted
astraddle OF their brOomsticks and TOOK bareback
rides through space regardless OF night air, Chils
influenza, were SUPERIOR as class TO their com
paratively mbecile descendants, who failed, when
brought Into contact with .crackling Puritan fagos
The witches OF modern fiction invariably have suc-
cCssful run Of business until warned, by Illness or
the hangman, that their last moments are drawing
near when they expose their own chicaneries and
crimes, send forth the black cat TO lose its ninth
and last life at the hands OF ye gentle little sayages
OF the village, and prepare 10 die as good and true
Christians, who have reformed at the eleventh hour
should die,
That the OF all the witchcraft OF every age
has been dependent upon the superstition and vice
OF the people is more true OF the past than of the
present. and the proof is found in the existence in
our own city Of a large number OF these prototypes
Of the Witch OF Endor, yclept cairvoyants astroo-
gists, business mediums, spiritual mediums-any-
teller"
or the 71o9ts o1erand Of these people but few are
ignorant for day after day their ante-roOns filed
with men and women and young girls, waiting with
anxiety the interview with the 0Ontdn "who hath
familiar sprit for, OF the fifteen or twenty fortune
telers Of the city all that come under our Observa
ton are women-women of the most ignorant order,
and, in some cases, of depraved character person
not conversant with these people and their transac-
tions his first visit s astonished at the credulity
OF their visitors and as he becomes more intimate
with their business mis- astonshment increases. The
majority OF the fOrtune-ellers do two-fod business
gull the foolish and pander to the crimes OF the
wicked; for it is TACT incapable Of contradiction
that ia many instances the women who follow this
R{, as s tey call IT, d are M & not a60rtonsts %
tise infant murder. The same woman who tells the
gddy gir OF her future inheritance will, with but
few, If any exceptions, also put her "who loved not
wisely but too WELL in the way Of getting rid of the
result OF her sin in an ''easy and safe" manner
But, since they make such bungle of science gene
rally, their operations in this line are anything but
safe and easy and whenever they engage in the
eYeloped by even greater peril to life han in Ord
nary cases.
one OF the reporters of The EVENING TELEGRAPH
in tour OF observation among the fortune-telers'
within the past week has elected many facts that
NAV prove neither uninterestng nor OF ttebeucgt TO
those whose curiosity might perchance, induce them
TO become victims to the cupidity of these preten
ders to superhuman power and intelligence. His
FIRST visit made TO the establishment OF negresS
On the front window Of the first floor a placard in
forms the reader that plain sewing is done Within
but no announcement is made that the venerable
Old woman combines with plain sewing the oCCupa-
ton Of a "clairvOyant physician" Going down half
little yellow girl admitted and invited the gentle
man TO take seat and, displacing three cats from
dirty chair, he, sat down and proceeded to take
general observation Of the interior of the "waiting
room"
dirty room with a settee innocent OF upholstery,
half q dozen wooden chairs, cooking stove and
rag carpet for furniture, and pacard eXtolling the
benefits to be derived from the use of Dr. Somebody's
Universal Liniment, as wall adornmcnt, describes
everything lnanmate; five cats OF every color, save
white, known in the cat tribe, seven women, one
man. and the diminutive darkey before mentioned,
were the occupants. or the women, all customers,
three were evidently Celtic and the wives of me-
chanics or abOrers. The remaining four females
were young women OF the poorer class. The sole
male occupant was the reporter, waiting patiently
ing narrow filthy stairway to the back parlor, he
was ashered INTO the presenGe Of the renowned Mrs
dirty pack Of common playing cards is handed
you and after desult0ry attempt at shuiing, they
were passedto the old lady on the other side Of the
little square table, and for the first time an OppOrtu
nifty was given for a view Of the room and the
woman who, for anything IN the contrary in her ap
pearance, might have been his Satanic Majestys first
satellite.
common little room enough: no black cat, no
deaths mead and cross bones, nothing to denote to
anybody peeplng through the doorway but that
some juvenile member Of charitable society was
paying visit OF coincidence to a poor old negress,
just bereayed OF her best friend. Mrs. NJ dresses
in becoming black, and with the most approved Of
thus rumnating the negress has shuned the cards
with deXterity bespeaklng long practice.
"Cut EN- in trees Yes, and they are passed
across the table ''cuJ in trees"
'Now, while deal 'em, just make your wish
s there anything als you? or maybe your friends is
iu2n
mo- my friends are all safe, ami / don't know of
anything the matter with myself"
Your mind maybes troubled q
mo, aunty, my minds easy
'Den, while lays dis card down, just watch lie
run Of 'em ALL"
The cards are lying in rows the table, and
the old lady ponders over them now and then throw
ing a sharp glance the table, evidently some
what nonpussed; then, with dirty brown skinny
forehngeT, going gradually around the table, she
points out the knaye of clubs and the queen OF
hearts.
"Ahl there's light complexioned young lady,
that's only seen you once that wants 10 ye again
For you see, san, there's just one card between YOU
and that's heart and the ace, too, and that' bring
ye good luck; and, then, dye on this row there
a ace and deuce and tray of diamonds and we're
going get richer and richer after yer married. but
discerning smile OF incredulty) there's !. darE
compeXioned lady near ye that's going to MAKE
trouble, maybe, and maybe she'll marry. yc ant
then yen be happier still"
''Well, Aunty, Jhatll do for me; what | want tC
know is, II you can do anything for a lady friend OF
mine that's IN trouble"
"Ah,D with a solemn shaking Of the sardonic head
and a swaying Of the hands, Il thought saw trOu
be in de cards; see"
~ don't want TO know what you see: want Il
know If you can do anything for my iriend.'
'Well, sab, see now; you bring her here in thu
morning, and III fix her easy and nicely" and as IN,
reDOrter rose to co. the excellent Old magician mad
due arrangements for the reception and trearmen
OF the mythical lady, assuring hlni that she ha'
waited on "a great many OF de best ladies' ana ha,
always given satisfaction ana never acciden
happened
Another visit 10 q young mulatto woman, win
tranSaCts her profession under one COgnomen an
passes generally under an alias, brought the IN
eVitable cards, from which was read IA future glow
ing in nerOsm and wealth, but the humbug was feal
fully transparent, ana the practitioner was eyidentl
n novice in her line
An interview, however with lady OF the 'familia
spirit" residing in the upper portion Of The city, WhI
IL is said is favored with the patronage Of the bette
classes, resulted much the same as those alread