The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-07-21


kers and very red face. The land
lord, as was his won't walked up to the
gate to welcome them; and presently
returning, introduced them to the
guests on the piazza as Professor Ham
ilton, the celebrated mesmerist from
Edinburgh, and Mr.. Mcdonald, his
agent and assistant. They were shown
to a room, and their luggage, consisting
of large wooden box and two heavy
portmanteaus, followed them.
a few moments later a messenger was
sent TO the village for some boys to post
bills in various localities and soon the
little place was flooded with large pos
tiers as follows:
"To the inhabitants of Racketville and
the surrounding country!
PROFESSOR HAMILTON,
from Edinburgh,
Will lecture at the Town-hall on
Thursday evening, at eight o'clock,
On ANIMAL MAGNETISM,
Illustrating the marvellous science
by experiments on such of
the audience as
are willing to offer themselves.
Tickets, 80 cents,
To be had at the door"
All the little township was presently
agog with excitement; for, while every
one possessed the greatest curiosity with
regard to the subject of the professors
proposed lecture, very few had ever had
an opportunity of witnessing any of the
singular experiments said to have been
performed by means of this wonderful
science. The news spread through all
the neighborhood, and on the follow
ing day, farm-wagons in numbers came
into town, as though it were a market
day, bringing the farmers and their
families TO hear the professor lecture.
Meanwhile. Tom and Jack were still
absent, and about noon on the Thurs
day came a letter 70 the landlord, say
ing that. as the fishing was so good.
they concluded to remain until Friday
Great was the disappointment of Maggie
and SUSIE and, indeed, they could
hardly keep from crying when they
thought Of the young men missing the
intellectual treat Of the evening.
The professor and his assistant kept
their room continually, having their
meals served there, and being reported
by the servants as busily engaged in
writing whenever they were visible.
Evening came, and the hall was rap.
idly filed. until before eight o'clock it
was crowded to its utmost capacity.
The gentleman who had been an
nounced as Mr.. Mcdonald sold the
tickets at the office, while young man.
hired for the occasion. acted as door
keeper. Mrs. Campbell and her two
daughters attended, of course. under
the escort of Bob Rogers, the landlord,
who kindly purchased their tickets for
them. As he left the office, with the
tickets in his hand, he was observed to
make peculiar noise in his fat, bull
neck-something between q horse.laugh
and strangulation-while his great, red
face became purple, and Maggie Camp
bell had to pat him on the back vigor-
Ously TO bring him to. He said he had
swallowed chaw O. terbacker, and it
went down the wrong way but the
girls continued to regard him with con-
siderable suspicion for some time, as a
man who was not to be fully trusted,
but might take it into his head to have
fit of apoplexy at any moment with
out regard to time or place. But the
entrance upon the stage of the profess
sor silenced the hum of voices in the
hall, and at once attracted every ones
attention. The gentleman entered at
once upon his subject, and discussed
most learnedly on the character of ami
NAL magnetism its causes, effects, and
uses its connection with polar magne.
tism; modes of applying it in cases of
disease: the distribution of the fluids in
man, and through all Nature; and so
on, for about twenty minutes, when he
concluded his Introductory remarks by
requesting such of the audience as were
willing to step upon the stage and sub
NIT to various experiments, which he
assured them would not in the least
annoy or inure them. His request was
followed by quite an inundation of
rough farmers, and few young ladies
Of the village. Seating about a dozen
in chairs in a sem-circle, the professor
requested them to shut their eyes. He
then passed slowly from one to another.
laying his hand lightly on the forehead
of each, and making passes Longitude.
nally down the body, and at a few
inches distance from it. He then
stepped back a couple of PAGES and
waved his hands with slow, tanning
motion, in the air; and then, clapping
his hands, he said quickly and sternly,
" No,o you can't one Of yOv open yo,r
eyes - The effect was electrical-all
tried, and no one could do it; it SEEM
ing as though their eyes were hermeti-
cally sealed. Quickly again, and with
an upward motion of the hands, the
professor said, Now open them7-they
were opened; Extend your right
hands !" =" Now you can't lower them =,
The extended arms were rigid as iron.
=" Drop them by your sides ~ and down
they fell. The professor took pitcher
OF water from a table, poured some of