The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-08

AHulSuhJ CNculllSi ~ SlSHt bNhNht
on ANIMAL MAGNETISM,
Illustrating this 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 following day,
farm wagons in numbers came into town,
rs though II were market day, bringing
the farmers and their families 10 hear the
professor lecture.
Meanwhile Tom and Jack were still
absent, and about noon on the Thursday
came letter 10 the, landlord, saying that
as the fishing wins so good, they had con.
cluded 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 NJ busily engaged in writing
whenever they were visible.
Evening came, and the hall was rapid
ly filled until before eight o'clock II was
crowded tp its utmost capacity The
gentleman who had been announced as
Mr.. Mcdonald sold the tickets at the Of
flee, while young man, hired lorthe oc.
casiOn, acted rs dOOr-keeper. Mrs Camp.
bell and her two daughters attended, of
course, under the escort Of Bob Rogers,
the landlord, who kindly purchased their
tickets for them AS he lell the office,
with the tickets In his hand, he was OBJ.
served to make a peculiar noise in his lat,
bull neck--something between u horse.
laugh and strangulatiOnA while his great,
red face became purple, and Maggie
Campbell had 10 pat him on the back
vigorously TO bring him 10, lie said he
had swallowed u "chaw o terbacker, and
1t went down tho wrong way" but the
girls continued to regard him with con.
siderable suspicion for some time, as n
man not tObe fully trusted, but who might
take II into his head to have tit of ap.
IOpleXy at any moment without regard
to time or place. sBut the entrance upon
the stage Of The professor silenccd the
hum of voices in the hall, and at once at.
tracted every ones attention. The gen
tlcman entered at once upon his subject,
and discOursed most leamedly on the
character olanimal magnetism; It's causes,
its effects, and uses; its connection with
popular magnetism modes Of applying
1t in eases Of disease the distribution
Of tho fluids in man, and through all M
tllrG; and so on, for about twenty minutes,
when he concluded his Introductory re.
marks by requesting such of the audience
rs were willing to step upon the stage and
submit to various experiments, which he
assured them would not In the least annoy
Or injure them. His request was followed
by quite an humiliation Of rough farmers,
and lew young ladies' Of the village.
Seating about o dozen In chairs in semi.
circle, the professor requested them TO
close their eyes. lie then passed slowly
from one to another, laying his hand
lightly on the forehead Of each, and max.
ing passes longltudinally down the body,
and at Il few inches distance from II. lie
then stepped back couple Of PAGES and
waved his hands with slow, tanning mo.
ton, In the air; aud then, Clapping his
hands, he said quickly and sternly, "Now
you can't one Of YOU open your eyes"
The effect was GleClriCal-all tried, and
not one could 10 II; It seeming rs though
their eyes were Theoretically sealed.
Quickly again, and with an upward mo.
tion OF his hands, the professor said,
"NOw open tllem"-tliGy were opened;
EXTEND your right hands," "NOw you
cant lower theml" The extended arms
were rigid as iron. "Drop them by your
sidesw and down they fell. The professor
took II pitcher of water from II table,
poured some Of 1t into glass, and handed
the glass to the first on the line.
"What is that ?" "Water" at Is cider;
taste AGAIN. "Why, so Il Is, and mighty
good at that" and he finished IL at u gulp.
Rellling the glass, the professor made
his subjects acknowledge the water to be
wine, whisky, soda, Castor.oil, lemonade,
etc, with entire success Experiment fol.
lowed experiment with startling rapidity.
Now n young plough.boy immagined
himself a veloclpGde, and tllmbled about
the stage on his hands and feet n very
good limitation, A young lady, who
had never sung note In her life, sud.
denly developed extraordinary musical
ability, and accomplished "Shells Of
Ocean" with wonderful accuracy and
melody. One rather foppiSh young gen.
tleman who was. stopping at the Assimi.
quld, and who had been very attentive to
Maggie Campbell, placed himself in n
very ludiCrOus position by being COnyinc.
cd by the professor that he was u candle,
and going about asking every body to
light his iiery.red.halr. At last the pro.
fessor set them all to following out, each,
his own special idiOsyncrasy; and then
the scene was like BedAm lei lossc.
They danced, sting, preached, laughed,
cried, fought-untilt suddenly, wifi a
stern voice the professor called them to
order. In m instant they were quiet;
and as the professor went from one to an.
other, making upward passes before each,
one and all rubbed their eyes, and were
sane as ever agBin, but all entirely igno.
rant of what they had been doing during
the two hours 81 the professors expert.
ments. With neat speech, that gentle.
man bowed himself from the stage, &C.
companled by loud applause; and, as the
lights were put out, every one went home
full Of admiration for his wonderful power
and his graceful eloquence,
The Campbell's returned 10 the hotel
with the landlord, who said little, butsev.
eral times seemed on the point Of having
another attack Of his peculiar complaint.