Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-08-24

"To the inhabitants OF Racketville
and the surrounding country.
PROFESSOR HAMILTON
from Edinburgh,
VIII lecture at the Town Hall, ON
Thursday evening, at eight O'Clock,
On ANIMAL MAGNETISM,
Illustrating this marvellous science
by experiments on such of
the audience as
are willing to offer themselves.
Tickets, so 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 pro
fessor's proposed lecture, very few had
ever had an opportunity Of witnessing
any of the singular experiments said to
have been performed by this wonder
full science. The news spread through
all the neighborhood, and on the fol
lowing day, farm wagons in numbers
came into town, rs though it were a
mlrket-day bringing the farmers and
their families to hear the professor lect-
ure.
Meanwhile Tom and Jack were still
absent, and about noon on Thursday
came letter to the landlord, saying
that, as the fishing was so good, they
had concluded to remain until Friday.
Great was the disappointment of Mag
gle 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 III
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 ANNOUNCE
ed DIS 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 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 a pecu-
liar noise in his fat, bull necll-some
thing between hoarse laugh ana stran-
gulation--while his great, red face, be-
came purple, and Maggie had to pat
him on the back vigorously 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 considerable suspic-
ion for sometime, as man not to be
fully trusted, but might take it into his
head to have fit of apoplexy mt any
moment, with out regard to time or
place.
But the entrance upon the stage of
the Professor silenced the hum of
voices in the hall, and at once attracted
every ones attention. The gentleman
entered at once upon his subject, and
discoursed most learnedly on the sub
ject of animal magnetism, its causes,
effects, and uses; its connection with
the polar magnetism modes of apply
ing 1t in cases of disease the distribu-
ton of the fluids IN man, and through
all nature and so on for about twenty
minutes, when he concluded his intro
ductorv remarks by requesting such of
the audience MS were willing to step
upon the stage and submit to various
experiments, which he assured them
would not in the least annoy or iniure
them.
His request was followed by quite an
inundation of rough farmers, and few
young ladies OF the village. Seating
about dozen in chairs in semi circle,
the professor requested them to close
their eyes. He then passed slowly from
one to another, laying his hand lightly
on the forehead of each, and making
passes longitudinally down the body.
He then stepped back couple of PAGES
and waved his hands with a slow, fan
ming motion. in the air and then clap
ping his hands, he sand quickly and
sternly, Now you can't one of you
open your eyes The effect was
electrical--all tried, and not one could
DO it, it seemed as though their eyes
were Theoretically sealed. Quickly
again and with upward motion Of
his hands, the professor said, " Now
open them they were opened tx
tend your right hands, Now you can't
lower them The extended arms
were rigid "a iron drop them by
vour sides and down they fell The
professor took pitcher OF water from
table poured some of Il into glass,
and handed the glass to the first one on
the line
What is tina, Water. Is
cider, taste again why, so it is,
aud mighty good too, ana he finished
.