New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-29
PEPPER AND HIS GHOSTS.


PROF. PEPPER IN BOsToN-HIs PERSONAL AP-
PEARANCE-HIs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. EYES
"A SKELETON DANCE OF DEATH-A GHOST,
INEXPLICABLE BUT NOT ALARMING.
fPRoM TIg REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBuNRl
BOsToN, Nov. 23.-When q good coniurer
comes TO our modern Athens he always draws crowded
houses The descendants Of the "Pous Puritans' VINO
burned witches by the score" rejoice in skilled wiz
ards now that they believe their the fruit Of hon
est mother wit and invention, and not the unholy lore
learned in witches Sabbath. Stl, B0stonians are dig
nied nothing and though they go to see Heller IL Is
always to please the children. When comes, then,
who out-Heers Heller-wh0 shows you wonder on won
der in the name OF science, and gives you spiritual
seance without any extra price, what marvel that Ire
mont Temple should be crowded to It's utterrnost ca
pacityl Papa and Mamma and the young ladies and
the little children all came why should MT they-they
we're in the pursuit OF honest science.
1t whetted your curiosity to the keenest edge to see
the stage set as might have been the laboratory OF
old alchemist-fun Of uncannylooking apparatus-a
white screen back Of the speaker cOnceaing the little
ghostroom in the Strange, unfamiliar objects
were on every side and In the midst moving about Ike
shadows the two scholarly assistants indispensable to
the English scientific Lecturer. third mana very fat
man-who seemed a sort OF porter. he carried
burdens and then and poured water out OF pals,
was seated at the left wing OF the stage. To expect 80
many pounds avortupois to stand, would have been
cruelty but he rose at the look in his direction and
showed himself promptly ready for service as IT, in
appearance, he had been Ariel and not FalstaR
After we had become familiar with strange instru-
and gentle youths and fat porter enter Pepper the
scientist Pepper the Polytechnic Pepper OF the Ghost
OF course we looked at hmwe have nqurng minds and
many eye-gasses-lt would hardly be too much 70 say
we stared, We OF medium hight and size
looking tall contrast with his two assistants, and
fora
really middlesized He had asquare face full OF
straight Ines His gray brown hair brushed straight
across square fOrehead-hs brows were straight, his
nose was sfrai his month straight and he
full gray-bruwn beard, more gray than brown His face
looked II had been TOO OFTEN heated 10 the nes OF
his own furnaces. " He is red pepper" SAID saucy
young American behind me.
His voice anu manner we're agreeable. He has less
dignity, perhaps than Prof Tyndall. IL smacked too
much Of the commercial the zeal with which he twice
advertised IN ms address, MS future lectures Dut we
cannot expect absolute perfection, even IN man who
s had benefit OF gh0sty counsel, and Prof Pepper
IL a charming lecturer IL was not 40 mncn what ne
said OF course what be did, for his speech little
more than running comment IN ana explanation or MS
experiments. For an AMBITIOUS beginning, ne naIe a
sun. II small sun, but We-inteDtOned ana DILL.
liant and the burning sparks IL continually threw on
pleased our eyes, and did not set nre 10 our gowns
Then an assstant-whO looked IN the midst OF the
flames ike a small Vulcan fahricating thunderbots-
gave us specimens OF strong artificial light, made by
sftnc pO,vder out OF pepperbOx through dame. After
that the Professor paused 70 impress 1t on our minds
with "a few gentle words OF wisdom, that We didn't
know everything Newton didn't-Franklin didn't-we
needn't feel crushing humility because we were IN
like condition OF only partial Illumination Next ne
showed US light through water This was one OF his
pretiest experiments and, indeed many OF them were
OF exquisite and undergraduate beauty Win me curry
ing streams now bright clear flame, now OF green
light now OF violet, the house expressed rs delight IN
tumult OF applause. lie eNpalned tne tD'Ory OF tue
ether which nils al space, which palptaJes with the
waves " light, which is the divine medium FOR all human
euleavor Then he troubled with wand tank Of water,
and showed rs lovely, ripping waves, reflected rst on
small white SCREEN aud next on the ceiling or the nail
causing for compliment on the grand ceiling the
grand hall" me grandeur OF Anerica@ lecture ana
H. Illustrated waves Of sound by mus.cbox, and
curious soundns-ooarJ and suggested have Of rns
our VERDI, or beethoven or aSSnfoy1 ann
Sdsr He told rs aps st HsT9n Ph Tor days. and which
always was ready come back 10 him whenever ne
Thought OF the experiment that produced IT, This de-
magic TORCH which surrounded hlm with strange light,
wirh anycolored rings, and made him look ike an en-
Rut h was nothing his formidable aspectln the next
experiment, when the light he used turned him black
vouug American He displayed silks or beautiful mauve
and violet hues, which seemed IN sl0w-InOylng
light. a dngy dark color; and, the instant the
lint vibrations were queAened, gowed respendent
IN royal beauty. The waves or Violet HshJ are more
rapid than those OF any othera good reason Pr0I rep
per thinks why violet eyes do much execution. Then
we had experiments with wheels which had lew Sp0kes,
many spokes spOes at all, according 70 the rapidly
OF their movement; with gltters glass IuDes' Wnicn
were now tubes now any multiple OF Two, ana now
nothing but corrugated surface. Then he described
the killing Of sheep ny the great elect machine al the
Polytechnic and the philosophical banquet on Jueuli
nau thus Deen turneu 10 mullOn his now
ever was not original idea; for, long ago. Dr. Ben
amn Franklin gave electrical banquet, IN which all
the meat killed by electricity except the turkeys,
who defed lightning and insisted being slaughtered
the old fashioned way, feathered conservatives that
they
one of the most remarkable experiments Of the
ing was the OF executed by tile skeleton, on
the white screen-a wild, mad, resurrection jig, which
Kent time 70 fantastic music aud was received by the
audience with frantic applause Last OF all came the
ehOst seauce-PrOf Peppers wonderful patent ghost,
which he has spent many hundreds OF pounds IN de-
tending from encrOachment. To me this the isap
pointment evening. had expected hair would
the quilts or the fretful pOrcuplne.
thought should feel Hamlets friends did when they
saw Hamet's father. But simply entertained aud
not frightened all The lusi0n is quite perfect How
il IA dOne Is a thing which ordinary fellow can Ind
out bur nothing supernatural about IT, No hush
OF awe or OF expectation the air. You realize the
Pepper behind the machinery; you know that the
pale Young assistant figuring now as ghost
oeset artist will not really shoot the buXOm
Young lady who Is haunting him. and you look on at the
vonder-slOw pleased but not awed. Prof Pepper ~,
indeed a very remarkable illustrator or experimental
science. He s the most entertaining or magclansi
and You watch his performances win serene self
respect feeling that you are not sacrificing your time
10 anusement-nO lndeed-yOu ara laying up store OF
valuable Information, you are improving your mlnd,
YOU are learning science. He Is easy speaker,
thoroughly at home with his audience; and, knowing
how we'll the Great American Nation THINKS O1 ITSELF
he processes think exceedingly well or II, also; To
expect ind IN every grOwn-ap person a fulgrOwn
scientist and 10 make his explanations only Tor the SAKE
OF the children, l. q ~