The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-28
Travellers Register.
Qhe4nteltlQenttr,
VENTRILOQUISM.
The History and Pcculiarities OF thu
Art.

the AIatOry ana IcCuIlafltleS Oh Tue
Art.
1t Yves supposed for many yCars-And
eminent Psychologists gave COuDtcuAncC
10 the theOry-that some peculiarly in
the conformation of the larnyx was rCqui.
sllr Tor VGntrilCQuism, or at least that il
was accomplished by processes essentially
different from those adopted in ordinary
speakingor singing; but it has been DEM
Onstratcd that the vocal organs Of the
vcntrllOquist are the same rs other men,
nor i9 his use of them materially different
from that OF the others For success in
the exercise OF his art he requires only
keen perceptions, an car dGlICatcly at.
tuned TO the variations of sound produced
by distance or direction, and strongly dc.
velOped InimCtiC faculty. The vocal or
gans possess the power Of initiating,
under skilful training, all the sounds OF
animate or inanimate life, and in such o
way ny 10 represent them rs heard at
greater or less distances, and from diiIer-
rnt directions. The vcntrilOquist is well
aware that no one Of our senses is more
easily deceived than that OF hearing, be-
cause in listening to sounds We judge Of
their rem0tencs5 by comparing them with
other sounds whose distance we are tamil
Mr with, and determine their distance
Dy AN arbitrary and often incorrect csti-
mate OF their relative volume at the place
Of their supposed cmission-a standard
which must often be faulty.
The uncertainty with regard to the d..
rrctiOn OF sounds IS the foundation OF the
art of vcntrilOquism. II We placed ten
men in a row at such distance from us
that they are included in the angle within
which we cannot judge OF the direction
uf sound, and if, on II calm day each OF
them speaks in succession, We shall not
be able, with closed eyes, TO determine
from which OF the ten men any Of the
sounds proceeded; and We shall De inca.
p4blc OF pcrcciyiDg that there is any
difference in the direction OF the sounds
emitted by the two ouICrmOSt. lia man
and child UrC placed within the same
angle, and it the man speaks with the &C.
cent Of child, without any correspond |
lng motion in his mouth and face, we shall
necessarily believe that his voice comes |
from the Child-nay, ii the child Is so dis.
tant from the man that the voice actually
uppears TO us to come from the man, We
shall still continue TO believe that the
child is the speaker; and this conviction
would acquire additional strength il the
child favored the deception by aCCommo.
dating its features and gestures to the
words spoken by the man.
The ventrilOquist uttcTs the sound with
the effect it would have upon the hearers
eur il il had really trGverscd the distance
he designs 10 represent, reducing its loud.
ness, s0ttening somewhat its quality or
tone, and II ii is in words, obsCuring lit.
lie the COnsOnant sounds, while retaining
unallcred the pitch and duration. In
doing this he mOaitics the tones OF his
voice by varying the position Of the
tongue and the soft palate, dilating or con.
tracing the mouth Or pharynx, and either
dividing the buCCal and phHryngcal CaVi-
lies into several compartments Or throw
iur them into one. This Is done without
y movement OF the lower jaw and with
but slight motions OF the lips. Usually
the ven,rilCQuist stands so as to give only
profile view of his face, unless ut dis.
lance from the audience, and thus has
greater opportunity OF conCealiug the
slight motions OF the facial muscles. In
most cases, too, the apparently remote
voice is talsCttO, this being more within
the command OF the performer without
pcrCcptiblc facial movement than the nat
ural tones. Some Of the greatest ventril.
Uuuists, however, have never pTaCtiCcd
any COnCcalmcnt, but stand face to lace
With their audience. NJ. Alexandra, NJ.
ST. Gille and Louis de BrabaRt, we are in
formed, apparently did not move their
lips or the muscles OF their faces
VentrlOqusm loses its distinctive char.
Ac,cr If its limitations arc not performed
By u voice from the belly. The voice, in.
deed, does not come from that region; but
when the vcntrilOQuist utters sounds from
the larynx without moving his face, he
p,yes them strength by powerful action
Of tho abdominal muscles. Hence he
speaks by means Of his belly, although
the throat is the real source from which
Inc sounds proceed. The effort in every
case ie So great that the exercise Of ven.
triIoJuism Tor any considerable length OF
time Is very Iatiguing, and occasions irc'
qurnt coughing On the part Of the per
IUTmer
The influence over the human mind
which the ventriloquIst derives from the
skil.u practice Of his art, is greater than
that which Is exercised by any other
species Of cOnIurOr. The ordinary magi.
Cian requires the theatre, his acCompliCCs
and the instruments Of his art, and he en-.
Toys but local sovereignty within the
precincts O. his own magic circle. The
VcntrilCVulst, on the contrary has the
supernatural always at command. In tho
Opcn fields, Rs well as in the crowded city,
IN the private apartment, M well as nthu
hubble hail, he can summon innumcrAblc
spirits; and though the persona 0! his
fictitious dialogue are not visible To the
eve. vet they arc unCquivOcally present
10 Tue imagination Of his auditors, NJ II
thew had been Swallowed forth Ia the NJ
lcnCe OI spectral form.
Mr.. Dugnld Stewart, In some remarks
upon the subject Of vcntril0qnism, has
stated several instances In which dCCcp-
tons OI this kind were frequent lie
mentions having seen u person who, ny
COuntCriCiting the gcsliCula,ionS nt per,
former on the violin, while he initiated
the music with his voice, ryitCd the eyes
Of his audience upon the instrument,
though every sound they heard proceeded
from his own mouth lie tells HlSO OF
another person who initiated the whist
ling Of the wind through narrow Chink
and who often practiCcd the deception in
the corner OF COiIcGhOus lie declares
ihat he seldom failed 10 see some Of the
company risc to examine the 'ightncsa OF
the windows, while others, more intent
ON their newspapers, Con,cnted them