Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-16
The Skill Of Oriental Magicians,

Inc SkiII OF oriental AaglcianS,
Fanny Feudge, writing in Lipptncotfs
for December, of "Oriental Sports"
says:
Jugglery is another amusement of
which all Oriental nations are extremely
fond. So numerous and varied are feats
practiced by the performers in this line,
that '1ndian jagglery" is famous the
world over, and their wonderful dexteri-
ty in all matters requiring unusual slight
OF hand has passed into universal proverb.
A visit at the house of wealthy Hindoo,
on the occasion of his sons marriage,
gave me an opportunity of witnessing
some Of their rarest feats in this line. The
wedding festivities comprised two whole
weeks of banquets, professions, and en-
tertalnments Of ali sorts, with almost ex-
trayagant display of jewels and torches,
flowers and silks, along the pathway of
the bridal party, TIE whole costing, it is
said, nearly a lakh Of rupees, or some
forty-tive thousand dollars. But then the
bridegroom was an only son, and there is
no other occasion on which an Oriental
will so lavishly pour out his wealth as the
birth or marriage of g. son. During the
day the time was divided between eating,
dancing, theatrical exhibitions, concerts,
gambling and jugglery, and at night there
was always brilliant display Of fire.
works while the festival lasted. But. of
all, the jugglery was the most wonderful.
Grass seed was sown before your eyes,
and IN five minutes thereafter beautiful
green lawn of smooth shaver grass lay
outspread at your feet A tiny, two
leaved plant was handed US to look at;
we saw and felt it, and perceived that it
was a genuine orange tree, having
but two imperfectly developed leaves,
with portion of the seed still adhering
In half an hour we ate Of mangOcs pluck
ed apparently from this very tree, which
had seemed to grow before our very eyes
till it lowered above our heads, buddcd
blOssOmed and bore fruits that turned
from green to golden almost as rapidly as
they could be plucked and eaten. A
bronze basin Of clear water, which we
had the privilege Of examining, was placed
on stand; and though, when we thrust in
our hand there was found nothing but the
water, in a little while magnificent lotus
or water lily sprang up therein, and 10!
its huge blossoms, pink hued and fragrant,
were before uS-mammOth flowers, eight
cen inches in diameter! The spectators
were in ecstacy. Young and old, even the
natives, who had seen the wonders be-
fore, clapped their hands with delight;
only the magician himself was quiet and
reticent. Presently he held up piece of
yellow tissue paper, perhaps six inches
square, and, after turning it round and
round IN various POSITIONS he formed of
it quite natural looking butterfly, wings
and all. Holding the butterfly on his
open palm, he so arranged two wax lights
as to allow him to wave a fan rapidly be-
! tween them without affecting the flame;
and then, by more gentle motion over
the insect, he started it into apparent life
First it moved slowly toward the fan, as
II testing its power of locomotion, then
/ trlpped more lightly along the edge, and
anaily bore away, wheeling and dipping
/ toward vase Of flowers that stood near
then floating away in very wantonness,
and presently returning, lighting
| and coquetting among the dainty
blossoms like a thing of life, the wings
fairly quivering with excitement. Just
then a mate was supplied to the lonely
excursionist by the same magic power
that had given the first its frail being; and
together the fairy tourists set forth on
/ their travels. Round and round they
wheeled and fioated, but always within the
charmed circle about the coniurors hefsd,
sometimes kissing his cheeks and lips, to-
gether or singly lighting on the outspread
fan, or returning TO flutter among the
flowers, then flirting and coquetting with
each other, putting their tiny heads to-
gether in mutual caresses, and shaking
their gauzy wings with all the pretty airs
and graces of live fiirts. The scene end
ed by the magician taking a small pearl
box out of his bosom, opening it, and
holding it toward the butter flies. They
seemed to observe the downy cotton with
which the box was lined, and in circling
curves they moved toward it, and
crouched down, with wings still out
spread, upon the dainty couch prepared
! for them. The juggler closed the box,
and as he did so we saw seated on the top
live canary that caroled forth sweet
| songs until its little throat seemed ready
to split, as if striving to compensate for
the departure of our butterfly favorites.
Suddenly the song of Joy was changed
to piercing notes that betohened horror