Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
theatrical Traps and Tricks.

Thosb who saw the fairy spectacle
called iLc Rio Carotto" at the Grand
Opera House in New York, says Olive
Logan may remember an extraordi-
mary spnc, in which an old magician
waS spmingly dsmcmbcred in the
prcsen,c of the audience. This feat
was accomplished through tho MD Of
an arrthgcment Of traps. The situa-
ton WIS this: An old and feeble sor-
corer, ifter having rendered import
ant sevices to somc young friends OF
his,asked of them that they should
cut b m in several pieces, and throw
him lit by bit into an oven heated to
q Wbitb heat; after which he expected
to bono out a young man, as fresh and
lighs As yeast and magic ever yet made
baking como out Of oven. His will
was done he was cut up and put in
tho oven without leaving tho stage,
and without ceasing TO talk. Seated
10 large arm chair, the old man
asked that hugo volume should be
brought in and placed on a table near
him. This was done, and the onor-
nous book being laid on the table,
Immediately became vivified living
gnomes issued from the pictures on its
leaves, and skipped about the stage; ;
after which they rc.entered tho book,
and it was closed and carried away.
Then the magician's legs were cut off
and thrown in the oven, ditto his arms;
then bis head was cut of and set on
tho table, where it went on talking,
giving directions as to the disposal Of
the trunk; after which the head too
was thrown into the oven, which burst
open with loud report and the actor
walked on the stage, young and hand
some. 1t was an incomprehensible
performance to the ordinary spectator,
and very amusing one to those Who
tried TO guess how il was done but
it can be explained
Tho huge volume was brought in
and laid on the table at the same mo-
mcnt that the magician in the arm
chair quietly withdrew his legs from
the scene and placed them on trap
under the stage, paper- mache legs
were substituted by machinist from
below, and the seat of the armchair
retired in good order. All this trans
pired while tho spectators attention
was diverted by the big book and its
animated pictures, which were little
boys who simply came up from under
the stage through hole in the table,
and through spring-holcs in the book,
arranged with India rubber. The
magician then requests that his legs
be taken off; and having slipped his
real arms out of sight, gives his papicr-
mache arms in their order to the de-
vouring flames. Nothing is left but
the magician's trunk and his head,
which keeps on talking and looking
around the stage This head is, in
fact, a mask, with long white beard,
spectacles, black skull-cap, and lace
neck -frill-which mask exactly fits the
actors head of flesh, and permits moth
ing real to be seen but the lips and
the eyes. One Of the persons on the
stage tugs at the magician's head till
he pulls 1t off-that is to say, he pulls
the mask off-and carries it over to
the table (while the magician, who
has sunk through trap, runs along
under the stage), places it on the table,
where it Immediately begins to talk
and give directions about the trunk,
which still remains il the chair. This
trunk is papier-machcr of COURSE
Tho magician, running along under
tho stage, was sent up through anoth.
er trap under the table, and slipped
his real head into the mask again, and
began to talk as stated. Finally, the
head is thrown into the oven, the
magician draws his head down under
tho table doscends on the trap, reas-
cends on another further back, slips
on rich jacket on the way, and whom
tho oven bursts, steps forth rejuvon-
ated