Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-12-29
THE sEAECE BUSINESS.
Our Near.Stghted Beporter.at long
Range.

the presence of what was asserted to be
a m~atenslized spirit, such as Hamlet
saw upon the ramparts at Elsinore when
he exclaimed, angels and ministers of
grace, defend u.s." be can furnish some
information to the public concerning the
modus operandi of these amusing exhi-
billions. Our man was furnished in adj
vance with a printed card bearing the
following startling lines: Mrs. N. D.
Miller, independent slate writer, physi-
cal and msterislizing medium, corner
Union and Second streets, Greenlaw
courtroom, northeast corner, third.
story. Public esnce for physical man
ifeststions and materializations on Mon
day and Wednesday evenings at u
o'clock. Private sittings for slate writing
daily from 9 to IL am. Private seances
of naturalization for parties, as per
agreement, on other evenings" On the
back Of this was written in pencil:
Admit bearer this evening, December
26. S. Watson" This was the open
sesame which ushered cur materialized
reporter into the region of shades.
THE sEAECE-RoOM.
The room formerly occupied by the
Clerk Of the Circuit Court is the seance-
room. Our reporter knew it we'll, hay.
ing been in it q thousand times before.
1t is, say, thirty by twenty feet square.
At one end there is a platform about
twelve feet square raised from the room
floor eighteen inches, In front Of this
platform posts have been put up across
the room at equal distances and tele-
graph wires are stretched across a foot
apart so that it resembles somewhat a
wire fence or improved vineyard fence
on (which the vines hang. The wires,
however, do not stretch quite
across the room, as, at one side an open.
ing or doorway is left about six feet wide
so that you can pass in, and by a stair
way, composed OF three steps, present
yourself on the platform in front Of the
cabinet and between il and the wires. At
the other end Of the room chairs are ar.
ranged across it in a %semi-circle, the end
chairs being near the wires, in. fact one
Of the end chairs being in front Of the
opening which leads to the platform and
cabinet. On this chair Mr.. Miller sits as
end.man, and at the other extremity Of
the semi-circle, near the wires, Brother
Watson takes a seat IS another end.mRn,
In rear Of the first row Of seats there il
another, used only when a large party il
present, and in rear of this, on the floor
} is placed the lamp, which is in charge o
: Mr.. Stillman, who acts as center-mar
and light-srtist.
lhE NADlNEls
This affair is made of frame work
t about six feet wide and the same il
depth. 1t is located on Me platform
against the wall, and fronting the audi
, ence or circle. The frame is coveret
!. with heavy cotton material Of some kind
a aud Of dark color. In front the curtain
e hangs from the top so that when neces
y sary it can be thrown up on the cabine
q aud the medium can be seen sittinI
within. In this front curtain is cut
q square hole, high up, through which durinI
& the dark seances are pitched the hand
n k~erchiefs, bells, etc., but in front Of tn,
n hole hangs a lighter curtain, which pre-
q vents any observation from without as Il
what IS going on within. This is the en-
. tire paraphernalia, with the exception o
! the bells, guitar, banjo or other instru
ments used by the medium during tn
seances.
THE ORDER Of EXERCISES.
On the audience taking seats, Mr.. Mil
=, Ter being at one end and Brother Watson
= at the other end Of the circle, witt
. Brother Stillman in rear in charge Of tn,
. lamps, Mrs. Miller goes into the cabine
= and is tied by some one present, the cur
:, tain drops and the order is given TO turl
down the light. Brother Stillman turn
it down to the lowest point without ex
tinguishing it, and this leaves the au
dience in comparative darkness, whereil
the best of eye-sight avsils but little, an
/, if the eye be steadily kept on any on
object the nerves of the eye become 81
l strained aud affected that the objec
which you are looking at appears t
4 move, appear and disappear, or vibratc
> and at last a pain is felt in the eye-ball
a from the straining Of the optic nerves
4 Such physical conditions, it must b
; recollected, are peculiarly favorable 70
naturalization or the introduction 0
any delusion. Orders are given to hol
hands all around, so as to get up a eli
cult OF electricity or magnetism, bu
there is no such circuit, because the end
or end men are not attached to anything
" from which to draw the electric power
! It may be that this is resorted to in OF
der to keep people from leaving the
! seats, or it may be a pleasant device t
, enable young people to clasp each oths
by the hand, after The style Of loverI
When seated between two pretty girls th
= sensation produced by the hand. claspin
: is not by any means disagreeaole to th
young man. Orders are issued to kee
quiet, soy nothing, so that the compan
.an get in harmony or en- rapport wit