The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-02-27
Chicago Spirits.

The writer has seen what purpOrtca to
DC matcrializcd spirits right here in Chi
cagO; but no cold chills ran down his
back, and his hair had no inclination to
rise. Nor lid hc feel any guslI 0t cntlru-
siasn, for the npparitions were so truns-
parent that hc could sec through them.
The most impressive and necessary nppur-
tcnanCc If the show was the formidable
check of the medium" Full details OF
the performance here referred to will he
given i'll a subsequent article, together
with All exposition of various other mys-
tcrics of assumed mcdiuHship as exhibit
cd in this city. II is his present purpose
tn treat upon the method of Mrs. L. 4.
Blair, the "Spiritualist," located at No.
IOI West Madison, in painting pictures
while she - blindfOldtti. Not taking into
considers tidu the conditions under which
her pictures are executed, they possess
but little artistic merit. They mostly
represent flowers varinuIy arranged in
wrratlis or bUquets. SOmG of these flow
crs nrc not known IN mortal b0tanists, hut
nrc surpassed to grow in the Summer
Land" The petals and stamcns are
painted with tOlrrabIc skill, hut for all
flowers there is II uniformity of leaves or
foliage, made hy easy strokes with the
brush When painting with different oil
ar water Colors, she seldom uses more
than one brush, which she wipes, when
necessary, on u cloth secured 10 what re-
mains Of her left arm, the latter having
been amputatcd at or near the elbow.
The artist is fHirisl, fiat and forty" Size
is a native Of Vermont, and has been in
the spiritual" business about six years,
though she claims tO have had some tdc-
rel"pmcnts" at an earlier period. Her
resumption of mcdiumship Is s,lpportcd
hy the fact that she paints pictures while
biindioldct, III such Il way as seemingly
t0 preclude the possibility of her bciui,
able To SEQ. Marrow strips Of linen cloth,
sometimes wet, are several times folded
AMI laid over her eyes, and then covered
with handkerchief, which is bound
around her head, after which she passes
into state of trance, as il claimed, Ind
goes to work with brush and paint upon
some Bristol board.
Several years ago, when the writer WAS
connected with 0nc Of the. mclropnlitan
Journals as Il reporter, Inc was first privi-
legged tu witness tho painting performance
of the bindtOlGCd Mrs. Blair. For the
time hc was astonishCd, and was strongly
inclined to attribute her success 10 clair.
y0yancc. On that occasion ahc wns blind
folded, ~ above described, the handkcr-
chief however, not coming below her
slightly rrrvuSsr liusc. .iuInr one sur-
gcstcd that her nose be entirely covered,
but the "cntranccd medium" under what
Inrpnrtcd Ia lr the influence of de
erased spuaw, and referring t. herself.
said, "Whito Lily wants good chance to
tn breathe through the muse, or keep the
mouth open, which latter no fair minded
investigator had right , require. There
fore 10y All arbitrary ruling the eyes were
wholly or in part excluded, and the nose
prevailed. Yet, after all, thrrc was some
suspicion that the eyes and nose were ia
"cohuots." The medium ti,cn proceeded
Ia paint some pictures, which were readily
pur liascd Mt Il good price by enthusiastic
Spiritualists present. They were far in.
iuriOr To her present productions: Though
the question might lIavc reasonably been
raised ~ tu the right Of even spirits to
thus violate nitistic good iiStc, set the IN.
ccusion, though bad, was exceedingly
wonderful, admitting that The artist could
NOT sec; a,;.l thut she could not was rcad-
lily granted by the majority present.
On his arrival I!oiuc, after the scnncc
above ,lrscribrd, the writer prnCuod some
strips Of linen cloth, and instructed his
wife to hlindiuld him just rs Mrs. lIlnir
had been. IN tying the handkerchief
around hi7 head she gave slight nnd
unintcntinnal pull 20 the left, which
brought The folded linen strip whicl
covered the right eye u little away from
the nose, and, raising the cyclid, lac fount
that through The intrrsiic, between tllt
cloth and his nose, lrr could look dOwi
under the handkerchief and s!nntingl,
ncross his nasal npprn,lNgc, upon !hr tnhI
at which lc WAS siiti'g. Then hc re-
mrmbcrc,l that, after ,lrs. blair had nrcr
blindfnldcd, lcr business manager hnr
prohibited any ono from touching her q