Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-12-06
THE CONJURERS OF OLD.
Wonders Perform cd Before Distinguish-
ed Delegates.
From the Boston Herald.


ed Delegates.
From the Boston Herald
The medium of the present day
bears closer resemblance, in methods
and manipulations, to the weli-known
conjurOr of history than any other rep
resentatives Of the magic art. How
far short he still remains of the per-
formances Of his prototypes is illus
trated below. In 1915 delegation of
highly educated and distinguished men
from the English East India Company
visited the Emperor Jehangire. While
on their mission they witnessed many
most wonderful performances, almost
causing them to discredit their senses,
and far beyond any hint even of solu-
ton. A party of Bengalese conjurors
and iugglers. showing their act before
the Emperor, were desired to produce
upon the spot, and from seed, ten null
berry trees. They Immediately plant
ed ten seeds, which, in a few minutes,
produced as many trees. The ground
divided over the spot; when a seed was
planted tiny leaves appeared at once,
followed by slender shoots, which rap
idly gained elevation, putting out
leaves and twigs and branches, finally
spreading wide in the air, budding,
blossoming and yielding fruit, which
matured upon the spot, and was found
to be excellent. And this before the
beholder had turned away his eyes.
Fig, almond, mango and walnut trees
were at the same time, under like con-
ditions, produced, yielding the fruit
which belonged to each. Wonder sue
ceeded wonder. The branches were
filled with birds of beautiful plumage,
fitting about among the leaves and
singing sweet notes. The leaves turned
to russell, fell from their places, branch
es and twigs withered, and finally the
trees sank back into the earth, out Of
which they had all sprang within the
bour.
The same conjurers performed a
series of marvels. One of them pro-
duced chain fifty cubits in length.
One end of this he threw into the air;
when the chain rapidly ran out its
whole length, and remained fixed in the
air as if fastened against the sky. A
dog was then placed upon the chain,
when up he ran to the further end, and
at once disappeared heavenward. A
hog, panther and other large animals
We're successfully dispatched up this
aerial pathway, and each in turn disap-
peared from the far end. Nor we're
they seen again; and finally the chain
WAS Withdrawn, and placed in bag for
convenient carriage.
Another had bow and about fifty
steel pointed arrows. Heshot an arrow
into the air, when, 10 the arrow be-
came fixed in space, at a considerable
height. Another and another arrow
was sent off, each fixing itself in the
shaft Of the preceding; until all formed
a chain of arrows in the air, excepting
the last shot, which striking the chain;
brought the whole to the ground in de-
tachments.
They set up two common tents
facing each other, and about bowshot
apart These tents were critically ex
i amined by the spectators, as are the
. cabinets of the mediums, and pro
uounced empty The tents were fas
tened to the ground all around. The
lookers-on were then invited to choose
what animals Or birds they would have
issued from these tents engage in a bat
, tie. Khaun- e-Jahaun, incredulously
asked to see a fight between ostriches
In a few minutes an ostrich came GU
from each tent, rushed to combat will
dead earnestncss, and from them tn,
blood soon began to stream; but the,
were so nearly matched that neithe
could win the victory, and they were q
last separated by the conjurers ant
conveyed within the tents. After this
the varied demands of the spectator
for birds or beast were exactly com
, piled with always with the same re
suits.
They took man and apparently sew
cred limb from limb, actually at las
cutting off his head, as it appeared
They scattered these members alon
the ground for considerable distance
and allowed them to remain for SOM
, time. Gathering them together, the,
: spread over these remains sheet, un
, der which one of the judges crawled
and soon came out, followed by th'
man who had been discovered, nov
sound in every part. Neither was there
to be found about the place any trace
of the thing that had been done.
A large caldron was set, and into i
a quantity Of rice thrown. Without
the sign of fire this rice soon began te
boil, and out from the caldron wa
taken more than one hundred platter
of cooked rice, with a stewed fowl al
the top of each. This trick is performee
on a smaller scale by the most ordinary
fakirs of the present day.
But space fails to give opportunity
for illustrating, from the records of the
past, how the miserably tame perform
ances-by compassionate the medl
ums of the present day were pale anc
overshadowed by those of other days
and more adroit people. There is MOI
a wonderful feature In any OF the sc
called phenomena Or manifestations
Which was not, nay, which is not now
more than duplicated by other skillfu]
performers, whose connection with
earth, andearth alone is too evident tc
be doubted, even if the fact was not
supported by their own testimony.