Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-07-15
STRANGE JUGGLING FEATS.

How u Company were Amused In Ind,R
-Transfermatisn or . Leather STRAP
, Into ~ Esermeas Heoded saakc-A
hoy Turned Int Thread Machino
Niasic Iadccd.
The jugglers' panty consisted Of two
men, q woman, lad, and child OF
about four years Of age. They had
with them q large basket containing
their stock in trade, aud, with tho ex.
ception OF the woman, they were but
scantily clad. The latter had q small
Indian tabor before her, which she oc
casionally snatched up and struck with
tho tips of her fingers, to add expires.
sion to some OF tho wild chants which
wero introduced during tho phases Of
the exhibition.
A leathern strap was unrolled and laid
on the ground open to view a sub
dued choral incarnation followed 4; there
was slight but perceptible nervous
twitching motion OF tho strap, when
one OF tho performers, crying out,
"Cover him up cover him up, or no
will bite us placed large wicker.
work basket, called q tapall, over 1t and
covered it with. cloth then, siezing
q strange looking musical instrument,
the body OF which consisted OF small,
dry gourd, he produced succession OF
wild, droning notes, not unlike tho
treble of a bagpipc. His companion
removed the basket, and, in lieu Of the
leathern strap, there was an enormous
live cobra, n hooded snake with crest
erect, darting out its double tongue and
swaying about foot OF its body from
side to side, the rest being arranged in
close coil. All drew back their chairs
in undisguised alarm. Meanwhile the
snake, though evidently charmed by the
music, kept his bright eyes directed on
the movements Of tho party, whom he
seemed to regard as his natural foes.
The woman was the first to attack her
ancient enemy by slyly attempting to
nip his tail. He Kissed forth his dis
pleasure, and made dart at her hand,
but she was too quick for him. With
equal success the lad and the men who
was not playing continued to provoke
the reptile for minute or two, but he
at length bit the latter in the hand. The
blood trickled slowly from the wound,
but the man drew from small bag
about his person what appeared to be a
small, dark colored flat stone, and press
ing it upon the wound left. it there, for
it appeared to have adhesive and styptiA |
properties. In about two minutes the
blood ceased to flow, and the quasi stone
dropped off. A small basket was then |
put before the snake, into which he
quietly glided and was hid from sight.
One of the jugglers then brought
forth bail of fine Irvine, and rnwound
about fifty yards of j. in coil in his
hand; this coil he cut through with a
knife, at each end of it's diameter; then
again and again repeated tho operation
until the Irvine had been divided into
pieces not exceeding four inches in
length. Taking up these disjecta he
put them into the lads mouth and babe
him swallow them, which, after some
effort, he to all appearance did. Then
asking ono of tho company for q sharp
penknife, tho man obviously made an
incision i'll the skin of the lads stomach.
From this he picked out with the point
of the knife the end of n thread; this
thread he pulled forth, at fist gently.
then faster, then hand over hand, until
he had coiled down ON the ground a
continuous length of about one hun
dred yards OF wet sewing thread. This,
if deception, was marvellous one, for
the operation had all the appearance
and tokens of reality, since the skin of
the stomach was slightly raised around
the oriiice through which the thread
was being evidently drawn.
Our friends were fairly puzzled, and
to add to their perplexity, the operator
cut off the thread close to the skin, .and
placed piece Of sticking plaster over
it, leaving it to be inferred that the sup
ply OF thread was unlimited, and could
be drawn upon "tc order"
An empty flower pot was now placed
upon the floor ~ the juggler, who re-
quested that his comrades might be al
lowed to bring up some garden mold
from the little plot of ground below.
Permission being accorded, the man
went, and in two minutes returned with
a small quantity Of fresh earth tied up ,
in corner OF his chudder, which was
deposited in the flower pot and lightly
pressed down. Taking from his basket
q dry mango stone, and handingit round
to the company that they might examine I
it, and satisfy themselves that it was
really what il seemed, the juggler !
out little earth from the center
Of the flower pot and placed the stone in {
The cavity. He then turned the earth j
lightly over it and, having poured lit |
lie water over the surface, shut the
flower pot out of view, by means Of q
sheet thrown over a small triangle. l
And now, amid full chorus of voices O
md rat-tat-tat accompaniment of the
;abor, the stone terminated; presently o
,ection of the cloth was drawn aside,
md gave to view the tender shoot,
by two long leaves of j
olackish brown color. The cloth was {
and the incarnation resumed. t.
Not long was it, however, before the t.
10th was second time drawn aside, and q
was then seen that tho two first leaves "
lad given place to several green ones, q
md that the plant now stood nine or G
en- inches high. A third time, and the r
oliage was much thicker, the sapling a
icing about thirteen to fourteen inches q
n height. A fourth time, aud the little q
miniature tree, now about eighteen in 81
hes in height, had ten or twelve man a
,oes about the size of walnuts hanging
bout its branches. Finally, after the
apse of three or four minutes, tho cloth
vas altogether removed, and tho fruit,
laving the perfection of size, though a
lot of maturity, was plucked and hand e :,
d to the spectators, and, on being tasted, 7,
vas found to he approaching ripeness, u