The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-12
THE CONJURERS OF OLD.
UONDERS PERFORATED BEFORE
DISTING JISHE I'D ELEG dTES.
Men Beside whose Mnuipuintions those of
Modern Mediums IRE niiseraby Tame.
From he Ros.on RernM.

Men Beside whose Mnuipulntions those of
Modern Mediums IRE Miserably Tame.
From the boston HeraM.
The medium OF the present day bears
closer rcsemblance In methods and mHnipulI-
tons. to the weil-known conjlrer OF history
than any other representative OF the magic art.
How far short he still temhins " the perform
snces Of his prototi pes Is illustrated below. In
1915 a delegation of highly educated and dis
tlnsuished 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, aud far beyond any
hint even Of solution. A par. OF BenEalese CON
EmDeror, were desired to produce upon the
spot, and from seed ten mulberry trees. They
Immediately planted ten seeds. which, In
few minutes produced a. many trees. The
ground divided over the spot. when a
seed was planted, tiny leaves appeared, at once
followed 10y slender shoots,whioh RAPIDLY Gained
elevation, put ting out leaves and twigs and
branches finally spreading wide In the air. bud
ding. blossoming and yielding fruit, which ma
tured upon the spot, and was found to be excel
away his eyes. Fig, almond, mango, and walnut
trees were at the same time under ike condt-
ions Produced yielding the fruit which be-
longed to each. Wonder succeeded wonder.
Tho branches were filled with birds OF beautiful
plumage. fitting about among the leaves and
singing sweet notes. The leaves turned to rus.
set, fell from their places, branches and twigs
withered aud finally the trees sank back into
the earth, out Of which they had all sprang
within the hour.
The same conjurers performed series OF
m!rvels. One OF them produced chain nifty
cubits In length. one end of this he threw into
the air. wnen the chain rapidly ran out It's
whole ieng h, and remained liked In the ar rs II
fastened against the sky A dog was then placed
upon the chain, wnen up he run to the further
end, and at once disappeared he venward.
hog, a panther, and other large animals we're
ana each In turn disappeared rom the far end.
Nor we're they seen again aud hDally the chain
was WITHDRAWN ana placed III a Gag Tor cOnve-
Another nd bow and about nflv steel
pointed arrows. lie shot an arrow mo the air.
when. 10 the arrow became bxed IN space. at
co siderable height. Another and another nr-
row was sent on each nxlng Itself IN tue smart
of the prece iiug. until all formed a chain 81 r
rows In the air. excepting the last shot, which,
striking the chaiu brought the whole to tho
ground in detIchmcBts
They set up two common tents facing each
otner. and about a bnwshot apart. These tents
were critical, cx mined 10y the spectators, as
are the cahn Is OF the IN Mediums, and pronounced
empts. The tents were fastened to the GROUND
all around. hr lonkers-un we're then invited
to choose VIII 4 animals or uirds they would have
issue from those tents to engage ~ a battle.
khaun-e-J thaun, incted dirusl asked to see
ght between ostriches. In a few minutes an
ostrich came out from each tent, rushed to COM
bat with de dly e'rnestness ana from them the
blood soon began To stream; but tuev were
nearly matched that neither could win the vic
tory, and hey were at last separated 10y the con-
jurers and conveyed within the teuts. After
this the varied demands of the spectators for
birds or beasts were exactly complied with,
ALWAYS with the same results.
Ihey took a man AMI apparently severed limb
from limh. actually At last cutting IN his head,
as II appeared. Ihey scattered these members
along the ground for a considerable distance,
and allowel them to remain for some time
Gathering them together. they spread over these
remains sheet, uluer which one Of the Jug
glers crawed, and soon came out, followed by
the man who had been discovered. now sound
In every part. Neither was there to ns found
about tue place any trace OF the thing that had
been done.
A large cauldron was set, and into 1t guam
tity Of rice thrown. Without the sign OF Ore
THIS rice soon began to DOLL. and out from the
cauldron was taken more than one hundred
patters OF cooked rice. with a stewed fowl at
tn top OF each. This rick Is performed on
smaller scale by the most ordinary fakirs OF tue
pre-cnt d.y.
But space fails to give opportunity for Illus
tratiug. from the records Oi tue past, how the
miserably tame performances-uy comparison
Of the mediums OF the present dav were pale
and overshadowed by tbpss Of other day and
more adrOit peoples. There Is not wonderful
f. 4ture m any ui the so-c,ed phenomena or
III ,nfestations which was not. nay, witch is
not now more than duplicated by other -kiiful
pc formers, whose connection with arth. aud
earth alone H. too evident To be DOUBTED, even
II the fact WIS not SUP. Ortcd by their own tes-
tlmOny.