The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-03-28
A~.ecd.s.- of sisrsr Bists.


of the town. INDEED, the good priest
aud burghers Of the town held a SOL
emn council to consider what should
be done with this uncanny boy No
result seems to have come Of their
deliberations, yet" says the author,
the villagers might be seen standing
q long way off gazing at my person,
and alleging that they saw most mys-
terious sights Of beings passing in
and out Of the chimneys, through
the windows, and of red and blue
fres burning round the house at mid
night"
{! At Exeter, England, in the early
part of 1926, be was summoned be-
fore the Archbishop and Church
Council. prior to a performance, and
called uoon 10 answer various charg.
es Of irreligion, and as being an idle,
mischievous person." The council
were not able to find him guilty, but
he treated them TO a gratnitoas per-
formance. He astonished the assem-
blage by announcing that a watch,
which he exhibited, would be trans
/ ported 10 a cushion in the cathedral
pulpit and there it was found when
o messenger went to search for it,
His first feat as a ventriloquist vas
in dissecting room, whittier be had
been invited by a medical friend.
The doctor, scalpel in hand, had
made an incision in the body OF a
woman, to which she protested. alt
is cruel TO mutiiate," (" said the voice,
the remains of woman"
"Yes,n came from another body
upon another sit is an outrage TO
thus abuse woman Doctor and
students made rush for the door,
and il was only when the surgeon
had franticaIly driven home in his
carriage, taking Signor BiItz with
him, that the venriloquist explained
1t is impossible to give more than
a few of the many anecdotes which
Signor BiIIz himself has left of his
long life and varied experience.
Meeting Paganini, the violinist, dur
ing a visit to Glasgow AN infants cry
came from within the great Italians
fiddle.
"My God :" said Paganini, what
| is this ?D
"You know whose child it is, )" said
female voice from a neighboring
closet. The excited musician rush
ed to the closet, thence back to his
violin, and then turned round to see
Signor Biltz laughing and to receive
his explanation.
An Egyptian mummy was present
ed by the American Consul at Cairo
70 Philadelphia museum. A crowd
was one day about the case, and was
startled by voice from amid the
multitudinous linen folds.
open the boxl open the box y said
the voice.
"Who are you ?" asked one visi-
tor, more venturesome than the rest.
"I'm a descendent of the Pba-
roahs," answered the voice
What do you want?n
"Ask yourself Your confounded
Yankee curiosity has walked me up
from the sleep Of ages. Open the
box !"
What's your name :"
"Signor Blitz, ," answered the voice,
and the great ventriloquist made
himself known.
The Signor while in Nova Scotia
was approached by an old orange
woman with a basket of delicious
fruit He bought an orange for q
sixpence, and cutting it in half drew
from the center a golden sovereign
This performance was repeated with
another orange, the old woman look
ed on with amazement He was
about to take third from ber basket,
when she snatched il away and VOW
ed be should have no more sovereigns
for sixpence.
Introduced TO very solemn cler-
gyman in Hartford, Conn, that gen
tleman abruptly denounced the Sig
nor for performances which were
dangerous TO the welfare Of man
kind" and much more Of the same
sort. Interrupting him. the Signor
plucked pack of plsying-cards from
the pocket of bis ministerial coat, and
withdrew a diee-box and dice from
his clerical hat. Signor Blitz was
troubled no more with orthodox OBJ
jections from the gentleman.
In the old Sixth Street Market,
Philadelphia, he bought dozen eggs
for "a cents from q st0lid DutchmaD.
Clear as wasser NIT a well-bueket,
eh !r remarked the 7ender, as be
handed them over.
The Signor broke one and there
came peeping through the aperture,
first feathered head and then a
whole canary bird, which sang sweet
ly TO the man Of eggs.
The Signor's fun making pro2en-
sity seems to have been irresistible,
and found expression in all manner Of
startling ways and places He made
a negro cry out from within his trunk
on one occasion, and came near being
arrested as an abolitionist- He made
his horse talk, and the frightened
hos.ler could not be induced to re-
enter the stable. So the Signor was
himself compelled to groom the ami
NAL. His fsyerite resort seems to
have been in the market-places, where
be gave voice 20 chickens and pigs
and fish and even oysters, TO the great
confusion Of the market people But
when be had had his laugh the kind
hearted Professor never failed to
make good any loss, direct or indi-
rect, that bis victims might have SUI
fered. His benevolence was COM
prehensive, and it is said Of bin that
be gave away half of what be made
in charity. Ia the Island of 81
John, however, an offer to give to /
the poor the proceeds of one OF has
entertainments was refused BY the
village pastor. What :" said the
shepherd, receive aims for the poor
from a wIzsrd--s bewitched hand
Oh, no ! What spiritual grace would
flow upon the objects in distress :"
4 never can enjoy poetry when