The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-11-02
THE KING OF COM URORS
HOW HoUDIN BECAME A MAGICIAN.

In the year 1S43 French nobeman,
whose name aud title were, according to
the usual mode of French address, Mon
sieur lie Comte de fEscalupier, says n wri-
ter in Harper'S Magazine, strolling leisurely
into neighboring street, stopped before
the shop window of clock-maker, where
was clock of somewhat intricate con-
st:uc,ion, labeled ''pendule de precision'
The count, when he entered this humble
shop, aud ordered the clock to be sent to
his residence, made :he first step toward
introducing to the woi Id a man Who, as a
artist aud an mechanician, has done much
TO auuse his fellow men, aud something to
instruct them. For the obscure clock ma
ker MAS no other than The subsequently
world renowned juggler Robert Houdin.
Count and cunjurer alike are dead, but
to .'go and see Robert Houdin" is a stan
dard eEjoy meut III Paris, TIE name being
hired with the ball, and every wandering
iurpler invested with it'when he assumes
les eeshp. For a hong time previous t".the
day when the Comte de / Escalopier bought
his clock, Robert Houdin bad entertained
ihe desire to appear IN pubic as sieigbt-
of f-haud performer. In leisure moments he
had busted himself in constructing various
mechanical ccutrivances, which he proposed
shuuld figure III his fantastic evenings
The count, being highly pleased with the
movements Of his precision clock, became
interested ia iis maker, and frequently
dropped in at the sman shop in his daily
promenades, to see what the expert me-
chanic was a,,iug Encouraged 10y the sim
eere appreciation his labors received from
his wealthy patron, Houdin contided his
projects for tile future to DE J. TEscalopler,
W ho enthusiastically approved oil them, and
urged him to put them in execution. lie
frequently invited Houdin TO come to his
house after he had been entertaining ru-
merous company at dinner, and before these
assemb blages try the amusing tricks through
whose performance he hoped one DAY 10
win fame aud fortune.
The after ego of all jugglers is the invis-
ible hand, whose ac'iou the audience is
totally unconscious of, while feeling Its
strange power, whose eye aud ear are for
ever on the alert !; whose attention never
swerves for an instant whose sie'ght-oi-
hand nearly equals the juggler's, whose
rapidity of action is almost marvellous
This is the confederate behind the scenes.
In Houdin's opinion, women are vastly su-
perior to men for this work.
Great numbers of amusing little tricks
with naudk erchiefs were invented and per-
formed 10y Houdin. One of them was very
effective He spoke of the heat of the ev
ening, and put his hand in bis coat-tail
pocket to get his handkerchief wiped DIS
forehead with it, famed himself with 1t,
and then, slapping it between his hands,
told it to go. 1t went. tie informed tiis
audience it had gone back to his coat-tail
pocket, aud, putting his hand back there,
i,ulled il out again and again, on COM
mand. it disappeared before the eyes OF the
audience. To do this trick in small room
right within fire of eyes and opera glasses,
required great rapidity and -neatness ol
hand. a cord being sewed to the centre of
A pocke T. handkerchief, was passed up the
right sleeve of bis coat and dawn the LETT
To- his left wrist. around which tile other
end of the cord was tied, the handkerchief
being pulled up the rig lit arm out of sight.
The arms extended the cord taut, the
handkerchief our of sight, is the fist stage
of preparation Equipped in this way be-
fore coming in sight of the audience, the
iupgler is ready To put his hauds behind
his hack AS If to rake his handkerchief out
OF his pocket, but in reality to pull 1T down
from his tight sleeve with the aid Of his
left hand. The string being taut when the
arms were extended, of course 1t IS slack
when they are held up by the breast or the
back. aud the handkerchief easily comes
mt some distance from the sleeve but
stret ching the two arms straight out tiRht-
e,,s the string, aud the handkerchief dies
M the ann like lightning. All this with
the hey presto! and the hend-clapping
aud finger swapping which always iepd
| their aid to the amusing Illusions
Houdin was the inventor OF that trick by
which a box is made TO be either light
enough to be Lifted by child, or 10 heavy