The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-05-25


The jugglers Of India have for ceni,l-
ries been noted for their remarkable
skill in the mysteries Of the /" black
art" The editor Of the New York
Commercial Builctia, travelling in the
East, has contributed 10 that paper some
very interesting letters on the customs
OF the strange people he has visited.
Under the above heading be tells, ia the
last issue, his readers that .'ccnvalcs-
cence Is a capital time for mild amnsc-
ments which will not tire the languid
brain. and we had some jugglcrs up A.
most every day. We never could find
out their tricks. which are very marvel
Gus. OF course, every body has heard Of
the basket trick, where small boy gets
inside basket, and the jugglcr plunges
a sword through and through it, bring
Ing II out reeking with blood, then holds
up the basket. shows there's nothing
there, and calls the boy, who calmly APP
pears from outside the circle Of specta-
tors. And also Of the mango trick,
where . seed is placed in the ground, il
covered with a cloth, and appears as q
shrub, growing visibly before ones
eyes, and then bears fruit, which ripcns
and Il edible in five minutes from first
planting. These fellows have very
scaniy clothing, and apparently no ap-
paratus whatever. There are some
wiseacrcs who profess 70 know all about
these tricks. l never saw the disem-
bowcling and immediate healing
Of fakirs, In India, nor men sitting in
the air, lcyitated, rs Madame Bal
yatsky calls 1t. But have
seen other tricks as surprising. and
equally unaccountablc by any art Or
science with which Europeans and
Americans appear 70 be acquainted now
adays. | have seen man throw up
into the air a number of balls numbered
in succession from one upwards. As
each went up. and there was no decep-
ton about their going up, the ball was
seen clearly in The air, getting smaller
and smaller till il disappeared altogether
out Of sight. When they were all mp,
twenty or more. the operator would 20
litcly ask which bali YOU wanted 10 see.
aud then would shout out No. H. NO. \
Is. and - on. a. instructed by the spec
tatorS. when the ball demanded would \
bound To his feet, violently from some
remote distance.
" Then I've seen them swallow three
different colorcd powders. and then.
throwing back the head, wash them
down with water. drunk in the native
fashion in continuous stream from
lOtah, Or brass pot. held ut arms length
from the lips. and keep on drinking till
the swollen body could not hold another
drop, and water overlooked from the
lips. Then those fellows, after squirt
ing out the water in their mouths, have
spat out the three powders on 10 clean
piece Of paper, dry and unmixcd. As to
the thimblc-riggery Of their minor
tricks, they are exceedingly expert,
but are probably equaled by many
81 our distinguished prcstiiigiiafcurs;
and whatever may be said Of the basket
and mango tricks. or the sitting i'm the
air, ! don't think any of our people are
up 20 the sending 81 balls into space and
recalling them in an unprecedented
order. This reminds me Uf the trick
Marco Polo. the great Venetian traveller
81 earlier times. speaks Of having seen
AZ the Court Of Prester John. in Central
ASIA, when bean was planted and
sprung up rapidly toward the heavens,
its summit being lost in the clouds Up
thlS, one juggler travelled, and then an
other after him, with drawn sword.
~ few minutes. down dropped ears, d
nose, head. and limbs Of No. 4; No. 2
lelsnrely desccn..s. wiping bloody
sword, shosels up The fragments Of his
victim into box, and goes on with other
performances, presently calling out for
ms def'nct companion, who thercupon
presents himself, a. large as life, all
awe and kicking. from the throng.
! ms ! not modern trick, hut those ,
nave seen are certainly not less marvel
Gus Then. too, ii is well authenticate ,
eu TACT that some 81 these jugglers. on
more than one occasion In recent wears. ,
nave suffered themselves 70 be buried ,
awe and have been dug out alive after :