The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
IIiniOO Jugglers.

Iagerdemain has been practiced from
a very early period, and to this day India
and Japan seem to excel all other
countries. We have our prestidigita-
teurs, and some of them, by means OF
elaborate apparatus and an ingenious
way of diyefting the audience and their
attention, manage to produce striking
effects but in genuine legerdemain,
that skillful manipulation that deceives
you as you watch, our performers fail to
approach their Asiatic rivals. Many OF
our tricks are indeed but copies frcm the
tricks of the East.
The trick of the Brahmin seated in the
air, now ofte., exhibited, was first per-
formed in 1928 by Ii Btahmin named
Sheshah. The man really sat on Il steel
ring, supported by slight but strong
BATS. affixed to the bamboo near which he
scene ed to be siisp6raed in the air.
The Hindoos are so lithe aid supple
that they seem TO be serpents rather
than men. Swallowing the sword is a
common trick; others walk on thin linen
cloth, held in the hands of four persons,
ind they neither ruffie lt'nor tear it from
the hailas of the holders.
Another iuggiet t6hk q heavy stone,
aid, tying a rope around the middle,
MAIDS Il faRt AROUND his neck. Two men
stood beside iiitH; holding their arms
Joined behind. With apparently slight
exertion he threw the stone up into Tho
air in q curve, so that it alighted ON the
arm of one man then, with a jerk, he
shifted it to the arm of the other man
then he threw it up again and received
1t on the back of his own neck, and final
ly swung it entirely around his head.
The conjurors of Jehangire, In 1915,
were desired to produce upon the spot,
end from seed, ten mulberry trees. They
Immediately planted ten seeds, which in
few minutes produced MS many trees,
each, as it grew into the air, spreading
forth its branches and yielding excellent
fruit. In like manner, apple, fig, almond,
walnut and mango-trees were produced,
all yielding fruit, which Jehangire as
sures us was of the finest quality.
But tlii was not all. "Before the
trees were removed" says the imperial
author, "there appeared among the
foliage birds of surprising beauty-in
color and shape and melody of song
as the world never saw before. At the
close of the operation the foliage, as in
autumn, was seen to put on its varied
tints, and the trees gradually disappeared
into the earth from which they had been
made to spring."
Major Price stated, many years ago,
that he had himself witnessed similar feats
in India, but that sheet was employed
to cover the process. 81 have, how.
ever," he adds, "no conception of the
means by which they were accomplished
unless the jugglers had the trees about
them in every stage, from the Seeding tt
the fruit"
The tricks of the fakirs, or religious
mendicants, of that country are very re-
markable. One of these fellows boosted
that he would appaer at Amadabant, 6
town about two hundred miles from
Surat, within fifteen days after being
buried ten feet deep at the latter place.
The governor of Surat resolved to test
the fellows powers, and had grave dug,
in which the fakir placed himself, stipu
lating that layer of reeds should be in.
terposed between his body and the
superintendent earth, with a space ol
two feet between his body and the reeds,
This was done, and the grave was ther
filed up, and guard of soldiers placed
at the spot to prevent trickery.
A large tree stood ten or twelve yards
from the grave and beneath its shade
several fakirs were grouped around {
large earthen jar, which was filed will
water. The officer of the guard, sus
pecting that some trick was to be played
ordered the jar to be moved, and, on this
being done by the soldiers, after some
opposition on the part of the dirty fel
lows assembled round it, shaft wal
discovered, with a subterranean gallery
from its bottom to within two feet of the
grave. The impostor was thereupor
made to ascend, and riot ensued, il
which he and several other persons were
slain.