Middletown transcript., 1877-01-06
THE coNJuRoRs OF OLD.

The medium Of the present day bears
a closer resemblance, 10 methods Of his
tory and manipuations, TO The we'll
known conjurer Of history, than any
other representative Of the magic art.
How far short lie still remains of the
performance. Of bis prototypes i illus
trated below In 1918 delegation Of
highly educated and distinguished men
from ill., English East India Company
visited The Emperor Schangire. While
on their mission they witnessed many
most wonderful performances, almost
causing them to discredit solution A
party Of Bengalese conjnrers and Jug
glrrs, showing their art before the En-
peror, we're desired % produce upon the
spot, and from seed ten mulberry trees.
When a seed was plant tiny leaves
appeared, at once followed BY slender
shoots, which rapidly gained elevation,
putting out leaves and twigs and
branches, finally spreading wide in the
air, budding. blossoming and yielding
fruit. which matured upon the spot,
and was found to be excellent. And
this before the beholder had turned away
bis eyes. Fig, almond, mango and
walnut trees were at the same time un-
der like conditions produced, yielding
the fruit which belonged to each Won
der succeeded wonder The branches
were filled With birds Of beautiful plum
age. fitting about among ;he leaves and
singing sweet notes The leaves turned
to russer, fell from their places. branches
and twigs withered, and finally the trees
sank bank into the earth out Of which
they had all sprang within an hour.
The same coniurers peri rmed Sc
ries Of marvels Oneof them produced
a chain fifty cubits in length One end
Of this be threw into the air, when the
chain rapidly ran out its whole length,
and remained fixed in the air as if fast
ened against the sky A dog was then
placed upon the chain when up he ran
to the further end and at once disap-
peared heavenward A hog, panther
and other large animals were success
fully dispatched up this aerial pathway,
and each in turn disappeared from the
far end Nor were they seen again
and finally the chain was withdrawn and
placed in a bag or convenient carriage.
Another had bow and about fifty
steel-pointed arrows He shot an arrow
into the air, when. 10 the arrow be
came fixed 10 space, at considerable
height Another and another arrow was
sent of, each fixing itself ID the shaft Of
the preceding, until all formed a chain
Of arrows in the air, excepting the last
shot, which, striking the chain, brought
the whole to the ground in detacbments.
They set up two common tents facing
each other. and about bowshot apart
These tents were critically examined BY
the spectators, or ere the cabinets of the
mediums. and pronounced empty. The
tents were fastened to the ground all
around. The iookers-on we're then in
vited to choose what animals or birds
they would have issue from these tsnts
to engage in battle Khaun-e ia
haun, increduously asked to see ! fight
between ostriches. Ii few minutes
an ostrich came out from each tent,
rushed to combat with deadly earnest
ness, and from them blood soon began to
stream. but they we're 50 nearly matched
that neither could win the victory, and
they were at last separated by the cor
jurers and conveyed within the te1ts.
After this the varied demands Of the
spectators for birds or beasts we're ex-
actly complied with, always With the
same results.
They took man and apparently sew
cred limb from limb, actually at last
cutting off bis head as it appeared They
scattered these members along the
ground for a considerable distance, and
allowed them to remain Tor some time
Gathering them together, they spread
over these remains sheet. under which
one Of the juggleFs erawled, and soon
came out followed By the man who had
been discovered, now sound in every
part. Neither was there to be found
about the place any trace Of the thing
that had been done.
A large cauldron was set and into it
aquantity Of rice thrown Without the
sign Of fire this rice soon began to boil,
and out from the cauldron vas taken
more than one hundred piatters Of
cooked rice, With stewed fowl at the
top Of each This trick is performed on
smaller scale by the most ordinary ia
kris Of the present day
But space fails to give opportunity
for illustrating, from The records Of the
past, how the miserably tame perform
ances-by comparison-of the mediums
Of the present day we're pale and over
shadowed BY those Of other days and
more adroit peoples There is not a
wonderful feature 10 any of the % called
phenomena or manifestations which wsa
not, nay, which is not now more than
duplicated BY other skilful performers,
whose connection with earth. and earth
alone, is too evident to be doubted. even
if the fact was not supported BY their
own testimony.