The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-10
NEW YORK CLAIKVOYANTs.
The CiaiPvoyant@ of GeIhaHh and the People
Wac Consult Thrm- -busiHrss Nee aud
society womea IntoTrtewiRE the fates-
A Thriving Trade Ia the Supernatural.

The CIaIrysyantm of Gotham and the People
Wac Consult Thrm- BusiHesa Nee aud
society womea InIoryiewiRE the Fates-
4 ThrisinE Trade Ia the supernatural.
Rapidan writes from New York 10
the Cleveland PidiHdeaier, as follows:
The whole lumber Of professional clair
yoyants in New York is probably about
forty. Some of them keep standing adj
vertisements before the public, but the
majority DO not need tO solicit custom
in this way, their business being almost
ms well established as that OF iirst-elass
physician. Men and women who desire
10 consult them know just where 10 find
them, 80 the cost Of advertising is saved,
and this, Rt forty cents line IA the
Herdid is no small item. Twothirds
OF more of the clairvoyants are women,
and most of their patrons arealso women.
Among these are many members Of the
upper social circles, but the majority are
from the poorer classes. II is standing
rule with hundreds of the llliierate
women Of New York to consult clair
voyant about the most tritiing affairs.
If a child has whooping cough or
measles the wise woman must be asked
whether il will recover or not IL n
husband does not come home quite
regularly every evening, the same woman
is consulted AS 10 where and how he
spends his time. II there has been a
peculiar dream. her palm is crossed with
fifty cents 10 interpret H. Sometimes
the woman il employed in cases Of sick
ness, instead Of physician and IN such
cases she is al least wise enough % avoid
doing the patient any harm. even If she
cannot DO any good. The doctors would
be down on her very quickly II she gave
them a chance to invoke the law against
malpractice. 80 she is particularly careful
on that point All her medicines are
harmless herbs, and often she does not
prescribe even these, bat contents her
self with prognosis aud advice. The
fee. however. Is never overlooked, ana
AS the clairyoyant's financial formula Is
cash in advance, she has n marked all
vantage over the regular practitioners.
some Of the New York clairvoyants
are 30 overrtln with business that visit
ors frequently have 30 wait hours for an
audience. They are usually ushered
into dingy parldr aud required to SIT
there. with perhaps dozen others, til
their turn comes, as men have 10 do in
IA barber shop. Now and then, as IN
the case Of some well known patron, an
exception is mado 20 this rule; but or
diuarily the clairyoyant is strict as a
MARITIME, IN carrying out this system. IL
is a part Of her policy 10 impress visitors
with the sense of her importance and
even inspire them with awe, II size can,
aud the rule requiring all to consult her
pleasure rather than their own Is val
liable ard 10 this end. When Il stranger
enters the consultation room for an au-
dieuce. he or she II closely scrutinized
for indications Of character, and II any
intention 10 trihe with the mysteries oi
the awful art is suspected, Irigidity Of
manner ia assumed that would convert
new milk into Ice cream IN about five
minutes The most profitable patrons
OF the clairyoyAnts are the wives and
daughters of rich men, who always have
plenty oi pocket money aud very little
to DO. There are many fashionable
NATIONS and bellies who visit them al
most A. often az they give orders To their
dressmAkers. IL NAV seem strange. but
il is a recognized truth, that scores OF
educated. intelligent. wide-awake ladies
; have as firm faith in the reality of
clairyoyauce ms they have IN their re-
lirion. There are some on Fifth avenue
who would no, do any important act
without first ascersaining from some
clairvovAnt or furiune-telling source Its
probable results. IL is not uncommon
Tor such persons 10 disguise themselves
as servants or wnrkingwumen, and thus
visit the purveyor Of mystic knowledge,
% have solved some matter that. may
hap. has worried them day and night.
The elairvuyents patronized by,,this class
are the elite of the profession, so 20
speak. They have a private and select
line OF business, occupy handsomely
furnished apartments. generally IN
French flats, and require a reference or
an introduction from all persons solicit
ing their service. They make good
deal Of money and can afford 20 live
very comfortably, as they usually do.
One woman, whose residence is not
far from the Stewart mansion ON Fifth
avenue, charges five dollars for every
consultation. aud has a. much business,
IL il said. As she can attend 20. A few
others. also, live in that neighborhood
and enjoy a liberal patronage from the
fashionable world. but this particular
one has the cream Of the trade.
The business men Of New York are
noted for shrewdness and hard sense,
and would be the last persons to sus-
pect of superstitious weakness, yet nm
less they are wrongly accused many OF
them consult the fortune-tellers and
clairvoyants quite regularly. II such a
man as Commodore Vanderbilt had even
the smallest particle of faith in the b.
male seer. there need be but little din
Guilty in accepting the talk that puts
many less noted men in the same cate
CORY. At all events. 1t is frequently
said of this man or that one that he
habitually calls upon one or another of
our modern weird sisters for iniorma-
ton and advice about his business. Also
that there are tradesmen and others Of
that class among us who never begin an
enterprise till it has been approved by
some one who pretends that he or she
can read the future.