The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-01-18

IT WAS.
The Hartford Times has a New York cor
respondent who has been looking into the
clairvoyant business, and gives it in these
paragraphs:
The whole number of professional clair.
voyants in New York is probably about for
ty. Some of them keep standing advertise
ments before the public, but the majority do
not need to solicit custom in this way, their
business being almost as well established as
that vf first class physician Men and wo-
men who desire to consult them know just
where to find them, so the cost of advertising
is saved, and this, at 40 cents a line in the
Herald, is no small item.
Two-thirds, or more, of the clairvoyants
are women, and most of their patrons are al
50 women. Among these are many MEM
bers of the upper social circles, but the ma
jority are from the poorer classes. 1t is .
standing rule with hundreds of the iliterate
women of New York to consult clarvoysnt
about the most trifling affairs. If child
has the whooping cough or measles,th wise
woman must be asked whether it will reco-
yer or not. If husband does not come
home quite regularly every evening, the
| same woman is consulted as to where and
how he spends his time 1t there has been
a peculiar dream, her palm is crossed with
80 cents to interpret it. And 80 on, sd in.
| fnitum.
Sometimes the woman is employed in cases
of sickness, instead of physician, and, in
such instances, she is at least wise enough
to avoid doing the patient any harm, even
if she cannot do any good. The doctor
would be down on her very quickly, if she
gave him the chance to invoke the law
against malpractice, so she is particularly
careful on that point. All her medicines
are harmless herbs and often she does not
prescribe these, but contents herself with
prognosis and advice. The fee, however, 10
never overlooked and as the clarvoyants
financial formula is cash in advance, she has
a marked advantage over the regular practi-
oners.
Some of the Now York clairvoyants are
so overrun with business that visitors have
to wait hours frequently for an audience
They are usually ushered into a dingy par
lor, and required to sit there, with perhaps
dozen Others, till their turn comes, as men
do in a barber shop. Now and then, as in
the case of some well known patron an ex.
ception is made to this rule; but ordinarily
the clairvoyant is as strict as martinez in
carrying out her system. 1t is part of her
| nnliav IN ipyaat vic to- g l.
Importance, and even inspire them with
awe, if she can, and the rule requiring all t.
consult her pleasure rather than their own
is a valuable aid to this end.
The most profitable patrons of the clair
voyants are the wives and daughters of rich
men, who always have plenty of poke
money and very little to do. There ar
= many fashionable matrons and bellies VIII,
" visit them almost as often as they give or
ders to their dressmakers. 1t NAV seen
strange, but it is a recognized truth, tina
y scores of educated, intelligent, wide awak
" ladies have as firm faith in the reality @
clairvoyance as they have in their religion.
'e There are some in Fifth Avenue VIII
70 would not DO any important act without fin
ascertaining from some clairvoysnt or fo
tune-teliing source its probable result, 1t
not uncommon for such persons to disgui.
IS themselves ss servants or workingmen, an
y thus visit the purveyor of mystic knowledc
)? to have solved some matter that, mayhal
"A has worried them day and night.
Isl The clairvoyants patronized by this ella
IA are the elite of the profession, so to spea
so They have private and select line of bus
s5 ness, occupy handsomely furnished apar
5s ments, generally in French flats, and requi
O3 a reference or introduction from all perso
92 soliciting their service. They make go,
53 deal of money, and can afford TO live We
O6 comfortably, as they usually do. One W
76 man, whose residence ia not far from ii
1873 Steward mansion on Fifth Avenue charp
i94 - for every consultation, and has as mu
,65 business, it is said, as she can attend to.
1