Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-29
JUGGLERY.
The Most Astonishing Performance on Record.

The Most Astonishing Performance Record.
From the New York Mercury.l
On a certain occasion, while large
body of English troops were concentrate
ed near an inland town, juggler re-
quested permission of the commandment
to entertain the soldiers with public
exhibition OF his art. He named his
price-a very moderate One-and said
he would wish to receive it from another
British officer, stationed ten miles away,
at certain hour of his exhibition day,
and asked the commander to send the
money to his brother officer Immediately,
together with note explaining the cir
cumstances. His request was granted,
and on the day appointed the troops
were drawn up on the parade ground,
sandy plain, quite destitute of shrub or
leaf Near the centre was erected tall
pole, large at the bottom, and tapering
gradually to a point at the top. The
jupgler was entirely naked, and walked
to the pole with six empty baskets on
his arms, placed them on circle around
the bottom, and muttered incantations
over them. The spectators were near
enough to the baskets to touch
wonder when they beheld child
suddenly appear in each. The iuggler
took the babes out one by one, deiber-
ately cut their heads off, and threw them
upon the sand. AS each bleeding body
touched the ground it instantly disap-
peared and beautiful plant sprung up
from the arid soil in it's place! Another
incarnation by the sorcerer and the
empty baskets alone were visible. Next,
he struck the pole several sharp raps
with his bare hands, when branches
slowly came out on all sides, to the very
top, the trunk assumed bark covering,
leaves sprouted thicldy from every twig,
and hundreds of birds sang on the
branches. This magnificent spectacle,
too, was destroyed in an instant, and the
bare pole, surrounded with baskets was
all that remained in view. The juggler
then cast away the baskets, and requested
the officers to take out their watches and
mark the time. 81 am going for my
money" said he, 'and [ want you to
see how fast [ can 60" The time-keep-
ers were drawn forth, and the sorcerer
commenced ascending the pole. Slowly
he approached the point at the top,
as a boy would climb the trunk
of a tree, and all eyes were fixed
upon him until he reached the top,
when he suddenly vanished from sight.
Accustomed, as they were, to the tricks
of santons, the soldiers could hardly be-
ieve the evidence of their eyes, and
stood like statues for many minutes gaz-
ing atsthe vacant pole, when 10! it COM
menced descending into the ground, and,
in the presence of the whole army,
entirely disappeared! With one ac-
cord every man rushed to the spot it had
occupied; but no trace of it-not even a
hole-was visible, and deep excavation
made with spades, failed to reveal the
slightest mark of its existence. On the
following day the officer Of the other
station wrote to the commandment that he
had paid over the money to the juggler,
at half-past four o'clock on the previous
afternoon, exactly the hour and minute
the sorcerer had disappeared from the
top of the pole.
Strange and unaccountable as these
deeds may appear to us, they are of
common occurrence in that land of the
sun, and the perpetrators, if they have
political acumen joined to their diabol-
ical skill, not infrequently sway the ma
tive princes according to their will.