The Evening critic., 1882-02-16
John g. Thompson's Dinner.
Magic's wonders.

"While in London, England, q short
time ago." said the Professor, our Oxford
street waiter was made the victim of
practical joke. One morning, as this tom
sorial artist sat reading his newspaper, he
was startled by seeing young man enter in
a very excited manner, who, throwing,
rather than seating, himself in the chair,
demanded shave instanter. The barber,
who was ready fellow, at once set about
obeying the commands of this excited and
hurried guest. With rapidity that sur
prised himself, he shaved the right side of
his customers face, and then Immediately
turned to the left. That side he also
shaved with cleanliness and dispatch, but,
judge his surprise, when his customer de-
manded to know in tones anything but
pleased why he did not shave the right
side. The poor bewildered barber was
almost certain that he had done SO, but per-
ceiyed, to his surprise, that the side in
question was covered with jet black hair.
Again he shaved it, but while doing so, to
his surprise and sorrow, the hair was grow
ing on the other side. Thus it continued
for an hour. While he shaved one side he
could actually see the hair growing on the
other side. Terrified beyond expression,
he stood motionless; hereupon the young
man leaped from the chair, and, snatching
the razor, drew it across his throat, and
fell to the floor covered with blood. The
barber flew into the street hallooing
'Murder1 at the top of his voice. Aicrowd
soon gathered, and, with the affrighted
barber, beheld the supposed corpse quietly
ing very pleasantly, he paid the barber
and departed. A theatrical gentleman
among the lookers-on soon gave it out that
it was Prof. Hermann, the great American
Magician. l went to my hotel and awoke
next day to find myself the talk of Lon
don," concluded the Professor, "for it was
l who did it, l gave the poor barber fits.
Did you ever hear how 1 gave friend of
mine the snakes?" asked the Professor.
On receiving an answer in the negative,
he said: "A friend of mine, who was as
great drunkard as an actor, and that is
saying great deal, was one morning seen
by me to enter a drinking-saloon when he
was almost on the verge of delirium- trem-
ems, and knowing his horror of Snakes as
mania a-potm is vulgarly called, resolved
to save him. I entered just rs he raised
glass of whisky to his lips and rushing
forward snatched the glass from his hand,
this fly OUT Pretending to take the fly
out, held up serpent. G. cried out: My
God that is snake = Not at ALL said l.;
lit is simple house-fy. See? you are
covered with them,' saying which l ap-
| preached, and from his sleeves, and hair,
etc, proceeded to pull snakes, protesting
all the time that they were flies. They
are snakesp cried G. again. My God !
that is snake; tell you, Hermann they
are snakesp Nonsense said l, they are
but flies.' Then said he, Il have the
snakes myself! and he rushed from the
| saloon. He was not seen for more than a
| week after; but when next seen he was
SOBER and has been SO SINCE" Professor"
asked the interviewer, "were you, who are
SO fond of surprising others, ever surprised
| yourself" "Once," was the answer "Then
the surprise was very great and agreeable
one, assure you. 1t came about in this
way was for q number of years sufferer
from cramps in my left side, Immediately
under the heart. l suffered regularly at
the close of each performance, and very
| often was compelled to cancel engagements
which / had made, owing to my inability
| to fill them, being prostrated by cramps,
and being in very weak condition. / en-
tertained very serious thoughts of giving
up my profession and spending some years
in travel, and would have done SO but for
an attendant of minc whose head l cut OF
occasionally while performing my wonder
full decapitation act. The individual to
whom l complained of the palms. and
the cramps in my side on one occasion said
it was curious-that | who could decapitate
another and replace the head at will, ought
certainly be able to cure myself. 1 told
him how some of the best doctors in Europe
and America had failed. He laughed at
me, and said he could cure me in week
That night he presented me with bottle
Of st. Jacobs Oil, the Great German
Remedy, saying that its use would produce
an effect more magical than l could readily
believe. / laughed at the idea of st
Jacobs Oil doing what had baflied the
greatest doctors, but said that would try
it, simply to convince him that trying il
would do no good. That night, on retiring
i rubbed my side with the Oil, and, surS
enough, its good effect was instantaneous
magical, in fact; felt relief at once.
slept better at night than i had done for
long time before. Again in the morning
rubbed with the Oil, and at the close o
the afternoon performance l noticed
great diminutiol of the painful cramps
Was surprised? Well, was very mucl
surprised, and told my attendant so. Ii
less than week, and before had finishe,
using my third bottle, was entirely an,
permanently cured The effect of 81
Jacobs Oil was indeed magical. SO much s
that could scarcely believe my senses
have never felt cramp sinoe-nor
there prophet, seer, soothsayero or magical
who can perform such wonders as 81
| Jac0b's Oil -