Evening star., 1884-07-19

against me-" wall, We see, replied the driver
ficking fly with great precision from the nigh
swing horses ear, ''at first, ye see, thought
you was preacher, but when see you give
that high-toned touch on your pie knowed
You was q gambler"
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Science and Lulu Hurst.
From the New York Tribune
young girl named Lulu Hurst has been ex
hibting for some nights In this city what is rep
resented to be mysterious force by which she
is enabled to perform, apparently without mus
cular action, feats Of strength beyond the ca
pacity Of a trained athlete. II the published
reports Of the performance are accurate; if that
is to say, this young girl has. by merely placing
one open palm against stick or q chair held by
a strong man or men, forced him or them about
the stage, despite their utmost exertions; il,
after producing effects resistance to which has
put the entire muscular system OF the expert
menters on the strain, she herself shows no
symptom Of muscular exertion; If her respira-
tiOn is not hurried her pulse is not quickened,
her frame bears no marks Of fatigue; then it is
not possible to hold that what she does is done
by mere muscular effort. In such a case the
phenomena demand scientific study, for the
rational presumption is that, II genuine. they
belong In the region Of nerve force; region far
too little explored.
In 1854 paper appeared in The Atlantic
Monthly entitled "The Electric Girl OF La Peril
ere." The narrative was In many respects sin
gularly like that Of Lulu Hurst. The subject,
Angdque Coffin, was young French girl i'm
whom mysterious power suddenly developed.
Whatever she touched was thrown down, chairs
and all kinds Of wooden articles being most af-
fected. BY putting her open hand on a heavy
bench upon which three persons were seated,
the combined weight being upward Of 600
pounds bench and sitters were lifted into the
air. In this case there was fortunately readi-
ness to Investigate on the part OF scientific
men, and experiments were made which showed
an affinity. If not an identity, between the un-
known force and electricity. For instance it
was discovered that if the girl were cut off
from contact with the earth, either by placing
her feet on q non-eonductor or merely keeping
them raised from the ground, the power ceased,
and she could remain seated quietly" 1t was
also noted that more power emanated from the
lett hand than the right, and this appears
to be also the case with Lulu Hurst; that the in
fuence was repulsve In its nature, the object
approached being driven from her violently;
that the passage of a current from her body
outward was perceptible even to the skin of the
hand producing the sensation of a cool breeze;
and that the girls pulse was very irregular.
Now, Dr. Carpenter I'm his Mental Physiology"
has noted the resemblance between discharges
OF electricity and discharges Of nerve-fOrce, and
has pointed out many abnormal conditions OF
the human system in which the action Of nerve
force assumes dynamic energy comparable to
electrical phenomena. 1t is true that in the
case OF Angelque Coffin it was found that the
exhibition OF the abnormal force was uncertain
and capricious. not appearing amenable to fixed
laws like electricity. Thus, at times the girl
would be affected by the sction Of a magnet,
and at other times not. At one time stick of
sealing-wax briskly rubbed, and then brought
in contact with her arm. conveyed smart shock
and at another time no result followed. But we
may suppose nerve-fOrce to be complicated by
the personality, and while it resembles electricity
In many respects 1t does not follow that it is the
same thing. The French academy dallied
with this case, but did not seriously
examine it. Many eminent physicians
and men OF science, however. did
examine it, and, though no satisfactory solution
was reached, the reality of the phenomena was
testified to by the highest authority. Nerve
force-the force which under the influence of
imagination Is capable of changing organic It's
sues-which under other conditions (as in the
case Of the COnvuisionnaires1 can render the
body insensible to violence and pain-which
operates outside the body, as in Hypnotism,
Mesmerism, and what is called Personal Mag
to afford the key to not only
this but great many other puZzling phenom-
ena But patient study of the facts is the
only way to render them Of value to science,
and therefore Lulu Hurst, while her power re-
mains unabated, should be investigated by men
of science who know enough of psychology and
to appreciate at their real weight the
which at present are being
wasted in the qualification of blind and
curiosity.
The Queens Daily Life at Balmoral.
From the London World
Iti a mistake to suppose that the Queen en-
Joys holiday during her spring visit to Bal
moral. Exactly the same amount Of business is
transacted as when her Majesty is at Windsor
A messenger with huge sack of boxes and
bags is despatched from Buckingham Palace
q &bo
alternate days. He leaves Kings Cross at half
past ten in the morning, and arrives at Aber-
deem at three the next morning, going on at
once to Ballater by the special messenger"
train, which is run on the Deeside line when the
court is in Scotland, and which also CONVEYS the
supplies of cream, butter, fruit and vegetables
which are sent to the Queen every day from
Frogmore. The messenger reaches Balmoral
about seven. and remains there till early i'm the
afternoon Of the following day. when he starts
with another load to catch the train leaving
Aberdeen at twenty minutes of five. which
brings him to Euston Square at eight o'clock
the next morning. AS a rule. the Queen and
Sir Henry Ponsonby are kept hard at work from
half-past nine till one. Her Majesty usually
breakfasts at half-past eight in Scotland, in
order to have time for a turn in the gardens be-
tore going to business
She Changed il Twice.
From the San Francisco Call
There is young man In Oakland who has
young sister by the name of Jessie, who was
sent to fashionable school for yonng ladies'
He said when she left home he wondered if she
would acquire the airs and affectations that GER
TAI young ladies that he knew had by attend
ing the fashionable seminary. After being there
year he began to fatter himself that his sister
was proof against such nonsense, when he re-
received a letter signed ''Jessica," instead of
Jessie" as heretofore. In answering he
wrote something like this: HDear Sister Jessica.