The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-07-11

NUMBER SO.
xU 0oNJu11
osssrips1sa q sss.s es 1,si 1rssu-vssy
siayls Whsa Yea Zzsw8Sw.
Correspondence Commercial Cincinnati.
That" said the amateur, Occurred
near Tomnock, in the east. I was
younger then, and was travelling around
the country with the idea in my head
that the Office Of Americans was TO
teach the world, and, as consequence,
I often got left, as the Arabs say. On
this occasion I went ashore to spend the
night at q native village four or Avei
miles inland, where it was reported that
q famous juggler lived. We were q
jolly party, all besides myself being
sailors, and having. hard time riding
on the native ponies they provided us
with; but after many capsizes We man
aged to reach our destination, where
We found the fakir, and made up o
purse Of about 81, without which moth
ing could he done. Some of his tricks
beat anything I ever came across.
HE was tall, thin, olive-hued fellow,
with long black hair caught up behind
and tied with string. He was ex-
tremely reticent, and all through the
performance neither smiled nor uttered
q word. The first trick was to arrange
our party about him in circle Of about
thirty feet in diameter, and we were so
close together that no one could pass
out without our knowing it. To prevent
such possibility he gave us cord to
hold. This being done he and smaller
native with a bundle of wood took their
places in the center. The young man
arranged the wood in pile and lighted
it, when it blazed up the older man
seized him, threw him upon the flames,
and held him down. Immediately there
arose dense, suffocating smoke that
seemed mixtue Of flesh and sandal
wood. It rose about their
heads and spread about until
it completely hid them, and
from it came such groans and cries that
several of the men called out that we
had better lend a hand, as the boy was
being murdered. But reminded them
that it was only trick, no matter how
realistic. We waited perhaps five min
utes, when the yells ceased and the
smoke gradually cleared away, and there
stood the old fskir alone, the young
man having to all intents and purposes
been burned. He was scooping some
thing from the fire-evidently ashes
into flask which was handed to us and
passed around-the cremated remains
of the assistant.
"But," interrupted gentleman at
the foot of the table, didn't he slip out
in the smoker" "There was No place
to go to-" was the reply, "as we were
in clearing, away from the trees or
busher. But the strangest part is to
come" he continued. AFTER passing
the flask around he took it back and
placed it in the center of the circle.
and, putting some wood under it, light
ed it. Almost Immediately the flask be-
gan to grow before our eyes; the fire
blazed, and rich odor of sandalwood
floated about, and in ten minutes the
flask had expanded until it was the
put out, and we were beckoned to come
near and examine. Itouched it, and it
seemed a iar Of earth made of plaster
or mud; it had ringing sound as I
struck it with my seal-ring and to the
hand was hot. After looking it over We
returned to our places; the old fakir
took hammer, waved his hands in the
air, ut!ering some mystic words, and
struck the vessel o hard blow that broke
it in pieces, when out stepped a
boy We had seen-or thought
we had seen-cremated, as bright as
you please should be glad to
have the trick solved, but have never
found any one who could explain it sat
isfactorily. Some aver that the old ia.
kir concealed heyoung man about his
person; but that was simply impossible.
as I felt of the fakir myself, and lie had
nothing on but shirt open in the back
and pair of trousers.
"These tricks are equally % remarka-
ble," continued the story-teller, "as
those Polo claims to have witnessed in
China years ago.
"One of these consisted in the conjur.
or taking q ball of wood that had been
perforated in many places, and through
which strings were passed, and hurling
into the air. Up it went, dragging the
cord after it, and finally disappearing.
The head man now instructed o boy as
sistant to mount, which he did, climb
ind up the cord until finally the specta-
tors lost sight of him, or they
thought they did. Tho fakir now
seemed to be in distress at
losing him, and called loudly; then, as
as if in rage, he seized the rope and
climbed up after him, having knife in
his mouth. In few minutes . dis
membered leg, all bloody, fell to the
earth then another, several fingers, and
finally the head and trunk; finally the
old fakir himself appeared, his clothes
COvOho&A W1sA SOAo, AOOAAuS AAAO OusSGoAs
"As soon as he recovered from his
evident exertion he went through some
mummery, and collecting the dismem.
bered and bleeding parts, gave the
body push, waved his hands over it,
and seizing the body jerked it to its feet,
and off it walked nothing the matter
with it.
"In Bangkok similar feat was wit
messed . few years ago by Mr.. Ralph
Churchill. The juggler tossed rope
ladder into the air, and sent goats, dogs,
cats. boys slligators up one after an
other. All of them appeared running
toward him from distant quarter ten
minutes later. These ore tricks that
seem almost superhuman, yet are ludi-
crously simple when known"
Hon. Robert G. Winthrop, Of Massa-
chusetts, delivered the Grafton when the
cornerstone of the Washington Monu-