Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-16
INDIAN JUGGLERY.

! The Hon. John F. Swift, of San Fran
cisco, has returned to this State from an
| extended tour of observation about the
globe. He comes back to do one especially
good service to the world of readers who
have for years been knocked about between
| the wild statements of imaginative tourists
and marveling travellers concerning the
| mysterious performances of the jugglers of
| India. Even so Staid student of natural
science as Willard Bartlett AYERS that many
! tricks of the modern Eastern juggler have
, never been fairly explained, and he cites
| the basket trick and the magic growth
of shrubs as among them, both of which
Mr.. Swift exposes. He was not at all de-
ceived by the devices or adroitness Of the
Eastern dealers in ancient or modern
magic He knew, as do all sensible men,
that for every natural effect there must be
natural cause, and that no breech clouted
Hindoo can 50 divert the processes of ma
ture as to produce results contrary to her
laws. In India a class that especially in
terested him was that in which the juggler
and magic-worker is included. He had,
like all others, been sadly puzzled by the
marvellous stories told by travellers, and
Caucasian residents, Of the apparent mira
Giles performed by the juggling fraternity
and being in India he determined to satisfy
himself upon these matters. Mr.. Swift's
explanation is reasonable and sensible
The most remarkable stories recited of
esejugeers are simply fctions. They have
but the fiimsiest foundation of fact
The most of people really like to be
deceived, as every man knows to be true.
Any trickster i'll modern magic, or fraudu-
lent spirit medium, relies upon the aid of
his auditors and spectators in a large de-
gree. They will shut their eyes to evil
dences of fraud concede the conditions to
the performer, and adapt themselves to his
requirements with the most lamblike
gentleness. This is very largely due to the
natural sense of fairness and to the kindly
disposition always manifested for the imam
on the stage" Travellers naturally incline
to throw about their recitals, the charm of
romance and the air of mystery. 1t is not
at all surprising that they should recount
their tales with something of dramatic
effect, and excite the envy of their readers
by enlarging upon the wonders" that il
has been their fortune TO witness. In fact
the spirit of exaggeration is upon rs all.
Few men or women will make so simple
trip as that TO Yosemite or. Tahoe without
being strongly tempted on unwittingly led
to a recite their impressions in phrases
several shades fanciful, in the effort to i'm
press their hearers with the beauties that
have blessed their own eyes. Says Mr.
Swift:
The Indian jugglers are exceeding expert
They have handed down their craft from gen.
Grafton to generation, and in the art of paming
surpaSS the best prestidigitateurs of Christian
lands. have never seen any one who COM
pared with them i'll that line. but outside OF that
their most noted tricks could only impose upon
the credulity of those who were determined to
be credulous. Let take, for instance, the
two performances that have been most fire.
quently and most maryelously written up-that
is to say, the mysterious basket and mango
growing trick. | have seen both of them over
and over again and have found the same easily
detected frauds to exist i'll every case. The
baskets are bell-Shaped and have false bottom,
between which and the exterior wall of the
basket there is ample room for very small
child to stow itself away. The spectators are
not allowed to touch, or even 10 come very near
to the basket, and in a casual glance ut the in |
terror one is not apt to detect the false bottom |
The basket is placed over the child who squats |
upon the hard ground and after sufficient time |
has elapsed for the youngster to crawl into its |
place of concealment, the iuggler hOrrifes his
audience by passing his sword through the baS-
ket, and then upon upsetting it, shows that the |
child has disappeared. Meanwhile 1t duplicate |
child that closely resembles the first one |
enters, upon the scenes from the back |
have seen child that |
was wounded by Il jugglers overhastc in run
ming his sword through the basket. The famous
trick is even sillier than this. |
You have, of course, read how the man of mys-
FERROUS arts plants Il mango seed in iioWer-pot |
and then makes dwaTiCd lruit-bearing tree !
spring up from the seed. The facts of the case |
are simply these; The seed j. planted and the |
pot is then placed under a sort Of tent, whose |
vOluminous folds must not be touched by any
one but the jugglcr. The latter then waters the
earth in the pot, and does lot Of manipulating
while his hands are concealed in the tent |
Meanwhile a fellOw.juggler is performing a
series of other tricks to amuse and distract the
attention of the spectators When juggleT num-
Der one has had time to change the pot for an
other that is hidden in the folds of the tent, he
opens one side of the canvas little and the sec
Ond pot can be seen with half-CrOWn mango in
it, After another inteTludc of the same sort the
tent door is again opened and a third pot is dis
closed which contains a little tree bearing
mango. The whole thing is such weak at
tempt at eceptiOn that n person after studying
il once or twice can only wonder If any one has
ever been deceived by it. always enjoyed the
palming performances of the clcYcrcr jugglerS,
for their skill and rapidty of action were some
thing extraordinary, but their undertaking.
tricks were such palpable absurdites that there