Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-12
PLANCHETTE..
) B3i=F SKETCH OF THE ONCE NOTED
AND MYSTERIOUS TOY.
Extraordinary Traits of the Magical Lit
tic Three-Leysed stool-The Most
Generally accepted Explana-
t;pa-AnSther Theory.
.-:entiac Amer.can.l

i.i-.e.tiil; Amer can
P.aacae;te IS now very sci ION INST WIFI,
lni So many questions ars constantly eat
to the Office o. Ibis paper concerning IL. that
We reprint an article which appeared In
The Scientific American in 1858.
Many think thai there is sons hid len Sc
cret in tie construction OF planchstte. This
however, is a mrStaka a all that is nscss-
sary is that tie parts shcull be nicely
joined, and that IT saouil stand firmly al
move readily On its legs. Any one WITH or
binary mechanical skill tan put one to-
gether heart--hapei cedar board, with
two niceIy turned MEAL leg, carry
ing well fabricated caster, the point OF the
board having an Aperture Of suitable size
for the insertion of a lead psncil. which
serves as til. thiri Lee and re e on the paper.
Ii is not 10 b. supposed that planchstte will
yield at On e to the inhlsncs, for it Is
very willful, AM often. when It doss begin
to move, simply speeds across the paper,
scribhliny incJnere ices. Ons OF thu most
extraordinary traits of the piancaet'e. how
ever. /. the way in which /: WI ic-si,t IN
( writing repeatedly meaning!e rs1L:,
until suddenly the huaior will exc i, an ~
will writ. a CO .erenJ word or sen:sl e.
Panrhet;e first made its appeara acc il
1857 and WIS by no means slow IN u .tr1c:-
ins almost universal atte alton The RI ~
that It was made to play were 50 man, nj
curious, AMI it, ways so mysterious, i.,tt
not only did it become the nightina q 4 -
superstitious. but it afforded ann: e.! =. al
many a hou holl. Il became as t. NJ
iect OF investigation by SOM, sc!en =.
Marvellous tales were told by the or. oIS
about it, and planchette often told cIriou'
tales about it>elf. Even As ii tinSui ci
scientists a Profe- Iyndall an Profs scr
Farsday were drawn into controversies cDn-
corning i.
Many believed that Eumbus was tirpei
ovex every movement of planciette. and
( that one or the other Of those who's Lanis
bore upon it always conspirei VITA the little
board in the formulation of its replies: but
when IL Lecame evident that plancilette
: would write coherent answers while under
the influence OF those who Were in ignorance
of the replies that wers expected, II became
necessary to explain the phenomenon on
some other basis. Whether this has ever
been satisfactorily answerei is in tho minds
of some still a question Certain it is that
planchette has performed some curious feats,
and has made for itself a position in the
world OF mysteries.
Probably the most generally accepted ex-
q PLANTATION l. mat tlNancel bs L5"cs anu
Others, that although there is no intentional
movement OF the hands of those vino are
subjecting planchette 20 the influence, still
there is, in spite of this, an unconscious
pressure of ths finger tipi upon the board,
which directs the movement OF the pencil.
Nor does it seem that such can be at all I'M
likely, for unconscious movement is by no
means an unusual phase Of existence. The
3 fi,lfSr nhn NIGHTLY axes "A a.
nado from cellar to garrett, or whose steps by
chance have Led him to the border of pre-
cipce, has as little knowledge Of the peril
he has ESCAPED wien the InJrlins beams
have awaked him as planchette is conscious
of its movement How often also in mer-
camille pursuits do those who are accus-
TONED to a certain routine perform IL I'M
couscou ~ AMI after the work has been
finished woull bs unable to tell YOU o.
many Of the details of the work which Gus
tom has taught them - PERFORM correctly,
even while III n state OF abstraction.
Much has been said a: time. of plan
, chette'S prophetic nature. Under tn, IL
fluence of certain people OF highly nerv-
Gus temperament, or having T. a certain e1-
tent the qualities of mediums, future
events are sail TO be foretold. Secrets
OF which the person touching plan
Ghetto in ignorance have been
/ divuIgei in a remarkable way, and
many auec Totes iraping planchette in mys-
terry are repeated and believed. Were the
testimony, however, more universal; wero
planchette more consistent, and we're it more
generally truthful AMI less given 10 uttering
remarkable sayings only occasionally, there
would BE- mora reason for according 1t a
place for thorough and systematic investi-
CATION. Perhaps the day will cons when
mesmerism is understood AMI mind reading
is more satisfactorily explained, that there
will lie occasion for looking upon planchette
more seriously, and of regarding it as a
wonderful means of displaying rational
negyou' action independent OF conscious
mental cercbration.