The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-05

|
series Of questions which was used in
the same way, the cue being color fOl
colOrs, precious stones for such, these
different groups of thirteen each being
classified in the order Of the series Of
questions already given, or of this series
! How-I-a. Very welsh.
! NOw-2-b. ScH-g-i
! See hcre-:}-c. Wcil-O-i
| BE quick-4-d. Herc-I.-k.
! Look hcrc-j-e. Ouick-i,-I.
( Go On-j-f. Look sharp-s-m
! And hCrc-1-C.
\ snap OF the finger would accom-
pIish the same purpose in this series Il,
in the other.
The system of the elder Hermann and
OF Eoudin was very cumbersome and
apparent. a long string OF questions
would sometimes have to be asked t.
! get a very simple object, and the sys-
! TEN was, moreover, very much circum.
/ scribcd and inadequate to the purpose.
Mention has been made of Heller :
classification Of objects into groups OF
thirteen. Materials were arranged in
this list: Stone, cloth, gum, putty,
( leather, cork. marble, glass, ore, ivory,
rubber, wood and hair The metals
/ chosen were: Gold. silver brass. nickel,
! steel tin, lead, platinum, mercury, cop
/ per, bronze. zinc and iron. Precious
stones were: Diamond, topaz. emerald,
ruby, amethyst, blood-stone. opal, cam
60, cat s-eye, sapphire, onyx, carbuncle
and pearl. Designs We're arranged in
this order: Skull, head, musical instru-
ment, house, figure, insect, coin. star,
monogram, three links, square and
compass. strap and buckle and weapon.
Leading countries We're also SYSTEM
atized IN this way, and. rs for playing
cards, the ten numbered cards CORE
pended with first ten questions in 4 Sc
rieS. and the jack. queen and king with
the three last questions.
Heller and his assistant used every
means for dramatic effect. Taking up
Il watch, he would give the proper cue
to Miss Heller, who, knowing full well
what the object was, would describe it
as round object and bright. and finally,
after seeming difficulty, would say what
it was amid much applause. The num-
Der of the watch was given by means of
the system stated. Can YOU rive the
number was the cue for units, tell the"
for tens. Twill YOU give for hundreds,
whats the for thousands, and give
the for hundreds of thousands Say
the watch was numbered 20S2 Heller
would remark, Whats the number
on this, giving the che for thousands
thereby. and adding ''hOw, which will
be seen By reference to tie second series
OF questions given stands for So " Miss
I'll Iln .,
sand. and Heller would respond, Very
well. ''how." which would elicit from
his assistant ''S2" at once. Heller.
however, had other systems for per
forming the Second-Sight trick. One of
them called electricity into play. There
was an armature and magnet in the
bottom OF the lounge upon which Miss
Heller sat. and for ordinary articles
there were thirteen Geographic signals
that Dale. who was on the STAGE con-
-cealed from view. would telegraph TO
her She could feel the pulSations of
the magnet, and would know at once
what the article was that Heller was
holding in his hand without saving
word. 1t was especially pulling TO
many persons 20 see Heller take uD an
article from some person in the audience,
and, although he apparently gave no
sign and certainly did not speak. Miss
Heller would promptly say what it was.
They did not know how simple the solu-
ton was. When Heller PLAYED in his
Broadway Thcater. now Harrigan &
Hart 5, there was lattice-work on the
front OF the stage covered with artificial
flowers. Behind this sat Mr.. Dale.
Miss Heller was seated bIindfolded.
with her back to the audience Heller
would take up some article from the
first or second row, and Mr.. Dale.
through strong opera-glass slyly pene-
trating the lattice, could see very clearly
what 1t was and telegraph to Miss Hell
Ter. To vary the system as much as
possible, Dale on some nights would
communicate to her through 4 speak
ing-tube that ran through the stage
floor up through the lounge where she
sat.
Perhaps the most impudent thing in
the way of audacity that Heller ever did
was the book trick. A gentleman in the
rear of the audience, apparently from the
country, would hold up volume and
say: Now. I'd like Miss Heller to tell
me what I've got in nv hand" Heller
would appear ANNOYED, would not notice
him further than to say You should
have spoken of this sooner" in a net
tied tone. Suspicion would grow that
Heller was stuck and finally. as the
gentleman. who was generally dude.
was persistent, the great magician
would elicit from Miss Heller
that 1t was a book. Then he
would go on the stage. and in order to
make the baadage over Miss Heller's !
eyes doubly effective apparently. he
would tie 4 glove over each eve. They. |
however. would be tied in such a WAY
as to form = sort of French roof over /
each optic, so that Miss Heller could /
see very well looking down. The dude |
to know the name of the book. |!
and after due consideration Miss Heller |
would say, for instance. Rawlinson's !
History of the Ancient Egyptians
Heller would tell the dude to put play
ing card in the book at random and i
open it. 1t was done, and Heller would /
glance at the page, and, asking Miss |
Heller the proper questions, she would
1t once give its number. The astonished
Jude verified the answer. Then Miss
Heller would proceed to read the con-
-ents of the page, to the amazement of
everybody. This trick was not done