The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-07-10
PARlOR MAGIC.
How TO make Cigar Dance on Hat
Tho Shadow pantomIme.


The Shadow PantomIme.
A hat Is borrowed; likewise a cigar.
The PERFORMER breathes on the latter to
mesmerze it and declares that when 80
mcrmerized he can compel it to stand
upright on the crown of the hat. He
en,leavors to make 1t stand up accord
ingly, at first without success, but pres
emily the cigar does actually stand up
right, self-supportcd, on the crown. At
command 1t will bow to the company,
salute the ladies on tho right, the ladies
on the left, and so on. The performer
then asks for little music, and begins
to move the hat about, still crown up
ward, first in one hand. then in the 9TH
er. Tho cigar retains its vertical posi-
| ton, but sways about, sometimes to oncs
side, sometimes the other, as IL endcav-
oring To keep time to the music. At
any moment the performer can request
q spectator to take the cigar from the
hat and to satisfy himself that 1t is not
attached in amy way. r
Uhe seeming mystery rests on the use
of a very simpk, piece of apparatrrs--a
little rod asbout the size of a lead-pcncil,
hut rather thicker, of ebony OF some
'other heavy wood, and with needle
po1nt an inch long projecting from one
end of Is. The performer gets this in
sile the hathnd his pretended efforts to
balance thepigar ON the hat pushes the
needle point up through the crown and
into tire 'enA of the cigar, which thence
forward sticks epright on the point,
Any inclination given to the ebony rod
within lthe hat Will naturally make the
cgat bend in the opposite direction and
SO to salute the company, cttc.
The hnnd mry now grasp the brim of
the hat only, lpHving the ebony rod
swinging free within the hHt, and rs 1t
swingsii it will communicate a swaying
motion TO the cigar above, ias II affected
by the music.
Whar the tsrick Us completed you i'm
vite some spectator to take the cigar
from the hat. At the same moment
that his fingers touch the cigar you
withdraw the needlc-pcint from below,
when the cigar naturally fllls and no.
thing remxins TO Indicate the means
that supported h. TIE performer i'm.
anediately begins to brnsh the ht with
his handkerchief and Under cover Of 10
doing is enabled without difficulty TO
smuggle away into his sleeve or pocket
sthe little cbonyrod
The shadow pantomine can easily lbe
! arranged nm a large room, acRoss the
s'eonter of which asheet is stretched; or,
better still, in two parlors, across the
opening between the two rooms, The
Sheet is suspended; Uhe sheet should
be damp. but not wet enough ITO allew
theuyater to drip 'm the carpet. The
performance takes place in the lbuck
'parlor, behind the sheet; the audience
sit in ;tle other room lin front
of the sheet Mle ;Budience part
should ,be in seni-darkness, while
behind, the ,shast there should
be;u strong light fr0m'the candle placed
on the floor. The nctors come inifrH1t
of rIhe candle, aud their shatiows;are
thus Thrown vividk on the sheet. their
bulk increasing and decreasing .acenrd.
ing'to distance. When they Jump oxeI
theGnndle from 'bei,ind, their shadow
| appear to descend from the roof. nin1
when they jump hack again, that is,
from 'the sheet. their shadows appear tic
vanish into he sky. Thesctors maylbe
dressed in various fantastic ways; for
instance, nm sold man may he rcpnssent-
ed by "a boy IN his frther's great coat,
totterng along by aid of ~ stick; ;,an,o ,old
woman may be playedlby lntle KNe or
Jenny in mandmahher's bonna Or
shawl, and Tin y Toddles may be made ts
appear aus IA miniature clown by means
of paper cap and IL large par oi
knickcrhockers with EGGS stlffed. In
this wsg amusing scenes have been
performs2; the more activity displared
lbU the actors nhe none fun Tables.
chairs, eta..,' may be intpoauced, ast
lmlch merriment is caused by one bog
jumping over the back iof another ant
vanishing at each jump--Phisadelphia
ASaaes.