Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-28
TIE DANCING DERBY.
PLANCHETTE PUT UNI Err THE
WILLOWS.
The Latest Thing Out for Com
municatinS with De-
parted Friends.
[Chicago Tribuue.l

| intervals during the summer. AL these
meetings, which are mostly held in GER
tain private residence on Calumet avenue,
the party practices the Undertaking. of
| spirit forms: and when the conditions
are unfavorable for naturalization, as
they frequently are the members amuse
themselves with mesmerism, mind-read-
| ing, table-rapping planchette-writing,
palnlistry, music seances in the dark, or
one or other of the many freaks incidental
! TO spiritnalistic faith.
| There had been no meeting held for over
| five weeks until Thursday evening last, the
leader of the circle being away in the Pine
mountains. She had invented the new
machine while she was away.
L have named il the Dancing Derby, "
she began, as soon as the door was locked
and the windows padded; it is quite SIM
ple and easy to work, and is no end of fun.
| Anyone with little mediumistic power
can manage it, and it hardly ever fails. 1t
is based on the common principle OF spirit
manifestations, through an animate body,
by the aid of a mediums touch, and IS
much superior TO the planchette or the table
AS q means of communication. Now,
| want a hat-one without lining pre-
| ferred'
Then Mrs. Brown-that isn't her name,
but it will do-produced a wooden alpha
bet similar to those used in infant kinder
parten classes, each wooden letter being
about two inches square. Then she pro-
| duced four little sticks, each about four
| inches long and as thick as a common lead
pencil, and then four long, thin nails like
| corker-pins. with little brass heads. The
hat being procured, she fastened the little
sticks to the briIu, two in front and two be-
| hind. the long pins stuck through the brim
of the hat and running halfway through
| the sticks being sufficient to keep the latter
firmly in place. The hat, when finished,
rested sduarely ON four legs, just like
four-legged stool: a rose was stuck under
| the hat-band in front to indicate the front
| from the rear. Then the twenty-six
| wooden letters were arranged in q circle on
the table. and the Dancing Derby set on
its feet in their midst.
Four of the nine people in the circle were
gifted with that inexplica5le power OF
| touch known rs mediumisEc, but none OF
them ever used the power for money-mak-
ing purposes or in a professional capacity.
| The general opinion of the circle is not
favorable to professional mediums, and
might be summed up by saying that the
work of the latter is about three parts
spiritualism to ninety-seYen parts fraud.
| Mrs Brown, who was one OF the four
referred to, began by placing the tips OF her
fingers on the crown of the hat, the other
three mediums doing the same. In less
than minute the hat began to squirm and
stagger. and in another minute it arose on
its two fore-legs like kicking steer, and
raced in a drunken gallop clear around the
table.
Are YOU ready for some conversation -
said Mrs Brown, addressing the hat. Mr..
| Derby gave double buck, as though try
ing to turn a somersault. This was a"-
| cepted as an indication that he was quite
ready" charged" Mrs. Brown called 1t.
| Then the mediums took their hands OIL
all except Mrs. Brown, who kept her fore
| finger lightly resting on the brim rs a wire
of communication. In addition TO the
| alphabet, already referred to, two slips Of
paper had been placed on the table on one
| of which was written Yes" and on the
other Mo-
rs there a spirit here?" asked Mrs.
Brown. The hat gave little jump and
| alighted with its right fore foot on the
| word YES"
What is your name?'
Mr.. Derby hesitated a moment and then
moved slowly around to the letter " NJ,
which he tapped with his of leg as before:
| Then he moved TO the letter l. aud
tapped it; then quickly TO the letter =" n "
and gave it two taps, and was moving back
! toward the L" when Mrs. Brown said:
"Oh. know. That's Minnie Jackson"
The hat stopped, turned 4 piroquet Oh its
hind legs, and lit with its fore foot on the
word Yes" rs before.
Minnie, how are you, my dear 2 said
Mrs. Brown and How do you do, Miss
Jackson ~ said Mr.. Mack, another of the
mediums; and Minnie, love, we're de-
lighted TO zee you!" exclaimed the third
though never a CLINT of Minnie was to be
! seen except in the antics of the hat.
Minnie has rather romantic history"
said Mrs Brown for the benefit of the new
! visitor of the circle. She was to have
| been married to her own true love, but the
night before the wedding he was accident
ally choked by turnip which stuck in his
throat. Minnie would have tretted her
self to death but that she took pity on an
other young man who was dying for her,
and married him the following Easter
"And had fourteen children, and her
mother was burned for n witch by James
VI. of Scotland" added Mr.. Mack.
No-no-thafs Mary Royal you are
thinking Of" said Mrs. Brown; we must
have talk with her by-and-5y; she tells
such interesting stories. How do you
like the Dancing Derby Minnie?'
F-u-s-t-r-a-t-e," replied the spirit.
Have you got any message for any one?'
Yes. For M-r-M-a-c-k."
From that great grandfather of mine,
I'll bet, said Mr. Mack.
The lat at once putits foot on the Yes"
in token that Mr.. Mack had called the
turn.
well, let's have it, said Mr.. Mack
And the hat rapidly spelled:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS s.
wear & -i-v-e-u-p. h-o-r-s-e-r-a-c-e-s-t-h-e-
w-a-y-o-f-t-he-"
Transgressor is hard-chestnuts p in
terrupted Mr.. Mack. "' Be just and fear
not i guess he's told me that million
times And l don't yet know what it
means. But what does he know about
races? Why. horse could not go a mile
in five minutes when he was alive. And
he died himself when be was only colt"
For shame" said Mrs. Brown, quite
shocked. Now, you go away, Minnie,
and send some one else, but don't send Mr.
Mack's great-grandfather.'
| Mrs Brown raised her finger for mo-
| ment from the hat When she touched it
again new movement was visible. The
hat seemed to be trying q rhythmic hop
| from one foot to the other. In response to
! the usual interrogation there came:
I-s-e B-i.El-y-J Ones. d. e-A-d e-l-p-h-
-c-h AM p-i-o-n c-l-o-g-da- e-r-t-o-o-t-
e-r-u-p."
Mr.. Jones wants some music" said
! Mrs. Brown.
! One of the ladies sat down to the piano
and played a melody Of plantation iigs and
reels Mr.. Jones, 'the Adelphi champion
clog dancer" began-or at least the hat did
by tapping gently in time with the music;
| then he began rocking back and forth like
a sew-saw; then he spun around and
warmed to his work, and trottcd back and
| forth, now front, now rear; then the music
grew faster and he made splurges in the air
| like William goat preparing for battle.
Faster and faster went the music, and
| faster and faster went that Derby, jigging it
with freedom and rattle that would make
| the Evangeline heifer sick with envy. until
| the tune ended with a falsetto shrek, and
| Mr.. Jones kicked the letter K clear across
| the room.
! Mrs Brown again raised her finger, and
when she next touched the Derby an en-
tirely new motion was seen. The hat
swayed from side to side, and then pulled
up with jerk, repeating the same move
ment over and over
What spirit is this?" was asked.
Pharaoh, King of Egypt" spelled out
the hat in the usual way.
Everybody was surprised, for this was
Pharaoh's first appearance. Asked what
messages he had, the King replied by ask