Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-23
THE VENTRIL0QUIAL ART
~FAMLIAR Spirits THAT PEEP
AND MUTTEE."
How Personal Ends Have KeAn attained
a Power I 1T Must he Unborn to
Fully SuccePd--WhAt Modern Profess
sors CAN Poly phoDy.

A Power ih.t Must he Unborn to
Fully SuccePd--Whnt Modern Profess
sors Can PolyphoDy.
From the B st,1 Heynld.
VentrilCquism has of late years exhib.
tied 80 much improvement that 1t de.
serves to have little attention directed
toward its almost miraculous phenomena
and the causes and conditions of their
display. The art is of very ancient date.
References in scripture to ''the familiar
spirits that peep and mutter'' are numer-
Gus, and on good authority it has been
stated that these ''peepings and mutter.
ings'' mean the using OF the vocal organs
like the ventriloquist Of to-day. In the
early Christian Church the practice was
also known, and treatise was written on
1t in Greek by Eustathius, Archbishop OF
Antioch. The principal argument of the
book is the ev0cation o: tie spirit OF
Samuel. By the Mosaic law the
Hebrews were prohibited from con-
sulting those who had a familiar spirit.
, IL is stated that tie witcn of Endor was
influenced by such power i'll her divina-
ti0ns. In Hebrew the word "ob' desig-
males those persons possessed OF a
familiar spirit, and "obotn." the plural.
corresponds to the word ''ven trIloquism. -
In the Septuagint it is associated with
gastromancy, mode OF ancient divIna-
ton, wherein the diviner replied without
opening his lips. so that the listeners
thought they actually heard the voice of
spirit. Many theol0gians have doubted
whether SamuePs ghost really appeared,
or whether the Whole was not SUPER
stltious imposition on the credulity OF
Saul.
70 the Greeks, the Egyptians and the
Assyrians, veDtri!oquism was we'll
known. In the Acts, Paul is described
as depriYing young woman of familiar
spirit in the city of Philippi in Macedonia.
She is alluded to as "a certain damsel
possessed
WITH SPIRIT OF DEVIATION
which brought her master much gain by
soothsaying.' st. Chrysostom and the
early fathers mention divination as prac-
ticed in their day, and the art is still COM
mon in the East, as it is also among the
EsquimauX. Sir David Brewster writes
that ventrIlOquists made great additions
TO their art in the nineteenth century.
He says: "FitZj ames and Alexandra were
superior TO their predecessors. Beside
the art of speaking by the muscles of the
throat and the abdomen, without moving
the muscles of the face, these artists
not only studied with great dill
gence and success the notifications
which sounds of all kinds I'M
dergo from distance, distractions and
other causes, but had acquired the art OF
Initiating them in the highest perfection.
The ventriloqulst was able to carry ON a
dialogue in which the dramatic voices
were numerous, and when on the outside
OF An apartment could persOnate mob,
with its variety of noises and vocifera-
ton. Their influence over the minds of
an audience was still further extended by
singular power which they had obtained
over the muscles of the body. FitZjames
actually succeeded in making the oppo-
site, or corresponding, muscles act diff
ferently from each other, and, while one
side OF mis- face was merry and laughing,
the other side was full of sorrow and
tears. At one time he would be tall and
thin and melancholy, and, after passing
behind a screen, he would come out bloat-
ed and apparently
STAGGERING WITH DRUNKENNESS.
NJ. Alexandra possessed the same power
over his face and figure, and, so striking
was the contrast between two OF these
forms that an excellent sculptor, NJ.
Joseph, has perpetuated them in marble.
This new requirement of the ventrioquist
of the nineteenth century enabled him in
his own single person and with his own
position which would formerly have re-
Quired the assistance of several actors.
Although only one could be seen, numer-
Gus characters seemed to appear during
the performance, and the change OF face
and figure on the part OF the veutrllo-
quist was so perfect that his personal
identity could not be recognized in the
dramatis persona. The deception was
also rendered still more complete by
49,, Of hn Gf11pa
which enabled the performer to appear in
a new character after an interval so short
that the audience necessarily thought it
was another person.
Numerous amusing anecdotes can be
gathered relating to ventriloquism II one
looks for them. One NJ. st. Gille, VEN
triloquist of France, once had occasion
to shelter himself in a monastery in the
neighborhood of Avranche. The monks at
that time were in deep sorrow over the
loss of an esteemed member of their fra
ternity, whom they had but recently
buried. While lamenting over the tomb
of their departed brother, the slight
honOrs which had been paid to his
memory,
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
was heard to issue from the vaults OF the
church, bewailing the condition OF de-
ceased in purgatory, and reproving the
monks for their want of zeal and rever-
ence for departed worth. Tidings Of the
event flew abroad and quickly brought
numbers of the inhabitants to the spot.
The miraculous speaker renewed mis-
lamentations and reproaches, whereupon
the monks fell upon their faces and vowed
to repair their neglect. They then
chanted "De ProfundIs," and at inter-
walls the ghostly voice OF the deceased
friar expressed his satisfaction. NJ. st.
Giles amusement was great.
One Louis Brabant once turned his ven
trlloquIal talent to good account TO him
self in this way. He was rejected by the
parents of an beiress as an unsuitable
match for their daughter. Louis, on the
death OF the father, paid a visit TO the
widow, and during this visit the voice OF
her deceased husband was suddenly heard
to address Der thus: "Giye my daughter
In marriage to LOUIS Brabant; he Is man
OF fortune and character, and endure the
pains of purgatory for having refused
her TO him. Obey my admonltion and
give repose to the soul Of your departed
husband" or course the widow complied,
but the difficulties were not at all over
come. Brabant wanted money to deiray
the wedding expenses, and concluded be
would WORK on the fears of an old usurer,
one Mr.. Cornu, Of Lyons. He obtained
a int iety him pVpOinU and