Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-07-01
PARLoR MAGIC.


dow 30 Make . Cigar Dance ON . Hat
The Shadow Pantomime.
A hat is borrowed; likewise . cigar.
The performer breathes on the latter to
mesme.-ize It and declares that when 50
mermerized he can compel it to stand
upright ON the crown of the hat. He
endeavory to make it stand up accord
ingly, 1t first without success, but pres
entity the cigar does actually stand up
right, self-supported, on the crown. AT
command It viii bow to the company,
salute the ladies on the 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. The cigar retains its vertical posi-
ton, but sways about, sometimes to one
side, sometimes the other, as if endeav-
oring to keep time 10 the music. At
any moment the performer can request
a spectator to take the cigar from the
hat and to satisfy himself that it is not
attached in any way
The seeming mystery rests on the use
OF very simple piece of apparztus-a
little rod about the size Of lead-penciI.,
but rather thicker, of ebony or some
other heavy wood, and with needle
point an inch long projecting from one
end of it. The performer gets this in
side the hat and his pretended, efforts to
balance the cigar on the hat pushes the
needle-point up through the crown and
into the end of the cigar, which thence
forward sticks upright on the point.
Any inclination given to the ebony rod
within the hat will naturally make the
cigar bend in the opposite direction and
SO to salute the company, etc.
The hand may now grasp the brim OF
the hat only, leaving the ebony rod
swinging free within the hat, and as ii
swings it will communicate a swayina
motion to the cigar above, as if affected
by the music.
When the trick is completed you in.
vite some spectator to take the cigar
from the hat At the same moment
that his fingers touch the cigar you
withdraw the needle-point from below,
when the cigar naturally falls and no.
thing remains to indicate the means
that supported it. The performer inn
begins to brush the hat with
his handkerchief and under cover of So
doing is enabled without difficulty to-
away into his sleeve or pocket
the little ebony rod.
The shadow pantomine can easily bt
in large room, across the
center of which sheet is stretched; or,
better still, in two parlors, across the
opening between the. two rooms, the
sheet is suspended; The sheet should
be damp, but not wet enough to allow
the water to drip on the carpet. The
performance takes place In the back
parlor, behind the sheet; the audience
sit in the other room in. front
of the sheet. The audience part
should be in semi-dArkness, while
behind, the sheet there should
be strong light from the candle placed
on the floor. The actors come in front
of the candle, and their shadows are
thus thrown wildly on the sheet, their
bulk increasing and decreasing accord.
ing to distance. When they jump over
the candle from behind, their shadows
appear to descend from the roof. and
when they jump back again. that Is.
from the sheet, their shadows appear to
vanish into the sky. The actors may be
dressed in various fantastic ways; for
ed by boy in his fathers great coat,
tottering along by aid of stick; an old
woman may be played by little Kate or
Jenny in grandmother's bonnet or
shawl, and Tiny Toddlesmay be made to
appear as miniature clown by means
Of paper cap and large pair Of
with legs stuffed. In
this way amusing scenes have been
performed; the more activity displayed
by the actors the more fun. Tables,
chairs, etc., may be introduced, and
much merriment is caused by one boy
jumping over the back of another and
at each jump.-PhiaGdelphid
Times