The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-29
NUN BER 13
STAGE %DECEPTIONS.
Explanation Of Peppers Ghost
How Ventriloquism Is Performed.
T,,c Ghost ''TIaterinIIzcd', by Means
OF r:lrrorS aud Plate GLASS;
How the VcntriIoquIst
Throw" isis Voice.
fChicngo Tribunal

tChicago Trihmne.l
The phenomena of optical illusion have
been made Use Of to a considerable extent
Ipon the stage within the Int few Years.
CLc Of the most curious exhibitions Of this
SOFT is known rs "PeppcrS Ghosts. " which 4
taNcS its name from Mr.. Pepper, an
lnLl.slI physicist, VINO first coniurcd up
thr spuok. ard TO whom the original in
vent on nj manufacture of n real spector
must be attributed. The ghost in qucs-
ton is no "natcrialiAcd spirit. but, nj
though one sees il walk upon the stage q
and act liz part. it is If so immaleriul IL
Constitution that the individual whom it
cupcS 10 haunt ~cl,avcs ii with his sword.
- If IL were 30 much empty air, md
actually walks through the spectre.
When this marvel WAS inst exhibited in
London the public Hooked to see it, and
great was The wonder thcrcnt. The
mystery is, however, easily explained.
Every one has observed that a pane of
window glass, though transparent, rejects
The rays of light 10 u certain extent, 81
that, while admitting the light from the
street ii returns ais Il faint image Of OH
jects in Tie room. If it is dark outside
the rejection is more distinct. When this
is Understood the explanation of the trick
is very simple. he actors On the stare
are seen through IL large + nc Of trnnspar.
cnt glass, placed in an inclined position,
and leaning toward the audience mt nm
angle of fOrty-iiNc degrees. The rams
a!Cncy of tie glass Vrcvsnts the spcctu-
tots ia the diil light from perciving it.
Beneath the Sage. uut of sight, and facing
a large m;rr,r inclined parallel with the
plate of glass utoNc, is the real figure Of
which tie ghost is the "cidolon" or IMAGE.
Upon this I sure, out Of the sight of the
audience, Is shuwnt the vivid glare of an
oXy-h, drogen lime-ligiit. When this light
is turned on, the illuminated figure is re-
tcc;td ia tic mirror, and from the mirror
a bright ina re of the OBJECT IS cast upon
the glass pla.c fact z the audience. To
the audience. however, this image does not
appear ~ if thrown on the glass, but a. if
standing some distance back IN the stage,
Just as The reflection of objects seen in II
wl.tOw-p pane seems pro. cclcd out into the
street. Thu the reflection of II sheet clad
figure below the stage may be made to
walk the boards, u 'cry realistic spcctcr.
II appaTdioUai and uLsubA tnntial char
actcr OF the image is dIc TO its seeming
transparency and 10 the manner in which
t is caused 10 met away by diminishing
tie nrightucss of the light W. ich falls ON
the zeal person. In the same way II
Skeleton or other ghOstly object may he
pro. coed upon the Stage.
This sort Of spectre mad been fouHd re-
mar ably effective when employed to
represent the ghost in Hamlet. The
Eject of tie old Danes discmbodied spirit,
gliding across the stage and finally vanish
ing. is extremely wcild An equally real
istic eject has been produced by the APP
pPdrlnce of IA real ghost of Banquo in
.,iacheth's chair when tie latter, pointing
TO Tie spectre. shlieks: Thou ctnst not
'ay l did i; never shake your CORY LOCKS
al me-"
The human car might he regarde | from
he same hyl erc.it.c,l sal dpoint, as II de-
fcctiie ins rume!t. ii is true ut all events
That tie ear is readily deceived. Us the H.
lus.on5 of vent. 10 uism clearly prove. Ii
IS poi Il arly supposed that thc v~cEtrilo
tuist actuaIy "lLr1ws' his voice so that
the sounds are in realty made to cmanate
from any given point desired. The alb
surdity of this will at once appear if it he
considered that the sounds uttered are
formed by the vocal organs of the per-
former and can only proceed from them.
Tie illusions of vcEtrilOquiNm depend
entirely upon the inGcCulacy Of the car in
determining the ONT f. ON which "A sound
cl.anutcS. If one is in a strange %nCighbOr-
hood nd hears church btls ringing, it is
frequently impossible for him to be sure
from which point Of tie COMPASS the chimes
reach the car, If IL is approaching II
strtct corner on foot and hears the jing,c
Of the tar bells On the cross. streets, he -
usually plzzlei to know which way the
car is coming. The v~cntri,oquist's art con.
s.sts in so altering his natural voice as to
give il when It reaches the aud ence an
Artificial effect, which makes i! appear rs il
it came from some point distant from its
actual source.
Any one can, with practice, vcntrilo-
quise II little. Tn v:n,r l)Iuial voice is
Produced by speaking behiud the closed
teeth. without mo5ing the lips, the tongue
being pressed against the roof Of the
mouth. An UNI atuTal voice il
he result. ard that, together with
nc immol lily of the lips. is
the first element Of the deception.
The attention OF the audience is directed
TO the point from which the OH d j. cN-
rcctcd TO proceed. aud tie erformor 50
nodulntc' his W uls that when they reach
the audience they Lave rs C rly as pos. ib.e
tho sam sOund e Iects as they would have
! if they proceed from the point indicated,
The vcntriloau'Sr preiends that there is II
iuan in a tIUnA IN The Stage, and II sn,otll-
cred voice is heard which actually ) ems 10
conc from i,.s.dt tie trunk lie shCus
IN Imaginary lcrSon heuinl the flies
n, q The u Wcr IL returned ia'Gi'y.
T-c deco to- depend. IA op the expect
ans attcnt'o OF the aud, nee tul The Ski |
with wi.ich tic COuuttriCit sOgUu-ciCC Gets
~ produced. Tie ear is moi su hcicnt Y
a cirale in determining the dir elton Of a
.0uud tn cnable.thc audience {, bc sure OF
is exact cure. Thus puppets are made
to wag their jaws and appear t. talk while
the V,nt,iloqu'st hOidi ir them on his
knee. carries ON acOnverst t,OL in two OF
lhrnr assumed Nnirpi lrh,nl liz tccth.