Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-03-02
ONLY AN ILLUSION.
SOME OF THE SECRETS OF THE
MYSTERIOUS ART OF vENTRIL-
oQUIsM.

ries that have been circulated about
ventriloquists throwing their voices
into different sections of room or
in recesses where it would be ut
terly impossible for human being
to squeese 2" was asked of we'll
known ventriloquist.
mo, sir" promptly replied the
man who makes very good living
exhibiting his four doll figures,
each having a movable wooden jaw
worked from the back of the neck
with the thumb of the professor.
"All such talk is veritable bosh
from beginning to end"
"You must understand first that
ventriloquism is simply a vocal H.
lusion. I have given entertain
ments in this line TOR the past fif-
teen years, both in public and pri-
vate, and while | believe sincerely
in the old adage that the longer a
person lives the greater knowledge
he acquires, / can say that l haye
learned almost everything relative
to ventriloquism, save the new
Jokes or what is generally known
as gags that haven't been turned
out as yet from the funny mems
bureau.
81 have four figures that | use
in my entertainment, representing
an IRISH boy, a colored boy plcan-
inny, and an old lady and gentle
man. Every word or sentence that
[ utter is formed precisely in the
same way as in ordinary articula-
ton. take a full breath or in
spiration just before commencing
my performance, and as / 90 along
[ allow the air to slowly pass
through the glottis, which IS the
narrow opening at the upper part
of the larnyx, thereby modulating
or increasing the intensity Of the
air, as the case may require. This
explanation may seem vague at
first, but if one just takes the trou'
ble to look into the subject 1t will
be found that the sound does not
come from the stomach, as the
aucients supposed, but from the
throat.
"Why, it is as easy as rolling of
a log to be a yentriloquist, If you
will only have the patience to prac-
tice. Did Any body ever become a
scientist or philosopher in a week,
month or year? OF course not
1t takes some years of practice to
become proficient in any subject
" by, | believe a man can learn to
do anything, if he only sets out
with a firm determination and
plenty of pluck to back him.
"When a ventrlloquist comes on
the stage he generally starts In
with that superannuated, chest
nutty phrase; Ladies and gentle
men, shall endeavor to introduce
for your edifcation, etc.
"Taking a figure from a box he
dandles it upon his knee and begins
thus.
"'What is your name, my little
man p
"'Heh 2
"T asked you what your name
was 2
"Oh, y name is Nikey Smith
"Now, you readily see" continu'
ed the professor, "that it is next
to impossible to pronounce the
words with the letter m, p or b
without moving the lips. There
fore. the correct translation of the
foregoing sentence would be: 'Ohi
my name is Dlikey Smith. The
further away a person may be from
the ventriloquist the greater the
deception.
"Now if you watch me closely
during one OF my performances you
will note that | am particular tc
first call my audiences attention
to something which is to follow
by intlmatlng the locality from
whence the voice is to come. This
directs everybody's attention just
where I want to have it, and the
illusion seems greater than it &C
tually is.
"What | consider to be my best
feat in the art is where | put th'
little wooden irish boy into th'
trunk, which l always have on th'
Stage, and start to shut him up IL
it. He is then supposed to call
Let me outl let me outp l theI
slowly close the lid modulatlng m!
voice as let the lid down by de
grees until the voice seems u
emanate from the inside.
"Ifanybody is desirOus OF learn
ing the art can't tell them how Il
set about it without very mucl
trouble. The first thing to be dom
is for the beginner to place hlmseI
before a looking glass and CON
mence by repeating the alphabe
slowly and distinctly as possible
without moving the lips. Practlc'
this over many times until certaiI
facility has been obtained, and th'
learner, it he has any aptltud'
whatever, will soon observe nov
much easier it is than when HI
started.
"After he has practiced the al
phabet sufficiently let him tack
. -, e.. I,,aa which will no dOuDl