The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-01-17
SCIENCE OF MAGIC.
Wf4AT An EXPERT ONCE SAID OF
VhE so CALLED "BLAcK ART"

POwezs-BishOp's Mind Rsading-Hel-
Ee<'s Trlcks-Jugglers Of India
pscAAps no one outside of professional
circles ever took greater interest in the
@aence Of magic than the late Harry L.
Sands The secrets and apparatus which
he brought together cost over SO, 900,
md REPRESENTED the results Of sixteen
gears close study, backed by an sbund-
Ance OF enthusiasm and plenty OF initiative
ability He studied chemistry and cleo
tzfcity In order TO use them in perfecting
his Illusions, and he had q sanctum or
studio where be passed every moment be
could spare from business in working up
new effects for his performances.
Although going deep into the practical
working out of Illusions, hr. Sands, dur
ting the latter part Of his life, devoted
great deal Of attention TO the study OF the
0ccuh science although he was very Tar
from being q convert to the Theosophical
orNd Through his knowledge Of magic
he could explain many of the so called
tests made to demonstrate the truthful
ness Of the teachings Of the TheosOphists.
IN speaking one day shortly before his
death Dir. Sands said:
sfThe experiments mentioned as having
occurred through the agency Of Mime.
Gks 4 B @ of sleight Of hand. Any per
ga having good knowledge Of sleight Of
hand will laugh at the idea Of con-
Meeting a supernatural power with
the finding of money in bureau
drawers or the discovering Of cups and
SAucets among the branches OF tree. A
beautiful experiment mentioned Is the
chime Of bells said to be heard very often
fuss above Nine. Blavatsky's head. 1 do
Il uyzA kE~x &IN-a oh Vr1cr nd
sad account for them in the same way
that account for table rapping. Nine.
6zsvatsky must be wonderfully endowed
With magnetic forc5 in order to produce
Chs ringing sound upon the air, but
hadteYe the effect could be arrived at simply
tAE0u9h physical causes. Very few people
HczV attribute anything supernatural to
table moving and rapping, but correctly
Put Il down to the power Of electricity act
tng through the fingers Of those engaged
IN the experiments. Once saturate table
via water and you can do nothing with
O. but give # thorough drying before
IRE end IL will dance a sailors hOrnpipe
SDQ you, which knocks the supernatural
theory On the head. -
fhe table and chair lifting Of Heller
A9R. Sands pronounced q trick performed
. perfection, and it was his intention to
EHkr0dties the Illusion in his own perform
ence, having obtained the secret from
abroad. He had also secured the "mind
EeAding Illusion" as he called it, now
Ae1ng performed SO successfully by Bishop.
Mr. Sands obtained the Illusion from Ger
Rany and prepared TO duplicate all of
Bishops teste. He said the whole trick
was summed up n the question OF mem
cry and delicacy of touch. He did not
propose TO put IL before the public as any
NaAaR more than q clever trick. The mind
seeding business he said was simply Rob
e&4 He1leY's second sight trick elaborated,
bot not improved. Both second sight and
nsknd reading originated with the Ger
mAaS. 4F. Sands owned q copy Of Hell
kris original manuscript Of the second
akaht bu1aness. The directions and signs
covered several pages, and the performer
WAS required 70 learn the entire thing ''by
AeaSt," as they say In school The task
was apparently as difficult as that of mas
ezE1pR @ new language,
Mr.. Sands believed In rendering an
amateur magical performance as perfect
IN every detail IS those upon the profeS-
A1Gna1 stage. He never encouraged his
44ends TO take up magic, believing that
very few Of them would have the patience
to master what he considered q science
He also warned the would be embryo
Aallars OF the expense incident to forming
even passing good collection OF secrets
and uuaiOns, many Of the effects costing
ae high as 1900 or $500 each. The secrets
81 directions for performing the trick, he
Sound often cost ten times as much as the
Apparatus He owned some tricks that
cost him less than 81, while the explana-
In setting forth the manner In which
shsy were 20 be performed he valued at
ErouS&26 70 $50
included In MI Sands collection was a
large, thick book Of 800 pages filed with
directions IL writing for performing the
several Illusions which he brought into
hae performances Here and there Mr..
Sands had introduced pen and ink sketches
Of the apparatus to be used In doing the
tricks and he valued the book more than
anything he possessed.
A new Illusion, which Mr.. Sands i'm
ported shortly before his death, was q
talking skull This skull would answer
questions, tell stories, and in fact appeared
% be endowed with life. In describing
rs makeup it's owner said that it was
combination Of micrOphone, telephone and
monograph, and he considered it one Of
Ghe greatest triumphs Of science applied
% magic he had ever seen. He could take
the skull in his hand and walk with it
EhTough the audience, making it answer
questions right and left as he moved
Glon9. This, Of course, did away with the
idea that the skull was connected with
the rear Of the stage by wires and oper
GSAd by the assistant
Mr. Sands took great interest in the
Aeience Of legerdemain as performed by
the jugglers of India, and it was his great
ambition to make trip into the land of
Buddha and witness the feats performed
by the natives Of India. He had theory
to the effect that the snake charmers and
tugglers first mesmerized their audiences
and then led them on to imagine many
things took place which really never hap
pened. At the same time he believed the
HtndooS were acquainted with many
natural laws entirely unknown to the
Europeans, and through knowledge of
these laws accomplished feats which ap-
peared to be supernatural to the less
learned people of the west.
About year ago friend of Mr. Sands,
Who had recently returned from India