The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-28
TRICKS OF
THE VOICE.
Ventriloquist Kennedy Tells Sc.
crets of His Popular Art. -
Doctors Marvel at His Throat-How He Made
Sailors Believe Their Ship Was Haunted
A Tramp His First Partner.

ventriloauist and song-writer, said to me
the other day. While we were talking on
the stage. where had called to see him, he
exeused himself and went to the door and
Immediately darted back. apparently fright
eued by the hoarse barking OF a feroeious
dog.
Dangerous dog, that" he remarked, as
he shut the door.
"Why don't you have it taken away p l
suggested, nervously.
Il will" Thereupon he went again to
the door, and, calling man, told him to
chain the dog up. In minute the dogs
bark was changed to bowls, and ended in a,
pitifuI whine down in the pit of the theate
near the stage
Il guess it's all right now," continued
Mr.. Kennedy.
''Ventriloquism," he said, sis simply a
vocal delusion. Sometimes, adyentitous
circumstances make this delusion seem al
most reality and the listeners would take
oath that their senses had deceived them.
For instance with party of tourists | once
visited a famous cave in Derbyshire While
we were at the month OF the cavern a
mournful wall seemed to come from the
darkness and was echoed score OF times to
the intense horror and fright of my compan-
ions. The cave was haunted 1t is hardly
necessary to say that l was the uneasy ghost,
but the circumstances that surrounded the
trick made its startlingly realistic.
INSPIRED BY A BOOK.
SIN telling YOU how l became ventrilO-
uuist, YOU will see how difficult it is to &C.
qure the art. One of the first works OF ne
ton that l ever read was alentlne No&.
That book made me ventriloquist as 1t has
undoubtedly started many another boy on
the same course For at least a month or
more, l used to wake my brother up at
night irving TO throw my voice into the
farther side OF the room or out OF the WIN
dow. | have no doubt that during that
time | was the most diSagreeable boy to
sleep with in all England.
"In those days we had penny readings IN
a public hall and among the entertainers
who were engaged for the season was
professor of yentriloquism. After the read,
ing | sided up TO the professor and begged
him to give me a private exhibition OF his
art. Alter some coaxing he consen+adr-
piled him with questions, which he was not
disposed to answer to my satisfaction. Fl
nally he said: ''Now, young man, I've told
you all L intend to. If you can learn the
trick come to me in six months and tell me
so.' Six months later l called on him and
repeated his trick, not 50 well as he did it,
but we'll enough to merit his praise.
Before l was IA | left home with little
money in my pocket to go to sea. | wanted
TO see the NO1lu anu uluH Mdilb III set IL
as most persons do l presume II had
been an American boy | would have gone
out West to fight Indians Twas full OF ro-
mantle ideaS-ideas which have been knocked
out of me SO long that | can hardly izs
that ever had them
A TRAMP FOR A PARTNER.
81 started to walk to Birmingham. On
my way l found professional tramp,
courteous, educated Irish gentleman, whose
fondness for liquor had sent him adriit in
the world. We became companions. AS
we were passing bit Of woods | so modu-
lated my voice that man seemed to be
calling to US from the copse. A short search
failed to find him. / repeated the trick
again further on with the same success,
and then embroidered by success | repeated
it over too often and was detected.
when The tramp discovered the fraud his
face was study. The beatific expression
that spread over his phiz was as though 1T
beheld vision. He looked as Mulberry Sci
lers looked when he discovered plan with
millions in it. Our fortune was made, so(
he said, and a few minutes later hc-fT5vedN
it, to his satisfaction at least. We came TO a
roadside in, and it was early i'll
the evening we went in. The tap-roUm
was filled and the guests were enjoy
ing themselves with ale and gossip.
pipes and songs. 1t was the very nick OF
time. The tramp introduced me with melt
ing eloquence and l gave my performance.
After ii was over he passed around the hat
and collected shillings pence, which be
handed to me to keep. He was my first
partner. | followed the sea for several
years before the mast and on the quarter
deck, and during those years | saw almost
all of the world worth seeing. Meanwhile
kept up my ventriloquism as paStilne and
many trick played on my mates.
PLAYING THE GHOST.
''Once when we were twenty-seEen days
going from Boston to Montreslwith freight
II 40. l11t
there was ghost in the hold. and we had
to hire other help to unload the cargo. 1t
finally leaked out that | was the ghost, and
the story came to the ears OF Signor Bosco,
magician and mesmerlst. he persuaded
me to leave the sea and travel with him. In
three months time | could do all the allu-
Sions. aud then Started out in business for
myself. In 1874 joined the Rosario Com
bination with J. r. Brown, the famous
mind-reader. who was just beginning his
career, and came to New York. Since then
my professional life is well known TO the
theater-goiGg public"
The most difficult feat that Mr.. Kennedy
does is to recite poem entitled: Listen
to the Water MIL" Owing to the manyl
repetitions of the letter M, - which is N
hardest of all letters to pronounce without,
closing the lips. one of the stanZas OF the
poem is regarded as the supreme test of VEN
trifoqusm. Mr.. Kennedy makes the sound
mp by what might be Ikened to grunt,
which Is Dlaut ITOu LIE dUuOmtu. IL Nuu
think this is easily done, practice it once or
twice.
HINTS FOR THE BOYS.
"Now," said Mr.. Kennedy, Il will give
you all l can that will help any one who
wants to learn how to become a ventrilO-
ouiSt. The first thing necessary to learn the
trick if to become good mimic. After
boy has learned to do this he can begin with
real ventrloquism. Try and sound all the
letters without moving the lips. This re-
quires much practice aud patience.
- Here is The one secret in learning the art.
1t is the one thing that most boys never
think of and consequently fail in their tut
ton. Always initiate sounds as they fall
upon your ears. Ii you hear man halloo
in the distance reproduce that sound so that
when it comes from your lips it is exactly
like the distant sound that struck your ears.
81 have been in the business SO many
years that my throat has changed its orig
inal form. My Adams apple is round in
stead of pointed aud my vocal chords are
greatly enlarged. DR.. Titus, the noted
throat physician, wanted to make photo
graph Of the interior of my throat for scien-
tific purposes. He says there is only one
throat OF that sort in the country and that
have got it. ''-Benjamin Northrop in Pitts
burg Dispatch.
The Reign of Love.
Love, human love, love OF men and
women, love of mothers. fathers, and
hob e,l,a nall nd hpn fQrn