Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-19
YENlRILOQUIsH.
VOCAL DELUsIoNs AND HOW EXPERTS
PRODUCE THEM.
Kennedy Gives Away Some Secrets OF She
Business-The Art Not Easy to &c
quire-Must be a Good Mimic.

''Ventriloquism is the art of 50 modu-
lating the human voice that it seems to
come from some other direction than the
right one."
That is what Harry Kennedy, the
famous ventriloquist and song writer, said
to me the other day. 1t was not the first
thing he said, although we had met solely
for the discussion of ventriloquism. While
we were talking he excused himself and
went to the door, and Immediately darted
back, apparently frightened by the hoarse
barking of a ferocious dog.
"Why don't you have him taken away?'
1 suggested, nervously.
81 will" Thereupon he went again tc
the door, and calling man, told him tc
chain the dos up. In a minute the dog;
barks changed to howls and ended in a
pitiful whine down in the pit of the thea
ter near the Stage.
81 guess it's all right now," continued
Mr.. Kennedy. Nestrilocuism is simply
a vocal delusion." Then followed the
more complete definition, which introduces
this article-an article, by the way, in
which Mr.. Kennedy tells in his own Ian
guage a story of ventriloquism, with
scenes laid in many countries, and ends
with giving the secret of his Interesting
art, with instructions and suggestions to
those who desire to master it.
Sometimes" went on Mr.. Kennedy,
"adyentitious circumstances make this de-
lusion seem almost realty, and the listen
ers would take oath that their senses had
not deceived them. For instance, with a
party of tourists / once visited famous
cave in Derbyshire. While we were at
the mouth of the cavern a mournful wall
seemed to come from the darkness and was
echoed a score of times, to the intense hor-
ror and fright of my companions. The
cave was haunted 1t is hardly necessary
to say that was the uneasy ghost, but the
circumstances that surrounded the trick
made it startlingly realistic.
'In telling you how l became ventrilo-
,quist you will see how difficult it is to ac-
quire the art, and some of your readers
may experiment and make more rapid
progress than l did. One of the first works
of fiction that | ever read was Valentine
Vox' That book made me a ventriloquist,
as it has undoub .edly started many an
other boy on the same course. For at least
a month or more | used to wake my
brother up at night trying to throw my
voice into the further side of the room or
out of the window. have no doubt that
during that time | was the most disagree
able boy to sleep with in all England. |
was a large boy for my age. Although l
was only Is, looked fully l5 and was far
enough advanced in my studies for boy
of that age. had graduated at the pub
lie schools, and was in the lowest class at
Owears College, in Manchester, my native
town.
"In those days we had penny readings in
public hall, and among the entertainers
who were engaged for a season was Pro-
fessor of ventriloquism. You can hardly
imagine how fascinated l was by his per-
formance. He chalked his hand and
knuckles and, bending his fingers toward
the palm, he made a very good imitation
of an old mans profile. Then by opening
and closing the first and second finger
Joints, he gave a representation of the
talking hand trick. | was delighted.
was mystifed. l had a thirst for knowl-
edge. But how should | quench it?
Finally, after sleepless night, decided
on plan. / offered my services to the
reading committee as elocutionist, and at
the next entertainment | recited The
Death of Marmion.' After the reading l
sidled up to the Professor and begged him
to give me private exhibition of his art.
After some coaxing he consented. Then |
discovered that Valentine Vox was fraud.
Neltriloquism was no longer an occult art.
1t was simply vocal delusion. l piled
him with questions, which he was not dis
posed to answer to my satisfaction. Finally
he said; Now, young man, have told you
all intend to. If you can learn the trick
come to me in six months and tell me So
Six months later | called on him and re-
peated his trick, not so well as he did it,
but well enough to merit his praise.
"Before ! was II | left home with lit
tie money in my pocket TO go to sea. l
wanted to see the world, and | didn't want
to see it as most persons do. l presume il
] had been an American boy, | would
have gone out West to fight Indians.
was full of romantic ideas-ideas which
have been knocked out of me so long ago
that can hardly realize that | ever had
them l started to walk to Birmingham.
On my way | met a professional tramp.
A courteous, educated, Irish gentleman,
whose fondness for whisky had sent him
adrift in the world We became CON-
panions. As we were passing a bit Of
woods | so modulated my voice that man
seemed to be calling to US from the copse.
A short search failed TO find him. ] re-
peated the trick again farther on with the
same success, and then emboldened by
snccess / repeated it over too often and
was detected.
"When the tramp discovered the fraud,
his face was a study. The beatifc ex-
preston that spread over his phiz was as
though it beheld vision. He looked as
Mulberry Sellers looked when he diseov-
cred a plan with millions in it, Our for
tune was made, so he said and few min
utes later he proved it, to his satisfaction
at least. We came to a roadside inn, and,
as It was early evening, We went in. The
tap-room was filled, and the guests were
enjoying themselves with ale and gossip,
pipes and songs. 1t was the very nick OF
time The tramp introduced me with
melting eloquence, and l gave my per-
formanoe After it was over he passed
around the hat and collected four shillings
and sixpence, which he handed TO me TO
keep lie was my first partner.
"Finally we reached Liverpool and
Pried around the city into public and pri-
yate places, for the world was new to me
then, giving here and there a performance,
until one day shipped as office-boy on
the Mediterranean freight steamer. the
Magdella. ] thought my partners heart
would break as We parted. To make a
long story short, | found myself on nv
third voyage chief steward of the vessel,
through the death of the steward. When
we were wrecked at Boulmer Point on the
northeast coast Of England, the executive
officers were suspended by order of the
company, and / was put in charge until
the cargo could be saved. We were five
weeks, and during that time fleet of fish
ing vessels was wrecked at Claster, near
by town, and gave performance for
their benefit at Boulmer. 1t was success
ful, and | was invited by the relief COM
mittee of AinSwick to nelp their enter
tainment. 1t was given under the pat
ronage of several ladies, and was titled
fMr. Henry Kennedy, of the steamship
Magdella, now wrecked at Boulmer Point
That was nv first play bill.