The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-09

pie. MI. 7r.,o,,-,,,b
Most persons are acquainted with the
,.,,-.,arious charm that surrounds the art OF
-. ,,rastidigitateur, and every boy has
-, ,he time when he wished TO grow up
:. ~ second Heller. There IS something
III, attractive in the calling of a con-
- Asa source of attraction he runs
si-,,,s or a pantomime very hard IN the
..,ir,,..ion of amusing boyhood, and, like
the heroes OF the arena and the harlequin
ale he is made the subject OF close and
aFactionate imitation by his youthful adj
,oirars the first purchase Of "box
- t-icks.n with disappearing dice, a
1.ransse ball, a set Of eviscerated half
0cncs with a vanishing cap to at. complete
directions for producing the mysteries of
80 tying palming, and the thousand and
~ rieasant evolutions that spring from
the seemingly innocent request, Please
tsLa a card; any one you like, often lays
the basis Of practical cult that becomes
Dositive mania with many youths. From
asrlv stages they are led OF to the
lander efforts of goldfish in bowls pro-
5rcaj from under a CLOTH, of floating
uoonav hanks in the air, aud omelets and
Fathers and tin goblets from hats; and
- NAV even be that serious attempts
~ made TO produce vanishing ladies, and
the more wonderful Of the mysteries of
rnodern magic The works OF the great
masters of the art, from Robert Roudin
dawn are carefully read and studied,
s.Oocbattesp are made in little coats, and
,dnhlIe.tes deity constructed behind draped
.sbIas and. in due time, grand perform
snce is given in the back drawing room, to
tba bewilderment of the young maglcian's
sisters. cousins and auntS, and often to the
banafir of his pocket in the matter of CRATE
mi recognition by kindly uucles who have
no rooted antipathy to eggs being extracted
from their heards.
There is a great deal of attraction, more
over. in all the literature connected with
the noble art of deception. 1t is. no doubt,
a glorious thing to be able to extract wines
of vorious sorts from a black japanned bot
tla with a beautiful red sealing wax top by
q fute-like maneuver of the fingers; but
how infinitely grander it would be to be
able to uncork that bottle by the seashore
and willing to turn into din"
and order the vaporous monster to
your bidding There must be
plenty of princesses somewhere In
the world for magicians to transport by
night when asleep in their little beds, and
bid them wake in the morning when far,
for away from their cruel fathers, with
brand new palace 10 live in and a brand
new young prince to look after and love
them! Then, coming from the realms of
romance to the realities of white magic,
who is there with the true conjurer's in
stiuct that has not gloried in the triumphs
achieved by the archillusionist Robert
Houdin over the wandering Bedouin tribes,
with his daring feat catching marked
bullets in his mouth, fired from their guns,
and the profound respect he inspired with
his celebrated trick Of the heavy box, which
be could lift with one hand, and which half
q dozen of their strongest chiefs could not
stir? Ere now the conjurer had been a civ
liking or, at all events, an awe-spiring in
huence over savage races, and travellers tell
us Of the profound rev erence awakened by
such simple device as that of taking out
and replacing a single false tooth. OF a
truth, the successful conjurer, with his
pleasant ways, nice sense of courtesy,
tucded-up sleeves, and dainty little wand,
or bagnette, is an enviable being.
Legerdemain, however, has its danger
GUS and difficult side, and, though it is a
maxim with proper professors of the craft,
"Never be found out" the failure of trick
has brought disgrace and disaster on the
/. unhappy performer who slips or stumbles
IN his magic manipulatioDs. Confederates-
now rarely used-have been known to play
their master false and disappear with valu-
able watches when they ought to have been
buslly engaged in inserting them in loaveS
or organs behind the scenes. Rabbits often
prove treacherous allies, and wiggle out of
awkward places at untoward moments
and It often happens that individual mem
bers OF rough audiences fail exactly to see
the fun of the thing, and develop a ten.
dency u spoil the show. A huge negro
some time ago flew into a passion when a
lost watch and a select assortment of guinea
pigs and white mice were extracted from
various portions of his person, and in his
wrath went TO" the professor, who had to
palm himself Off with more rapidity than
dignity through back door.
This same professor tells a story to the
effect that. when performing a card trick
whlch concludes brilliantly by firing off five
selected caros from pistol and impaling
the same on the five points of magic star.
Inc miserable weapon missed fire thrice con-
secutlyely. 1t was ''far westn audience
and the temporary failure grated on the
nue. nerves OF Il young cowboy in the back
rows, who simply observed: 'Guess
can shoot darned sight bet
yer nor that, mister" and
! 1rlng eft his six-shooter at the 'maeic star.
smashed 1t to pieces. Few coniurers. pro-
ieSslonal or amateur are without more or
less humorous anecdotes concerning threat
Sneo disaster, aud telling how. by ingenious
paUter" or the neat diversion of the atten-
Hoh OF the audience into another channel
Ihey adverted ignominious defeat: but Their,
are cases, 1t seems, when no amount of in
sehulty-not even the absolutely last re-
source OF throwing ones self on the mercy
ana indulgence of the audience-will nrot,ect
solscomhtted wizard from rebuke worse
nan Jeers OF derision. Of this nature is the
VonJqrlng story which comes to us from the
.oyal court OF Madagascar, and it NAV
S3 a. se as Judcious warning to all presto
IgIateurs who propose to practice their
@alo IN suo-equatorial islands governed by
gueenS, where the laws of etiuuette tonch.
So, one royal person are exceptionally
Ip1sele' ana the traditions of the ''taboon VET
nuher, IN spite Of missionaries and resident
s sneI ans rum and tobacco, and other pro-
LUIS Oh European civilization.
4 o. Inc court Of her gracious majesty
81 SIoon i.anarabona Ii. q LADY, of consid err
bo ~ culture, came creole con urer. and as
ir. nau' no doubt, in common with all con-
I'll bes' performed before ''all the crowned
ca Gus VI Europe," the Queen of Madaeas.
a1an saSe MIN kindly audience and babe him
ssif 'G M uer faithful courtiers and her royal
to h. n Nc nrst part of the performance, it is
asst tbi p esufned, went off successfully At
inv+ nIS creole Cagliostro waxed bold and
I'd gieso ner majesty to taste the contents of
wsnd u water which, by a touch of his
81 Maie1,o ue had converted into a rare old
his Ssst OF OF choice vintage Here he made
# stndad !. talse step, for he evidently had not
81 knew neyv ~, Tue early history of the Hovas. and