Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-26

4 Magician Has . Few words % Saw -
O8d-Tims and Modern Magic
ssVERY FEW ADDITIONS OF rMPos
tanos have bssn made 10 the rspersory
Of the professional magician within recent
years" aid IN expert In prestidigita ton 10 Q
6rAs reporter. Tho new tricks Ill require
slaborsts mechanical contrivancss Il may BE-
that they draw the public for awhile, but they
do not furnish lasting attractions. Take the
vanishing lady,. for example. In its way 10
was wonderful thing, and the mechanism
necessary was elaborate and costly; but every
one knew that the woman must necessarily dis
appear through . trap in the stage, and the
only mystery lay in the clsvernsss with which
the feat was accomplished. Here was no illu-
mon, properly speaking, nor anything to ex-
cite wonder. A trick to b really worth any
thing must b seemingly . miracle, inexplics-
Bile to the mind Of the spectator.
The best tricks are those requiring the least
apparatus. No feat Of magic ever attempted
on the stage has created q more profound
sensation than did the famous sphinx whom il
nrst appeared in Europe. Even the scientific
OF its kind ever seen. and for Q long time no
one suspected that the body to which the talk.
ing head belonged was concealed behind two
mirrors that stood at an angle with each other
beneath the table. The extreme simplicity Of
the means used for decsiving was the most
effective point But the performer il most
successful when he employs for the purposes of
legerdemain everyday articles such as people
are accustomed to. Audiences are always enter
tanned to see rabbits, guinea pigs and other
articles taken on hand out Of the hat Of the fat
gentleman who has been SO imprudent a to
take front seat near the middle aisle
This sort OF trick is much more simple and
easily performed than you might suppose. I
descend from the stage and borrow q silk hat
from any gentleman who will give me one.
Inc nrst things to be taken from the hat are
already concealed on the inside OF my coat Al
turn and regain the stage, with my back for a
moment to the spectators, quickly drop these
articles into the hat. Then face the audience
once more and draw the things out one by one,
exhibiting much surprise. some live animal
may come first, because il is desirable 20 dis.
pose OF that as quickly as possible. Next, per.
chance, pull out wig which ALWAYS excites
roar Of laughter. The other articles to be
brought forth have been previously done uu
In many compact little bundles. Sometimes q
single small package contains q quantity of hen
feathers, SO tightly done up that when they are
shaken out there seem to be enough Of them to
MI n mattress. Each bundle ID so fixed that its
wrapping can be disengsged in q second.
Having pulled out of the hat all the things
which have been previously taken from under my
coat and put into 1t, go to a shelf under pre-
tence Of brushing the tile, and incidentally slim
o number OF other articles into it. Then j
come down toward the audience, as if for the
purpose Of restoring the borrowed stovepipe,
but suddenly pause and begin TO draw out OF
1t many things several times the size of the hat
such as bird cages, trunks and SO forth, all OF
which are SO made that they close up in very
small compass. The springs that hold them in
shape are released as each one is taken out OF
course, q trick like this requires great deal OF
practice and skill but its effectiveness is almos,
wholly due to the fact that it is performed
with SO commonplace an object as a borrowed
sik nat. Perform seeming miracle with q
broom, a brick or anything else that is exceed.
lngly commonplace and familiar, and your fea,
excites infinitely more wonderment than if i,
were accomplished with an elaborate mechan.
ical continuance. When the Pharaoh
magicians turned their walking sticks into
snakes they knew how to impress most strongly
the minds Of observers.'