Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-10
HYPNOTISM.
Remarkable Experience of Traveller
at Alexandria Some 20 Years
Ago.
Thought Reading By Clever and Dusky
Magiclans iu the Land of the Fha.
raohs and Ptolemys.

Thought Reading By Clever and Dusky
Magiclans iu the Land of the Fha-
raohs and Ptolemys.
Much Can Be Learned BY Studying the
Practice of Experts of the
Old World.
He was aquaint, old, shabby fellow,
with piercing eyes. A-young man who
writes for the New York Evening Sun
had often encountered him in the old
book store. Casual greetings had
broken the ice, and now the two were
great friends, and the old mans sknow-
ledge from books and travel was a
source OF wonder to the young man,
and many were the traps he laid to
break the quiet reserve OF the old
book hunter, and much he prohted
thereby, for the old man had been a
mighty traveller in his time. Starting
in life The son OF an Episcopal MINIS
ter in Ireland, the recipient OF a thor
ough and complete education, and
posssessor OF an ample fortune, he
had studied much and Travelled far.
and now in his old age he has settled
in q quaint, old New York house,
where, surrounded by his books, he
passes his time as one out OF the
Il ,,,,l l,,r,
park and his haunting of old book
shops were the only times he came
forth from his seclusion and saw aught
OF the busy, bustling world around
him. The young man was deep in a
copy OF Heidenhain's "Animal Mag
netism' when the old man came in
that morning. DR.. Braid's "Magic"
lay at his elbow. The old man paus-
ed with a smile and examined the
young mans volumes. "Well. well,
there is nothing new under the sun.
"Hypnotism Isl recent discovery for
us, for, in the longroll call oftheyears,
what else can be said of the stumbled
on discoveries ofGassner, the Swablan
priest, in lila; the practices OF Mes
mer, that compound OF sage and char
latan, along about 70 years later; or
the even-for that time-deep research
and experimentation OF James Braid,
of Manchester, in 1S41, the man who
first brought the science OF hypnotism
from the evil ASSOCIATION and quack-
cry of black magic superstition and
placed it as it is today, a science and
a study. These are all but aforetaste
OF the knowledge OF the fact OF the
strong Wills control OF the weaker.
The ancients had the best OF us there
"The men OF magic before Pharaoh,
the seers of Chaldea, all these were ex-
| ponents Of hypnotlsm in it's perfect
state, of which we, with all our boast
ed knowledge and progress, have but
the echo and aftermath; and even yet
there are in mastic Egypt and gorge
Gus India practitioners OF the black
arts to whom hypnotismi is well known
as form of magic"
The old man paused, but seeing his
hearer all attention. resumed:
cat Alexandria, in Egypt, in, the
year 1870, l had my first introduc-
tlcn to the native magicians. This
was a small strolling party of Musta.
wall (Mohammedan sectaries) who
had an encampment just outside of
the city, about two miles from Ras.
ul-harkai. Sig. Cataneo, the Italian
consul was good enough to act as ci-
cerone and interpreter. The Musta-
wall whom we saw were four IN num-
ber-two aged men, whiteheaded and
feeble, with the boards of patriarchs,
but bending under the weight oiyears;
and man OF middle age, with the
swarthy face and keen, piercing eyes
OF the Bedouin, and youth OF Is, tim
id and reserved.
CATER the inevitable preliminary
courtesies and coffee, Sig. Cataneo said
that we were strangers of Room (Eu-
rope) who were travelling for improve
ment and desired a specimen of their
art. Thereat the leader went into the
tent and returned with a platter of
polished copper. This was circular in
shape and about 6 inches in diameter.
He dexterously placed q stick upright
in the ground and fitted it's top into
socket in the under part OF the platter.
He then poured dark fluid ofalmost
pltchy consistency, and OF a greenish-
black color, into the cup shaped hol-
low OF the platter. The hoy nc W seat
ed himself on stool so that he could
bend over the platter, which he did,
firmly fixing his eyes on the center.
"The two old men commenced a
grooming chant, which Sig CaUaneo al
terward told me was an invocation to
Tushoon and Turyooshoon-names,
he believed, of old Canaanite delties
The leader gave the plate dexterous
twirl and it commenced to revolve at
q rapid rate. He then began to pass
his hands over the boy face and head,
yet not so as to break the fascination
which appeared to he setting upon his
eyes After a time one OF the old men
SAID 'Seest thou?'
~ see, 0 my father, was the reply.
And behold! men come-they come
they come. They set up tent-it is
royal tent; there is green flag and
the golden crescent; it is surely a royal
tent, the habitation of the sultan, the
dwelling of the successor of Mahomet,
ever blessed be his name'
Look on, my son.
THE sultan comes forth and
mounts his steed in battle array,
fierce as the destroying angel! Alas!
oh, my father, who am that should
gaze upon the descendant of Ali, the
successor of the prophet
keep up thy heart, my son; tail
not; herein is nowledge-herein is
trudh.'
"He holds q mirror, my father-a
mirror that dazzles mine eyes-and
yet must l look! The black steed
paws the earth; impatient is he to be
gone; away, then, as the meteor flies!
The hoof beats make distant thun-
der in the hills. Now he is gone; the
giaour shall feel his might; the winged
death is he, blessed OF Ali!'
cat this point the leader told me to
place the tips OF my fingers against
those of the lad, and then to fix my
thoughts on some scene, personal,
historic, or imaginary, for the boy to
read. The thing was becoming weird,
and even oppressive, but Inerved my
self for the effort, and at last signaled
the man that WAS ready.
"'What seest thou, my SOM said