Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-11-19
BLACK ART.
A Magician on Modern and Old
Time Magic.
The Best Tricks Are Those Requiring the
Least Apparatus-some Amusing
and Mystifylng Per-
formnnces-

y
professional magician within recent
years" said an expert in prestidigitation
to n Washington Star reporter. ''The
new tricks all require elaborate me-
chanical contrivances. 1t may be that
they draw the public for awhile, but
they do not furnish lasting attractions.
Take the vanishing lady, for ex-
ample. In its way it was a wonderful
thing, and the mechanism necessary
was elaborate and costly; but every
one knew that the woman must neces-
sarily disappear through a trap in the
stage, and the only mystery lay in the
eleverness with which the feat was ac-
eomplished. Here was no illusion,
properly speaking, nor anything to cx-
cite wonder. A trick, to be really
worth anything, must be seemingly a
miracle, inexplicable to the mind of the
spectator.
1.-The best tricks are those requiring
the least apparatus. No feat of magic
ever attempted on the stage has Gre
ated a more profound sensation than
did the famous sphinx when it first
appeared in Europe. Even the scicn-
tific men went wild over it. 1t was the
long time no one suspected that the
body to which the talking head be-
longed was concealed behind two mir
rors that stood at an angle with each
other beneath the table. The extreme
simplicity of the means used for de-
ceivinls was the most effective point
But the performer is most successful
when he employs for the purposes of
legcrdemain everyday articles, such as
people are accustomed to. Audiences
are always entertained to sec rabbits,
guinea pigs and other articles taken Off
hand out of the hat of the fat gentle
man who has been SO imprudent as tc
take front seat near the middle aisle
This sort of trick is much more
simple and easily performed than you
may suppose. | descend from the stage
and borrow n silk hat from any gen.
tlenun who will give me one. The
first things to be taken from the hat
are already concealed on the inside of
my coat. AS l turn and regain the
stage, with my back for a moment to
the spectators, l 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
tirSt because it is desirable to dispose
Of that as quickly as possible. Next.
perchance, l pull out a. wig, which al
ways eXcites roar of laughter. The
other articles to be brought forth have
been previously done up in many com
pact little bundles. Sometimes single
small package contains a quantity
of hen feathers SO tightly done up that
when they are shaken out there seems
20 be enough of them to fill mattress.
Each bundle is SO tiNed that it's wrap
ping can be disengageG in second.
Having pulled out Of the hat all the
things which have been previously
taken from under my coat and put into
It. go to shelf under pretense of
crashing the tile, and incidentally slip
Il number of other articles into it. Then
come down toward the audience as if
for the purpose of returning the Dor
rowed stOvepipe, but suddenly pause
and begin to draw out of IL 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, a trick like this requires a
great deal of practice and skill but it's
effectiveness is almost wholly due to
tho fact that il is performed with so
commonplace an object us a borrowed
silk hat. Perform seeming miracle
with broom, a brick, or anything else
YET Is exceedingly commonplace and
lCi>liliar and your feat cxcites infinitely
mere wonderment than if it were ac-
Gompanicd with an elaborate mcchan-
zeal continuance. When the Pharnob's
tnagicians turned their walxing-sticl,s
into snakes they knew how to inn
press most strongly the minds. OK OBJ
servers"