River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-02
STRANGE BUT TRUE.
A Wonderful Trick Performed by the
Chippewa Indians.

Mankind in all ages has enioyed IL
lusions. lie has always evinced sur
prising fondness for shows of any sort
that depended for their effectiveness
upon the deception of the eye Take a
little trick, for example, that is per-
formed by the Chippewa Indians. A
number of the sorcerers, or mystery
men," as they are called, gather In a
circle closely with their heads bowed
together so as to shut out the view
from without Presently. after going
through some monkey business, they
separate, and lol there is a century
plant growing ON the prairie where
nothing had been before-a plant actu-
ally of a dozen years growth and two
or three feet high. How is it done? /
don't believe any white man can tell
you that with certainty, although
doubtless it is some hocus-pocus, like
similar feats performed by the native
jugglers in India. My only theory is
that there must be some hole previous
ly dug beneath the surface of the
ground, in which the plant and con-
federate are concealed. When the per-
formers are gathered together in the
way | describe, the vegetable may be
pushed up and the earth made smooth
around it before the spectators are per-
mitted to see anything. Bnt many
credible authorities, among them sew
eral Catholic priests, have testified to
having seen these aboriginal mystery
men go out on the baldest spot in a
plain and seemingly make the grass
spi ing up all over it for distance of
macy feet within few moments.
Another trick performed by the
northwest coast Indians is more strictly
of the nature of an optical illusion. 1t
is sort OF stage play. representing the
capture of seal through the ice,
double platform serving for the con-
cealment of the man who represents
the animal taken. To attract the prey
the pretended hunters scratch upon the
platform with their spears, as they do
on real hunt. Whereupon the man who
impersonates the victim, clad i'm seal
skins, appears at hole and is immedi-
ately thrust through with spear and
dragged out Apparently the weapon
haA gone clear through his body ard he
is carried off thus impaled by two of
his captors, eaes. Ehouldering an end of
the spear. Blood flows in streams
from his body and it is difficult for the
observer to realize that he has not
really been killed But a few moments
later he makes his appearance before
the audience as sound as ever and
smilingly makes his how. The secret
of the whole business is that the
spear thrust at him shuts up in
the handle, like stage dag
ger. lie grasps it close to his body,
while at the same instant a spear point
that has been concealed behind his
back is jerl1ed by a string, so az 20 pro-
iect outward, while the hunters carry
him away, sort of sling passi. g be-
tween his legs and under his clcthing
serving to supper this body. OF course,
the blood comes from n hidden bladder
that is cut simultaneously.
How ever, the most civilized pc pie
are not less appreciative of the enjoy
ment to be found in optical illusions
than are savages They delight IN
nothing more than sleight-of-hand per
formances and stage receptions of al;
sorts, including the triclzery of the ear
by ventriloquism. Londoners seem to
be more fond of Punch and Judy shows
than of anything else in the world. At
every other corner almost you will find
one, and the gamins of the streets are
so familiar with the puppet plot and
dialogue that If the Snowman misses a
word in it they will object. They know
it all by heart and yet they never tire
of it-WaShinpton Star