The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-04
BLACK ART.
A Magician on Modern and Old
Time Magic.
Tho Beat Tricks Arc Those Requiring tho
Least Apparatus Some Amusing
and Mystifying Per-
formanccs,

Very few additions of Importance
have been made to the rcpcrtory of the
professional magician within recent
years" said an expert in prcstidigitation
to Washington Star reporter. "The
new tricks all require elaborate me
chanlcal contrivances. 1t may be that
they draw the public for awhile but
they do not furnish lasting attractions.
Take the vanishing LADY, for cx-
| ample. In its way it was wonderful
thing, and the mechanism necessary
was elaborate and costly; but every
| one knew that tho woman must neces-
sarily disappear through n trap in the
stage, and the only mystery lay in the
cleverness with which the feat was ac-
complished. Here was no illusion,
properly speaking, nor anything to en-
cite wonder. A trick, to be really
worth anything, must DO seemingly a
miracle, ineXplicablc to the mind of the
spectator.
"Ihc best tricks are those requiring
the least apparatus No feat of magic
ever attempted on the stage has ere
ated 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
hrst thing of its kind ever seen, and for
Il long time no one suspected that the
BODY to which the talking head be-
longcd 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-
celvlng was the most effective point.
But the performer is most successful
when he employs for the purposes of
legerdemain everyday articles such as
people are accustomed TO. Audiences
are always entertained to see rabbits,
guinea pigs and other articles taken off
hand out of the hat of the fat gentle
man who has been SO imprudent as to
take front seat near the middle aisle.
"This sort of trick is much moro
simple and easily performed than you
may suppose. descend from the stage
and borrow silk hat from any gem
tleman 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 n 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 NAV come
first. because it is desirable to DISPOSE
of that as quickly as possible. Next,
perchance. pull out 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 u single
small package contains n quantity
of hen feathers so tightly done up that
when they arc shaken out there seems
to be enough of them to fill q mattress
Each bundle is SO fixed that it's wrap
ping can be disengagcd in n 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
brushing the tile and incidentally slip
a number of other articles into it. Then
l come down toward the audience as if
for the purpose of returning the bor-
rowed stovepipc, but suddenly pause
and begin to draw out of it many
things several times the size of the
hat, such as bird-cagcs, trunks, and so
forth, all of which are SO made that
thcy close up in very small compass.
The springs that hold them in shape
are released as each one is taken out.
OF course, n trick like this requires n
great deal of practice and skill, but it's
effectiveness is almost wholly due to
the fact that it is performed with so
commonplace an object as borrowed
SILK hat. Perform Il seeming miracle
with q broom, n brick, or ANYTHING else
that is exceedingly commonplace and
familiar and your feat excites infinitely
more wondcrment than if it were ac-
companied with an elaborate mechan-
ical continuance. When the Pharaoh's
magicians turned their wall1ing-sticls
into snakes they knew how to i'm
press most strongly the minds of OBJ
servers"
n Substitute for Steel.