The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-07-16
THE INDIAN JUcCLERS,
Hermann, the Magician, Gives His I'm.
pressions OF These Much Overrated
Fakirs of the East.

WIN SOitiO ia MS ca POiiOdNOo III
which NAV prove interesting reading.
Naturally on his first visit to India
Hermann was curious to see some
thing of the famous jugglers of whom
travellers have told such marvellous
tales. He went out of his way to meet
any famous performer who could only
be reached in that manner. and the re-
suit was that between the time he
landed at Calcutta and the time he
embarked at Bombay he had witnessed
about everything of note in juggling
line that the country afforded.
The opinion he formed after secur-
ing all they could show him was that.
| apart from their skill as snake-charm-
| ers. in the basket trick aud one or two
other illustrations. the ability of the
entire fraternity of Indian jugglers is
| beneath contempt.
Il heard a great deal about the
| wonderful mango trick" said this
| modern Merlin. Tin which the native
jugglers were said to plant mango
seed in the earth. whence it would
be- seen TO sprout and gradually
grow into fuil-size mango tree,
blossom and ripen fruit in full view of
the spectators.
They further declared that the
fruit would be handed around to
whomever cared to taste it. Stories to
this effect had been told by so many
travellers of repute that | really ex-
pected to find some merit in The trick.
At Alahabad, Cawnpore. Lucknow,
Delhi and BON bay / saw native Jug
glers who did the trick aud each time
they performed it precisely as follows:
The fakirs, usually five or six in num-
Der, would squat on the ground and
the spokesman would ask the
spectators to select II spot of
earth on which they desired the trick
to be performed. This being done he
would pick up the earth with small
pointed instrument in order to make
a soft spot; then putting up skeleton
frame of tripod shape he would throw
a shawl or cloth (without which the
fakir would be like ship without a
rndder) over it, SO as to make sort of
tent.
Zone of the eonjurors. wearing a
long robe with side sleeves, would
then produce mango seed, and
placing both hands and arms under
the improvised tent would plant the
seed his hands and arms being out of
sight under the tent during the opera
ton. His comrades would then per-
form some simple tricks with cups,
balls, etc, after which the cover over
the tripod would be removed and
small sprout would be seen in the side
OF the mango seed"
When the cover was again thrown
over the tripod the fellow with the
long sleeves would once more put his
arms under the tent so formed After
another interval of three or four min
utcs the cover would be again re-
moved and there would be seen a
branch of the mango tree about two
feet in height, bearing a few mangoes.
some green. others ripe.
The secret of this trick is very SIM
pie and SO shallow that it requires
little explanation. The man who
placed his hands under the cover first
inserted the sprout in the seed, and
the next time he drew from his ample
sleeves Il branch cut from neighbour
ing mango tree and thrust the cut end
into the earth which had previously
been softened.n
Some one then asked Hermann if
he had ever seen the trick performed
of throwing ball of Irvine into the
air to form 4 sort of j ack-and-the
beanstalk, up which the iugmler
climbed out of sight. pulling the string
after him. and that the pistol shot of
companion conjurer brought the
aerial climber to the earth in fragments,
which. when brought together, became
living. uninjurcd man again.
NO L never saw that trick re-
piled Hermann. and the people who
believe it can be done must have their
brains stepped in hasheesh You hear
of this trick in India, but somehow |
never was able to find a coniurer who
wauld attempt it. Most of the won
ders attributed to Oriental jugglers
have never existed outside of the i'm
agination of those who tell them.
The feats of snake charming, how
ever, are marvellous. and if tricks, they
utterly defy detection. When | was
at Aliahabad Il fellow came into
my room with nothing on but
breech clout and said: Plenty big
snake here, Sahib. Plenty big snake
in the ROOM l told him to go off;
that | had seen all his snake tricks, |
and did not want to be bothered, but |
he insisted on it that there were plenty
Of snakes in the room so | told him to |
no ahead and call them out if there
were any.
'He stood up in the middle of the
room and began to play on sort of |
lutte he had with him. Now. mind
'ou, there was no furniture in the
'oom but a cot bed and two or three
chairs. He had not played two min
ties before saw the sheet on the bed
Use up till it looked like small tent,
md then an enormous cobra crawled
'ut and coi!ed itself on the floor with
IS head erect and its tongue darling
ut in anger.
in an instant saw other snakes
rawling from all corners of the apart
nent and they placed themselves along
ide their companion. The fakir still
laying on his flute, led the way to
he door and the snakes followed him.
lie paused ut the threshold and they
cared their heads in anger. Just as /
vas beginning to get nervous an-
Their fakir crept up behind them
nd cut their heads of with sharp
word which he carried
Now l have no other explanation
Or this trick than that the snakes
'ere trained to wind themselves
round the bodies of the men under
cath the breech clout. When they
ntered my apartment my attention
as attracted to the spokesman, not to
is companion, and he might have
laced the snakes in the room while |
as watching the flute PLAYER. This
my only explanation. n-Edgar G.
Hydsr, ia Omaha Bee.
To SIeeD After Niobt yyor,r