Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-19
SLATE WRITING Is EASY.
A FAMOUS TRICK THAT CAN ms DONE
WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE.


Two ordinary woOden.iramed states
are presented to the spectators and
examined In succession by them. 4
small plec. OF chalk Ia introduced be.
tween the two slates, which are then
united by "a rubber band aud held
nloft In the pTestidigltRteur's hand.
Then In the general silence Is heard
this scratching OF the chalk which n
writing between the two slates the
answer to a question asked by one u
the spectators--thc name VI card
thought OF or the number OF spots oh.
tanned by throwing two dice. The
rubber band having been removed and
the states separated, one OF them Ia
seen to he covered with writing,
This prodigy, which AT ntst seems 10
he 80 mysterious, Is very easily
realized, says nh exchange.
Tho writing IA done In advance, but
upon the written side Of tho slate a
there had been placed a thin sheet OF
black cardboard which had the charac-
ters written In cha,s. The two sides
Of this slate appeared absolutely clean.
The slate II ia given out Tor eAami.
nation, and, after It has been returned
20 him the operator says: "DO you
want TO examine the other one also?D
And then without haste he makes
pass analogous to that employed In
shuflling cards. The slate A being
held by the thumb aud foreflrger Of
the left hand and the slate Il between
the fore aud middle finger OF the night
hand, tho two hands are brought
together.
But at the moment at which the
states are superpOsed the thumb aud
forefinger Of the right hand grasp the
slate A, while at the same time tho fore
anu middle finger Of the hands separ-
ate anew and the slate that has already
been examined, instead Of tho second
one, Ia put into tho hands OF the spec.
tators. This shifting, done with de-
liberation, IN entirely Invisible.
During the second examination the
slate a In laid Hat upon the table, tho
written face turned upward And
covered with black cardboard, To.
slate having been sufficiently oA'
amiued anu been returned TO tht
operator, the latter lays II upon the
fint, aud both are then surrounded by
the rubber baud.
II 10 then that the operator holds NJ
the states with the lett hand, OF which
one sees hut tue thumb, while upOt
the posterior face OF tue second slat'
the nall OF the middle finger make
sound resembling that produced by
chalk when written with. When tn
operator judges that this little COMEDY
has lasted quite long enough he lay
the two States horizontally upon Iii
table, taking care TINS time that tn
non. prepared Ala,e shall be beneath
II III upon II that then rests the blgc
cardboard, aud the other slate, uh be-
ing raised, shows tue characters tha
II hears aud that are stated 10 hav
been written by an Invisible -pir
that slipped In between the two slate'
Our renders will not ask US how W
manage ~ know in advance wilt
should DO written upon the slate.
IL usuluss g. say that deceit IL ALLOW
able in prestidigitation. Loaded die
Rlways turn up the same number, an
nothing Is easier than to know III
name OF u card that n spectator wi
draw from II pack composed Of thiril
two similar cards, " not skillul enoug
10 cause him 10 take the forced car u.