The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-16
DINNER TABLE TRICKS.
Suggestions for Entertainment That May
Make You Unpopular.

Suggestions for Entertainment That May
Make You Unpopular.
A great deal Of amusement can be fur
nished dinner party by tricks performed
with toothpicks. goblets and other bric-a-
brac of the festive board Nothing is more
enlivening when the guests are discussing
the dessert than well selected series of
tricks, and nothing Will make a person
remembered longer by his associates
An amusing trick is one with water
glasses. Elace three or four in a row;
then another row on top Of these contain
ing a number one less than the first; then
another row and so on until a pyramid
with single glass ON top is formed. Now
invite your neighbor to fill the top glass
with water, then the two supporting it
and so on. The chances are nineteen to
twenty-one that he will make slip by the
time he reaches the bottom row and topple
the whole pyramid r. This denouement
never fails to pr .ie much merriment.
1t may also provC.1e the host and hostess,
but as you will never be invited there to
another dinner what do you care?
Another interesting diversion is competi-
tive map drawing. This can take place
any time after the first course. Il is best
enjoyed when the table cloth is laid over a
heavy flannel mat, as then CreaseS are seen
more plainly. Engage your neighbor in a
discussion as TO the Stanley expedition
across Africa or the comparative merits of
the Panama and Nicaragua canal routes
and, taking your fork, push aside your
plate and with the fork les draw a dia
gram showing your understanding of the
courses taken. OF course your friend will
then make corrections and if both press
rather heavily on the fork handles interest
ing outlines can be made. their accuracy
depending on your respective artistic abili-
ties. If the forks have been dipped in
gravy or mashed potatoes before the draw
ing commences the outlines will be palmer
Indeed they are frequently SO vivid as to
be seen the whole length of the table, and
thus amTse all the guests.
Toothpicks are a unique source of amuse-
ment, and many recipes are given for
doing tricks with them. One is to take
fifty or 100 picks and build log house
structure with four sides, each the length
of toothpick. When it has been put up
say ten Or twelve inches high, set a glass
of water on top, and with match set fire
to the wooden tower As the toothpicks
burn the water will fall and be spilled over
the flames. thus extinguishing them and
creating considerable wonder among those
present that the whole building was not
burned up
1t is often the case that there is a con
straint during the first course that EN-
barrassing and which prevents a fLl en-
joyment OF the meal until it has worn off.
Ii some enlivening trick can be performed
by an ingenious guest the true bonhom-
ME of the feast can quickly be brought
about. For this purpose the soup plate
trick is good one. Having bribed a waiter
to let you see the bottom of a plate before
the meal. offer to bet a small sum, like five
or ten dollars, that you can guess the de
sign of the makers trade mark on the bot
tom of the plates Request all to initiate
your motions and slowly lift the sou. and
plate from the table until it is on level
with the top of your head Watching your
own plate quickly cry Fire" when about
half the guests will probably drop their
plates and be too confused to dispute your
winning the bet From this time on there
will be a thoroughly acquainted party
around the tabe-Detroit Free Press