The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-01-06
THE PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN.
Modern Prestidigitateurs Are the In
ventors of Few Tricks.

Very few additions of Importance
have been made to the repertory of the
professional magician within recent
years, "said an expert in prestidigitation
to a reporter of the Washington Star
The new tricks all require elaborate
mechanical contrivances. 1t may be
that they draw the public for awhile,
but they do not furnish lasting at
taactions.
Take the vanishing lady for ex-
ample. In its way it was wonderful
thing, and the mechanism necessary
was elaborate and costly; but every
one knew that the woman must neces-
sarily disappear through a 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 excite won
der. A trick to be really worth any,
thing must be seemingly a miracle,
ineXplicable to the mind of the spec
tator.
THE best tricks are those requiring
the least apparatus. No feat of magic
ever attempted on the stage has created
a more profound sensation than did
the famous 'sphynx' when it first ap-
peared in Europe. Even the scientific
men went wild over it.
sit was the first thing of the kind
ever seen. and for long time no one
suspected that the body to which the
talking head belonged was concealed
behind two mirrors that stood at an
angle with each other beneath the ia
BILE. The extreme simplicity of the
means used for deceiving was the most
effective point.
But the performer is most success
full when he employs for the purpose
of legerdemain everyday articles such
as people are accustomed to. Au-
diences are always entertained to see
rabbits, guinea pigs, and other articles
taken off-hand out of the hat of the
fat gentleman who has been so i'm
prudent as to take a front seat near
the middle aisle.
"This sort of trick is much more
simple and easily performed than you
might suppose. descend from the
stage and borrow silk hat from any
gentleman who will give me one. The
first things to be taken from the hat
are already concealed on the inside of
my coat.
LAS turn and regain the stage,
with my back for a moment to the
spectators, quickly drop these arti-
cles into the hat. Then l face the au-
dience once more, and draw the things
out one by one, exhibiting much sur
prise.
Some live animal may come first,
because it is desirable to dispose of
that as quickly as possible. Next, per-
chance, pull out a wig, which always
excites a roar of laughter. The other
articles to be brought forth have been
previously done up in many compact
little bundles.
Sometimes single small package
contains quantity of hen feathers, so
tightly done up that when they are
taken out there seems to be enough of
them to fill a mattress. Each bundle
is so fixed that its wrapping can be dis
engaged in second.
Having pulled out of the hat all
the things which had been previously
taken from under my coat and put in
to it, go to a shelf under pretense of
brushing the tile and incidentally slip
a number of other articles into it.
Then | come down toward the au-
dience as if for the purpose of restor-
ing the borrowed stovepipe, but sud-
denly pause and begin to draw out of
it many things several times the size
of the hat. such as bird-cages, trunks.
etc., all of which are so made that they
close up in very small compass. The
springs that hold them in shape are re-
leased as each one is taken out.
'Of course trick like this requires
a great deal of practice and skill, but
its effectiveness is almost wholly due to
the fact that it is performed with so
commonplace an object as borrowed
silk hat. Perform a seeming miracle
with a broom. a brick, or anything
else that is exceeding commonplace
and familiar and your feat excites in
finitely more wonderment than if it
were accomplished with an elaborate
mechanical contrivance.
'When Pharaoh's magicians turned
their wallzing-sticks into snakes they
knew how to impress most strongly
the minds of observers.