The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-10-14


After performing some curious tricks
with playing cards he announced that
the first really difficult feat of the even
ing would now be shown-that of baking
a cake without q pan of any kind.
'The ladies in the audience" he said,
when 49, bake cakes are compelled
to use butter, eggs, flour, sugar, fla
voring extract, icing, ETC., and pat the
dough in hot oven. do nothing Of
the kind. By the simple manipulation
of -four, sirup and hat can produce
cake in five minutes that no lady in
this house can equal. will make Z.
cake that committee, to be selected
from the ladies present, will pronounce
the best they ever tasted. will dc this
or forfeit $780,. Will some kind gentle
man present obiige me with the loan of
q high silk hat? VIII you kindly lend il
to me? will take excellent care Of it
and return it in few minutes. ;"
The mayor dentrred.
"Your hat will not be injured in the
least, sir" the magician assured him.
81 will return 1t to you without spot.
blemish or stain. have performed this
feat thousands of times without the
slightest injury to the hat. ~
The mayor of Spiketown, thus ap-
pealed to, relented and handed over his
cherished tile.
Then the magician produced pan of
Hour. which was passed through the
audience and unanimously declared to
be genuine. He poured it into the hat.
Then quart measure half filled with
New Orleans molasses was produced and
handed. around IN like manner, pro-
houncfd the pure, unadulterated stuff,
and returned to him. He poured this
into the hat likewise and stirred the
mixture with long lead pencil. The
mayor involuntarily gasped and half
rose in his seat, but the wizard again as
sured him, with a wave of the hand,
Your hat will not be injured in the
least, my dear sir" and he proceeded
with the performance.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen" he said,
we will witness the finale, the denoo-
inong, as it were, OF this unparalleled feat
of illusion. lean bake the cake just as
well on piece of ice as on stove; but
as there happens to be good fire in this
stove near the stage viii bake it on top
of that. Again. 1 assure you, Mr.. Mayor,
that your hat will not suffer the slightest
injury"
Stepping briskly down, he placed the
hat on the stove.
Now, good people" he said, "keep
your eye ON that hat till you can
count sixty. ] win retire and prepare
the esoteric climax"
He mounted the stage and stepped be-
hind the curtain.
In a moment smoke went up from
the hat on the stove, and the odor of
something scorching filed the air.
The mayor of Spiketown jumped from
his seat, and with one bound cleared the
distance that lay between him and the
stove.
He lifted his precious hat.
The bottom, or rather the top, fell
out. The Sizing batter spread ddtoyer
the stove. It Kissed and sputtered ansf
few. And even as the mayor held bp
the hideous ruin of his once g1orioqs hat
and looked through it s6pe of tie yel-
lowish mixture trick1ed on his Tgst and
ran in sad, discouraged, bilious looking
streams down his trousers.
His honor spoke a few words briefly,
but emphatically-through his hat-and
broke for the stage, followed by several
of the leading citizens of Spiketown.
Behind the curtain were several empty
barrels and boxes.
And the back window was up.
Somewhere in this wide, wide world
the wizard of the Orient is'still wander
ing about, happily unaHare doubtless
that standing reward Of fifty dollars
and no questions asked is offered by the
mayor of Spiketown, his, for informa-
ton that will lead to theNrrest and con-
viction for the crimes of grand larceny,
Malicious injury and obtaining money
under false pretenses, Of one Hoko Ef-
eadi. master Of Egyptian magic and 80
led eighth wonder Of the world
ago Tribune.