The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-01-07
THE PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN.
81 odern Prestidigitateurs Are the In.
ventors OF Few Tricks.

Very few additions of Importance
have been made 10 the repertory of the
professional magician within recent
YEARS. said an expert in prestidigitation
ia Il reporter of the Washington Star.
Tine new tricks all equire elaborate
mechanical contrivances. 1t may be
that they draw The public for awhile.
but they do not furnish lasting at
fractions.
Take the vanishing lady for ex-
ample. In its way it was wonderful
thing. and the mechanism necessary
was elaborate anl costly; bIt every
one knew that the woman must neces-
sarily disappear through Il trap in the
slage. and the only mystery lay in the
cieyerness with which the feat was ac-
comp!ished.
Here was no illusion, properly
speaking. nor anything to excite won
der. A trick 10 be really worth any,
thing must lie seemingly miracle.
inexplicable 10 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 APP
peared in Europe. Even the scientific
men went wild over it.
at was the first thing Of the kind
ever seen. and for long time no one
suspected that the body 10 which The
talking head belonged was concealed
behind two mirrors that stood at an
angle with each other beneath the ta-
bic. The extreme simplicity of the
means used for deceiying was the most
effective point.
But the performer is most success
fu! when he employs for the purpose
OF legerdemain everyday articles such
as people are accustomed to. Au-
dianceS are always entertained to see
rabbits. guinea pigs. and other articles
taken of-hand out of the hat of the
fat gentleman who has been so i'm
prudent rs to take a front seat near
tbs middle aisle.
This sort of trick is much more
simple and easily performed than you
might suppose. | descend from the
st&ge and borrow silk hat from any
gentleman who will give me one. The
first things to be taken from the hat
ale already concealed on the inside of
my coat.
'.As turn and regain the stage,
with my back for moment t0 the
spectators, quickly drop these arti-
cles into the hat. Then 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 wig, which always
exctes roar of laughter. The other
ar icles to be brought forth have been
previously done up in many compact
little bundles
'Sor ,.stimes a single small naok ora
Atea;,t 4u;ilgI.J us hen feathers, SO
tDtly done up that when they are
taken out there seems TO be enough c.
them TO lill mattress. Each bundle
is SO fixed that its wrapping can be dis
engaged in second
Having pulled cut of the hat all
the things which had been previously
taken from under my coat and put in
to it. 90 to shelf under pretense of
brushing the tile and incidentally slip
a number OF other articles into it.
Then | come down toward the au-
dience us 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-
lease.i as each one is taken out.
of course, trick like this requires
Il great deal of practice and skill. but
lis effectiveness is almost wholly due to
lie fact that it is performed with so
commonplace an object rs borrowed
silk hat. Perform Il seeming miracle
with broom. brick, or anything
else that is exceeding commonplace
and familiar aud Your feat excites in-
linitely more wonderment than if it
were accomplished with an elaborate
mechanical contrivance.
when Pharaoi's magicians turned
their walking-siicks into snakes they
knew how to impress most strongly
the minds of observers.