Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-30
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
HOW JUGGLERS MAKE A FULL
GROWN MANGO TREE SPRING UP.

A Trick of Indian Performers That Has
Long Puzzled the World Explained for
the First Time-How the Secret of the
Illusion Was Discovered.
NV readers will remember that some
months ago appealed for information re-
Epecting Indian jugglery, and especially
for details of the manner in which the Gel
ebrated mango trick was performed. If l
may recapitulate the circumstances under
which my appeal was made, it may be
added that n discussion had arisen regard
ing the relations of science with what was
held by many persons to be occult and in
explicable phenomena, including not only
the resuscitatior of buried fakirs, but the
participation" of theosophical bodies and
objects themselves
In the attitude OF a scientific skeptic,
maintained that it was unsafe to assume
the inexplicable theory Of matters until we
had exhausted the probabilities which lie
at our doors, and said the same thing
concerning boom" in ghosts and ghost
seeing Most things come to those who
live long enough to wait, and after the
receipt of many letters regarding Indian
iuCglery have at last been favored with
what ! venture to think is the true expla
nation Of the mango trick This trick CON
sists in the juggler causing mango plant
10 grow out of a pot containing earth,
amid which a mango seed has been planted.
As far n can discover, there exist vari-
Gus notifications of the trick, for some Of
nv correspondents declare that it Is not a
mango which grows out of the pot, but
only branch Of some tree which the Jug
gler has plucked off close by the scene of
his operations. The typical trick, how
y,,,1., l,rr
bit as the iucglcr performs, and think we
have arrived at the secret of the operation
at last.
My present correspondent writes to me
from the far off Noumea, New Caledonia.
AN EXHIBITION or THE TRICK.
He is an old Anglo-Indian, writing with
4 full experience of what he has seen, and,
Is the sequel will show, speaking with the
authority of one who bias been behind the
scenes. He does not agree with the eXpla-
nation of Herr Hermann, who said the
growing plant trick was performed through
Ehe performer concealing the pot, with the
plant in it, under his robe.
In 1865 my correspondent was on the
point of leaving Calcutta, when some ma
tive jugglers came on board the steamship
to give an exhibition of their powers. The
surroundings were thus very favorable fol-
dexterous trick, and the mango exhibition
was given on the bare deck. The performer
was almost naked, so there was no oppor
tunity for the concealment of a flower po
under a robe. He placed before him frs
of all small, fiat, native wickerworl
basket, such as snakes are carried in
This was filled with earth. A mango seeC
was then produced.
1t was very large one-a point this, o
Importance in view of what follows-ant
was duly placed in the earth and covered
up. The earth was watered and the baske
n its turn concealed by small cottol
Gioth. Then began the usual muttering
and lamentations, while the earth was agail
Sprinkled with water and stirred with tn
fingers of the operator. After few min
utes' interval the juggler lifted the clotl
and showed to the spectators two SINAI
mango leaves appearing above the surfac
Of the earth.
The basket was once more covered VI
She watering of the earth and the incanta
lions proceeded, and in a short time, whe
s-~ cloth removed nangn plan'