Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-02-25
THE LOADSTONE.

The LUADSIUNE.
If there was one man in college whom
the rajah thoroughly and heartily de-
tested, it was the captain of the boat
club. He had many faults; he was very
tall and powerful, and delighted in con-
trssting the English physique with that
of inferior races, by which he meant,
among others, the rajah's race. His
manner was abrupt and overbearing
his laugh loud and unmusical In fact, he
grated horribly on the rajah, and it was
merely the final straw, when in the ex-
hilaration of bump supper-full, as the
rajah remarked in disgust, of cow and
strong drink-he called that gentleman
in playful chatf, a 'nigger." The rajah
swore melodiously in Hindoostanee, and
l saw that he meant to be revenged
In those days the entertainment of the
Nebraska Loadstone created furore.
Everybody went to see her, and every
body came away convinced that she pos
sessed marvellous powers. Her peculiar
gift-but everybody remembers the de-
tails of the performance, and how the
tricks were finally, one by one, exposed,
so that her adherents and believers were
driven from one position to another,
until at last they had to fall back on one
single performance out of all those that
the Loadstone gave, and maintain that
on that occasion at least, something un-
explained and inexplicable did really
happen. 1t is with the events of that
particular evening that am concerned.
/ think can throw some light on them.
At first, however, there were many
believers and few skeptics. The dean
carefully pointed out that Plato no
where denied the existence of odic force
and the bursar, who was generally sup
posed to be little better than an atheist,
declared that Spencer, in one passage, i'm
pliedly asserted it; even the warden, in
his sermon, told US that it was better,
according 10 Bacon, to believe two er-
rors than refuse one truth-which was,
to say the least of it, sitting on the
fence But none of these authorities
shook the robust skepticism of the cap
tain of the boat club. He knew con-
jurer, and the conjurer had told him
how it was done, and he was going to
expose the Loadstone.
But why haven't your" l urged;
"she's been here week."
"He will not be too hard on her at
first" said the rajah, with little sneer.
an bust her up this very night
said Waterer. 81 would have done it
before only was gated"
The excuse was good, and Waterer
departed, full of boastings and self con-
fidence, to gather together large num-
Der of the noisy men, and make pleas
ant party to "guy" the unhappy Load
stone. | staid to smoke pipe with the
rajah.
"Of course she's fraud" said he;
"and believe that animal really has
got hold of the right explanation"
d shall go and see it" announced.
After a moments silent smoking the
rajah looked up with twinkle in his eye.
80 shall If niggers are admitted"
After hall, he and set out together
for the town hall We found the first
two rows of stalls occupied by Waterer
and his friends. They were all in even
ing dress and had obviously dined-not
in hall The rajah and | seated our
selves just behind them. The room was
full and the feats were most successful;
each was followed by general applause,
broken only by some gibes from our
friends in front. The latter grew so
pronounced that the Loadstone's mana
ger at last caiAe forward and pointedly
invited one of the scoffers to submit
himself to experiment.
Now was Waterer's chance. He rose
in the majesty of his bulk, walked onto
the platform, and said, in loud voice,
as he settled himself on a chair: "If the
lady can move me one foot from this
chair I'll give her twenty-five pounds"
The Loadstone advanced and began
to paw him about in her usual fashion.
Waterer, who was sober enough to have
lost nothing but his shyness, was appar-
emily too many for her. He was i'm
movable, and cries of Now, thenl
when are you going to begin" and so
on, became audible. Two or three min
utes passed and the Loadstone turned
with gesture of despair toward her
manager.
Il CAN'T she began.
Jumped to my feet, crying: "Wait a
minute! Lookr
For even as she spoke, there was what
is scientifically called solution of con-
tinuity between Waterer and his chair.
Still in sitting posture, but sitting on
nothing, he was at least two inches from
the wickerwork of the chair. Iglanced
from him to the rajah. That extraordi-
nary man was in deep, placid, profound
slumber. logged his elbow and pinched
his arm; he showed no consciousness
whatever. looked at the Loadstone.
She was standing motionless on the stage,
about a yard from Waterer, with one
hand outstretched toward him and her
eyes fixed on his ascending tigure-for
Waterer was gradually, slowly, steadily
mounting in his strange journey.
He was now foot from his chair, still
in sitting position-and up, up, up he
was going. The wretch was white as a
sheet and gasping with fright and be-
wilderment. Thunders of applause
burst from the audience. 1t was again
and again renewed; but the Loadstone
did not, as was her custom. bow and
smile in response. She still stood mo-
tionless, and Waterer still ascended.
At last, at a height OF fully twenty
feet from the stage, he stopped. Stimuli.