The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-13
TRICKS Seen In INDIA,
Two Remarkable Feats Of lndia's
Clever Jugglers.

The Decentralization of a Serpent From a
Glass of Water Which Afterward was
Swallowed by the Performer-sleieht OF
Hand In Which a Babe Figures.
An article in recent edition on the
iugglers Of India tended to throw dis
credit on the eastern wizards that have
SO long been held in esteem. Whether
or not the tricks the jugglers perform
are wonderful is a matter to be deter
mined individually. At any rate, in
vague way they have the reputation.
Histories and books are full of the &C
tricksters of India can perform.
And now comes Mr.. Kellar, nine
teenth-centurys neutrality-suspicious.
gician, who adds his testimonial to all
the rest as to the superiority Of oriental
over occidental magic. m
Mr.. Kellar, it seems, has also travelled
in India in a search for the wonderful
and succeeded in finding what he could
not understand.
Professor Kellar isn't very old in years,
although his hair has a very wide part
in the center, but if you come to count
up his experiences Methuselah isn't in it
with him. There are few places on the
face of this earth that he has not seen,
and his travels in the spirit world are
also quite extensive. He has pulled rab-
bits out of the pigtail Of the heather
Chinee on his native heath; he has
wrung silver dollars from the nose of
the Australian kangaroo and has made
flowers to grow for the Zulu belle attired
in her sable costume of bare skin.
"Some years ago." says the professor,
81 spent considerable time in India trav-
cling through the country and visiting
the principal cities. That is the land Of
the magician, and nowhere on earth u.s.
the art SO thoroughly known. The Indian
magicians appear to have been born for
the business, and they have developed
their natural abilities to such "a wonder
full degree that many Of the natives be-
lieve them to possess supernatural pow
,ers. Indeed one almost finds himself
concurring with the general idea after
he has witnessed some of their feats.
II have attended many wonderful
seances, but can remember none that
impressed me more than one which I
saw in the rooms of the Chuddermunzil
club at Lucknow. was guest of the
club and was invited to attend the per-
Torrance of one of the native jugglers.
I gladly consented to be present, and to-
gether with Captain Jenkins, the presi-
dent of the club, and Captain Powers,
an officer in the queens navee, who had
just returned from the Zulu war, I took
a seat near the stage.
During the early part of the enter
tainment there were half dozen Jug
glers who performed only ordinary
tricks, and then the STAR of the evening
was introduced. He performed one Of
the most wonderful tricks 7 ever saw.
He took board and placed it on four
glass goblets, thus elevating it from the
floor. A youngster sitting on the board
was then requested to place his hands to-
gether palms up. Then the juggler took
glass Of water and poured it into the
outstretched hands Of the boy. In the
meantime the boy had been mesmerized,
and his attention was fixed on point
indicated by the magician.
Gradually the water turned green in
color, and then it developed into jelly
which increased in density until it be-
came as solid as any stone article you
ever saw. Out of the center of this there
appeared the head of snake, which
gradually developed until in the place Of
the water there appeared kissing rep
tile. / was amazed, can assure you,
but the trick was not yet completed.
Hitting the reptile upon the head with
his wand, the juggler took it. up care
fully and placed it back in the glass.
s'As we looked it became transformed
into a jelly, which in turn transformed
into greenish colored water. Clearer
and clearer became the fluid until it was
of it's original color, and then the juggler
placed it to his lips and drank the entire
contents. That was the most wonderful
trick I ever saw performed, and it is as
mysterious to me today as it was then.
There was another trick performed the
NeeAAAS OVO11AAiS5 WAllOl WOE 1lOu GU WOuuCl~
full, but was nevertheless remarkable.
"a woman with baby swung in
bag around her waist entered the stage
and endeavored to balance ball upon
her nose. This she failed to do on ac-
count of the hindrance afforded by the
child. She repeated the attempt, but
met with no better success than on the
first trial. The juggler all the while was
standing on the side Of the stage, appar-
emily furious at the repeated failures of
the woman, and finally in rage he
rushed toward her and tore the babe
away from her. The woman screamed
as she realized the danger into which
the child was thrown, and the indigna-
ton spread to the audience. II
"Unconcerned apparently about the
babe, its mother or the audience, the
juggler took the child and threw it into
a bag which he held in his right hand.
Then taking firm hold on the neck Of
the bag he whirled it over his head and