Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-16
poINTs ON The BLACK Art.
difference of Modern and Ancient Magic
by y PrestIdIgItsteur.


every few additionSof Importance hava
been made to the repS-jssry Of the profess
sIonal magician within recent years" said
an expert IN preSt!digitation. THE new
tricks ali REQUIRE elaborate mechanical con
triyances. Ii may be that they draw the
public for awhile but they do not furnish
lasting attractions. Take the vanishing
ladv.' for example. In its way II WAS a
wonderful thing and the mechanism neces.
sary was elaborate and costly; but every
one knew that the womHn must necessarl.
~ disappear through trap In the stage,
and the only mystery lay IN the eleverness
with which the feat was accomplished.
Here was no illusion, properly speaking,
nor anything 10 excite wonder. a trick
TO he really worth anything must be seem
ingIy miracle. inexplicable 10 the uiind
OF the spectator.
"The best tricks arc those requiring the
I least apparatus. No teat OF magic ever at.
tempted on the stage has created IA moro
+ profound sensation than did. tie famous
/ sphinx when 1t first appeared In Europe.
Even the scientific men went wild over IL.
I II was the first timing of is Kind ever seen,
aud for lnug time 10 one suspected
I that the body 10 which She talking head
I belonged was concealed behind two mir
I
ben, at srthe table. The extreme m2licity
Of tire means used for drcriviug wis the
mos, effective point. Bur the performer Is
nosr successful when he employs for the
purposes Of leEeFdemA,n everyday articles
/ sncl. ~ people are accustomed TO. Audi
eneas are alwayS entertained 10 rabbits,
guinea pigs ard other articles taken off,
hanl out OF the hat Of tie fat gentleman
who had been - imprtid.ut as to take a
trout seat near the middle aisle.
"This sort of trick il mach more simple
and easily performed than You might van,
pos. desceud from The stage aud bor-
row a silk hat from any gentlemen who
will give me one. The Ecst things to be
taken from the hat are already concealed
on he inside o. my coat. As | turn and
regain the stage with IN! back for IA mo-
meut TO the spectators qaickly drop these
things into the hat. Then face the audi.
enc, cnce mpre and draw the things ouL
one oy one, exhibiting much surprise.
"S0me liyenllmal may C me first. because
II j. desirable dispose o! that as quickly
as possible. Next. pcrchbuce, pull out a
wig, which always excite roar Of laugh
ter The other articles to be brought forth
have been previously done up In many
CON pac- little bundles. Sometimes a sn.
gle mall package contains quantity OF
hen feathers. 81 tightly done up that when
the. are shaken out there seem TO he
enough OF them To oil mattress. Each
bundle is so fixed that its wrapping am 10
disengaged In second.
"iIaying pulled out Of the hat all the
things which have been previously taken
froin under my coat aud put into IL, 70 TO
Il shelf under pretense OF brushing the tile.
and incidentally slip a number of other artl-
ces into il. Then come down toward the
audience, rs II for the purpose OF restoring
the borrowed stovepipc, hut suddenly
pause aud begin To draw out Of il many
things several times the size Of the hat,
such as bird cages, trunks and so forth. all
Of which nre 50 made that they close up In
very small compass.
The springs that hold them IN shape are
released as each one is taken out OF
course trick like this requires a great
deal Of practice and skill, hut its effective
ness Is almost wholly due 20 the fact that
IL j. performed with SO commonplace an
object as n borrowed sik hat Perform a
seeming miracle with broom. brick, or
anything else that is exceedingly common.
place and familiar, and your feat eXcites
infinitely more wonderment than II IL
were accomplished with an elaborate me.
chanlcai coutrivance. When the Pharoa.l's
magcaus turned their walking sticks into
snakes they knew how "a impress most
strongly the minds OF observers Wash
ington Star