The Yellowstone journal., 1894-10-06
MAGIC EXPLAINED.
THE STAR TRICKS OF 'hINoOo CON-
JURERS MADE EASY.

Maglcian-It Is the Same Which Globe
Trotter Stevens Claims Is Miracuiousiy
Performed by Yogi Men.
The sleight of hand performances of
M. Maskelyne, o remarkably clever
juggler. have excited a great deal of in
terest in London. Not only are his
tricks skillfully done. but his explana-
tions of other tricks have attracted much
attention among a class of men who
seldom visit the halls where feats of this
sort are presented
The Mail and Express recently pub
lished an article from the London Spec
tator in which the writer describes one
or two tricks which he saw in India
and which mystified him greatly. Here
is one, which, by the way, is described
by Thomas Stevens, the globe trotter,
who says that the Yogi men, who per-
form it, are aided by an occult force that
the world is as yet ignorant of.
A Ajuggler placed cloth over the pave.
ment Of the street, and presently he
removed it, and there was a mango
growing between the stones. 1.-The Jug
"
reditary caste. did undoubtedly make a
leaf spring out of the ground did make
it grow into a dwarf mango and did
hand the mango from il to be eaten. 1t
looked wonderful because Of the appar-
ems simplicity of the juggler, but he per-
formed his feat in four processes, and
between each he shook out his ehudder,
or muslin wrapper, SO that it passed for
an instant between the spectators and
the plant. The writer had no doubt
then and has no doubt now that this
was done not to conceal anything, but
TO distract attention momentarily; that
the first leaf, the upgrowth of leaves,
the dwarf mango and the mango on it
were all of wax or other carefully made
imitation, and that the whole miracle
was marvelously rapid sleight of hand.
To Americans who are interested in
this sort of thing this mystery is almost
amusing. 1t was exposed several years
ago by Kellar, the prestidigitateur. Four
or five years ago Kellar publicly offered
81 900 to any one who would perform a
trick which he could not duplicate and
which he could not prove to be done by
wholly human aids. A number Of per-
SONS who had recently visited India i'm
mediately deluged him with descrip-
tions of this and other specimens of
oriental jugglery. OF course as they |
could not perform the trick themselves |
they did not compete for his money offer,
and therefore they were not publicly |
kellar, however, gave me personally |
, full explanation mot only of these |
'ricks, but of several others which have
ong baffied the cleverest of the occi- /
iental investigators. The magician has
'pent more than 15 years of his profes-
ional life in India and the far east, and |
,e has closely studied the tricks of the
native jugglers with more or less profit
o himself. This is how he explained
he mango or pineapple trick as nearly
IS can recall it:
The first time / saw the mango |
rick, said he, was in Bombay in
S79 or thereabouts, and the man who
id it was the most skiilful conjurer ]
yer saw in India Even after / had
earned the secret Of his illusion could
ot help admiring its ingenuity and the
exterity with which il was performed.
he juggler and his two comrades chose
spot before the Prince of Wales stat
g on the plaza He first laid down a
ag on the hard ground and then drew
rom it a large bandanna handkerchief
'igging a small hole in the ground
nth one finger, he buried a pineapple
eed, and over this he placed his hand
erchief. He carefully smoothed out
he cloth, rubbing swiftly from left to
ght. After this maneuver was ended
8 made several passes with his arms
ver the handkerchief, while his COM
'des beat industriously upon their
RUINS and blew upon their pipes
Suddenly, to my surprise, Lsaw the
begin to slowly rise in the
inter and gently sway from side to side
though q plant were really sprouting
life from tho seed which he had
anted beneath the cloth. When the
andkerchief had risen like tent to q
light of about - inchsa the conjursr =
opped his incantations and cautiously
tied up the left hand corner Of the
ver and peered beneath IL Then,
unging both hands underneath to the
Of loud and discordant
usic, he threw aside the cloth and
owed full grown pineapple plant.
"This is the way he did the trick, rs
afterwArd admitted to me-: it;
I'm smoothing out the cloth he reach
into the bag. the mouth Of which
y conveniently placed near the hand
rchief, and whisked ont a hooded CO.
, snake The moment the reptile was
d down it began to coil. That made I
3 handkerchief rise. When it had
ached its full height, its angry hiss !
3 meanwhile being drowned by the :
1sic Of the assistants, the performer =
'ked under the cloth, taking care to
Nv the corner close to the mouth Of
bag. Then he adroitly whisked ont
follow pineapple from the bag under n
Ath the cloth Itwas now the work of
minute only to force the snake into
apple, olose the aperture. and the