Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-02

wine whenever they feit Inclined 10
drink. The great Indian trick OF causing
q mangrove tree to spring up before an
audience Is sometimes attempted by the
Chinese jugglers. clumsily, and with but
little success.
A very common, but dangerous trick.
Is that of swallowing iron balls. usually
performed by the street fakir or beggar
II is some times kept until the last.
as II usually leaves the performer In an
unenviable and miserable state OF health.
The iron balls used are each about one
and a half or two inches In diameter,
made OF rough cast iron. One Is sval-
lowed and It's progress down the throat
easily traced by the huge lump that
appears. Another ball Is entered into the
mouth and made to follow. The per-
former now begins 10 feei uncomfortable,
the pupils Of his eyes dilate. and his face
changes color under the dirt. The next
ball. the third. Is now sent on It's dark
way. and Is seen to go very slowly down
the throat. Now comes the disgusting part
to watch his antics as he exerts all his
energy and force to get it down. After
the lump caused by this ball again dis
appears. he gives a great bound into the
air and comes down sharply to his feet,
click as the third bail comes In contact
with its fellows. Then follows the minute
Of horrible agony as he strains himself
In great pain. his hands pressing his
stomach. and body bent almost double.
He coughs and forces until one, then
two. then the last bali all roll from the
mouth and into the dirt Not long ago
one of this class OF men was doing a
trick outside the walls Of Shanghai. One
OF the iron pills referred remained in his
stomach rather than TO come out into
the open air again, In consequence of
which the victim died in fearful agony
before our eyes
The trick OF the match sticks Ia as
follows: The juggler takes three or four
common. sulphur matches, and enters
them, one by one, into his ear. After
few seconds of facial contortion. he brings
the matches out of his nostrils. or up
through is mouth. He then proceeds to
lift his eyelids, and slowly. but steadily.
pushes the splinters over the eyeballs
into his head. when they find their way
out through his ears. Perhaps some of
the readers of this will excaim. "a ply
steal impossbilityr' All | can say Is
that men with sharper eyes than mine
have failed TO find the secret of the trick,
IL there Is any. The performer is al
ways naked TO the waist. the matches
are genuine. and the trick IL performed
every day in almost every street. at
every theatre. and market-place. Even
tourists, who have only one or two
days, or, as sometimes IL the case. but
few hours time, In Shanghai. can wit
ness on the hotei-steps all and more
tricks than l have mentioned. Every
juggier, as / have said. carries sword.
and every one OF them Is able to I'LL his
stomach with cold iron when rice Is not
handy. Not fancy and flexible pieces
OF FURNISHED steel. that accommodatingly
wind and twist TO the wishes OF the Eu-
ropean straightforward performer. but
rude, rusty, Jagged piece OF metal re-
sembling ho0p-iron. IL the sword or the
Cinese juggler. They are two and some
times three feet long. and are thrust
far down into the body. The performer
then struts about, smacking his stomach.
and for once he is quiet. and not a sound
is heard. When the juggler eats fire he
lights lot OF paper and shoves II with
chop-sticks far down his throat. lie pre-
tends that the fire does not 10 out. and,
tanning his ears. he causes his mouth and
nostrils to emit smoke like a small steam
er. This trick. II not prevented by con-
one OF his most disgusting, TO the delight
Of his Chinese audience. The trick itself
Is simple and harmless: the fire smoul-
ders, and when he breathes hard The con-
fined smoke escapes. He can also cause
a full-grown rabbit TO come forth out or
what was known TO be a bundle of rags,
and makes IL walk about your steps; but
this is simply eleIght-of-hand. as the rab-
bit always turns out to be the same filthy
animal used. and quickly finds its way
again to the mysterious basket. A very
clever trick is that OF swallowing ten or
more needles. The juerier follows them
with a piece of'silk thread. one end OF
which remains outside Pull out the
thread and you will find 1t move through
the eyes OF all the needles. The most OF
the jugglers are accompanied by little
boys with 1.-the limbs, who do wonderful
acrobatic feats.
In conclusion l will mention the ven
triloqulst. a man with a voice capable
OF initiating almost any sound. He comes
along the street. having suspended across
his she Ilder two or three pieces Of bam-
boo and a piece Of light canvas. This is
his outfit. A little q n will induce him 10
form his bamboo into triangle, throw
over II the cloth. and then disappear
from view beneath. Now the fun beg.
gins. You instantly imagine yourself in
a quiet village street: you hear the IA
mliiar noises made by chickens. geese
and the spinning wheel. Suddenly a dog
is heard barking in the distarce.
donkey brays. more dogs bark. and cows,
goats. and sheep can be heard approach
ing. Now a man Is heard coming along
the street who was the disturber OF
h. f,.i k.fI.
falls over a pig lying in the road arr
causes a great commotion Chinese
woman. disturbed from her spinning
wheel. comes on the scene and s"olds
the man. Did you ever hear a Chinese
woman scold? No. Well. then. If you
ever happen 10 be near a quiet looking
one who Is about to begin, take warning
and stuff your ears. Some one picks up
a stone and throws IL, ! suppose az the
man. whom II misses, and who jeer7.
while the stone can be heard rolling
over loose boards. II hits cat that
now breaks out with frightfu yen
There follows more noise. the tent
shakes as IL It contained troop OF
wild monkeys. The sole occupant ap-
pears and gathers in his coin.
A Chinese wheelbarrow Is like any
other wheelbarrow. because IL squeaks
when grease Is stinted. Such a horrible
noise does this occasion that squeak
ing wheelbarrow Is seized In the treaty
ports as soon as heard by the police.
The ventrhoquist joins his bamboo so
as to form wheelborraw, and, pushing
them aiong. initiates the squeak so well
as 10 convulse bis hearers with laughter.
The veniriloQuist Is more agreeable To
the eyes than the Juggler. but az I have
said. they are ALL without exception.
filthy and beggarly lot The juggler pre-
tends to have the aid Of certain Josses
In the performance OF his tricks: the
stroy- teller helps In deceivlng the people.