Evening star., 1896-12-26

S
Magician Kellar was asked the other day
II he had ever run across any jugglers or
fakirs in India whose tricks he could not
fathom. There are many clever perform
In that interesting land, said he, but
the fakirs are not by any means all ex-
perts. Some of their work is exceedingly
simple and easily seen through, but on
the other hand, somesof it is so deft and
intricate and so skillfully performed that it
is bewilderlng.
Did they ever fool me? Oh. yes; there
were a number of things done by some of
their fakirs that were too deep for me. 1
remember an adventure 1 had with one of
their snake charmers that gave me a good
fright If the fellow worked trick me
1t was certainly SO perfectly done as to defy
detection. 1 was sojourning at Allahabad
at the time. and one morning after having
had my coffee, was sitting in my room en-
joying smoke, when the fellow walked in.
He saluted me politely and said good morn
iLg. He had nothing On but a breech clout.
He asked me if / wanted the snakes taken
out of the house.
' There are no snakes here 1 said, not
caring to be disturbed.
oh, yes; sahib is mistaken; plenty big
srakes here
Il have seen all the snake tricks 1 want
to see.' said 1. as I motioned to him to go
about bis business. He insisted, however,
that there were plenty of snakes in the
room, so l told him to call the serpents out
If he wanted to. He stepped to the middle
OF the room. and, taking up a native flute,
commenced to play a plaintive air. Now,
mind you there was no furniture in my
room except a cot bed and couple of
chairs. He had played less than two min
utes when saw the sheet on the bed rise
up until 1t assumed the proportions Of a
small tent, and then, out from underneath
1t, where l had lain but half an hour be-
fore, came a monster cobra. He slipped
slowly to the floor and coiled himself in
hghtins attitude At that moment 1 saw
three other similar snakes coming from the
various corners of the room. AS soon as
coiled themselves beside the first one
raised their heads high In the air and
nlSsed oeflance at the charmer. He led
them gradually toward the door, and as
he paused on the threshold they again
raised their heads and hissed at him spite
1ully, apparently becoming more and more
enraged as the music continued. Just at
the doorsill confederate of the fak!r Slip
ped up, and, with several master strokes of
q keen saber. cut off their heads was re-
heved when this happened, for 1 was get
tlng very nervous If it was a conjurer's
1rick l never was able to learn anything
about n, further than what had seen"
New National Theater.-The ever-popular
Bostonians are the holiday attraction at
the National Theater next week Even the
most capt1ous must admit that their per-
opera Held, and that the ensembles nre-
sent not only clever singers but actors as
Wen rms year the Bostonians are gener-
ally credited with being in much better
singing form than ever especially in tenori
and soprani. The list of artists who will
appear here includes such well-known
,aSoTites as Henry Clay Barnabee, VIM H.
macdonald. Jessie Bartlett Davis, Eugene
Gowles, Geo. rockingham, and Josephine
bartlett. Hilda Clark Alice Nielsen VIM
r. Phiip. 4; Kelley Cole. Harry Brown w.
ID Fitzgerald n,,i,,a
ley, L. d. Merrill. May Van Dresser r. n
burnside: stage manager: s. L. Studley.
musical director. The arrangement for the
weeks repertoire is as follows: On Mondav
Tuesday, Wednesday. and at the Saturday
matinee and night. the ever-popular Robin
Hood, than which no more popular opera
shs,Pe mas 3een written; and which no music lover
shouid miss, unless he be a hereto By
special request, Balfes Bohemian Girl
VIII be revived with a special cast for
dhqrsday night and Friday matinee. and
on friday night, only. that sparkling opera
oouHe. Prince Ananias," by Victor Her
bert, will be heard here again A large
seat sale prefaces the engagement
Columbia Theater.-Magician KeIlar. who
comes 70 the Columbia Theater next week,
Is admittedly the peer of all performers in
his line of work 1t is almost like narrat-
ing fairy tale to tell of the things he does
tnls season. Yet he will do in this city
What ne mas done in the principal cities
OF the east. Therefore there is no rea
son to believe that he will fail to make
good the promises made for him, won
,iI uer1ul Ihougn they may appear. There
VIII be number of large Illusions in which
the full stage Of the theater will be oc-
eCpied and among them will be seen "The
Mystery Of l. L'Hassa," in which the laws
or gravitation seem to have been set at
defiance: The Queen of Roses" a pretty
Hindoo illusion: The Shrine of Moomri
samri. in which human beings are ma
teriaized from the air upon a fully lighted
stage; The Cassadega Propaganda which
has set all the spiritualists in the country
a-guessing: Karmos,'' an incomprehensi-
pLe enigma In which the minds and
thoughts or any one In the audience are
read with ease by Mrs. Keller; THE Simla
Seance in which is reproduced the latest
spir1tuaistic phenomena, and Oriental
Occuitism, which comprises a number of
the most intricate feats of coniurinp nor
Formed by the advanced adopts of India
VI OF the prettiest and most bewildering
or Magician kellar's many wonderful III.
Iusions Is what he is pleased to call The
Princess Karnak.' The trick is a Hindoo
one, and came from India with Mr. KelIar
@ @nen ne returned from that country two
years ago. A young girl is locked In a
cage and the cage is covered with cloth.
The cloth is removed In a half-second's
tlme and the girl Is gone. A similar cage is
suspended in the air on the opposite side
or the stage The girl. as soon as her flight
from the first prison has been discovered
Is seen walking down the aisle of the thea
ter she Is again imprisoned I'm the lower
cage and again instantly dsaDpears AT
the same moment the curtains in the sus-
pended cage are raised, and there stands
the little princess, smiling at the audience
keilars engagement at the Columbia The
ater Is Tor New Year week. Matinees will
be given on Thursday and Saturday and
also on New Year day.
Lafayette Square Opera House-The story
of wives that are neglected by their hus-
bands and left at home to sit and NOPE the
long evenings while their husbands are de-
tained by business, or go to lodge meetings.
or sit up with n sick friend, and that are
advised by people to go and do likewise is
presented IN the most successful farce ever
produced in New York, The Cav Paris
ians," which celebrated It's two hundredth
performance at Hoyt's Theater New York.
and returns TO Washington for New Years
week, to the Lafayette Square Opera
House. IL Is French farce of the liveliest
kind, and everybody knows that a good
French farce Is a perfect whirI of fun.
This one is n regular maelstrom of merrt-
ment. The company presenting this funny
farce Is probably the best that has been
seen in comedy for years Manager Chas
Frohman is noted for the excellent casts
that he gives to all his productions but In
this company IL has been the unanimous
verdict that he has fairly outdone himself
With one exception the company is the
as rcd tn