The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-24
A New Theory About Some
Juggling Facts.
Old Sailor Talks ABOUT His
Experiences in India.
The Snuff Habit Not Yet Eradicated.
Yearly Consumption.

Every one who has visited India has
been struck by the wonderful powers OF
the jugglers there. A favorite trick with
these performers is TO get circle of peo-
ple around them and then show them
tree spring from seed, shoot up gradu-
ally until to all appearances 1t attains fuii
maturity. while 6s an added element OF
reality birds are seen flying to and from
its branches and twittering among It's
foliage. Heretofore this has been regard
ed as mere. trick, or an exhibition OF
mesmeric power, but a Frenchman named
Ragganeau has just made the assertion
that mesmerism or hypnotism has moth
ing whatever to do with this remark
able performance. He asserts that he can
duplicate the exhibition OF the Hindoo
jugglers by employing foymic acid which
Will cause a seed TO grow and IN half an
hour attain a growth that, under natu-
raj conditions, would not be reached In
a month. There isn't any doubt that
formic acid has wonderfully stimulating
effect, but whether ii is powerful enough
To produce the results known TO have been
attained by the wizards OF India Is
question too deep for the Gosslper.
The Gossiper has, however, gained
some very interesting Information on the
subject which seems 10 show that the en-
terprjsing French Investigator has not
solved the mystery OF the spontaneous
tree growing exhibition. An old resident
of Providence, who is retired sea rover,
and keen and sensible observer, read
the Frenchman's claim this morning and
then declared to tho Gossiper that the
formlc acid theory wouldn't hold water.
"When l followed the sea, he said, II
made four visits to Calcutta and after one
voyage 10 that port / spent nearly year
there, so / had a very good chance to OBJ
serve these Hindoo jugglers and l
know they do not employ formic
acid or any other thing for produc.
ing rapid generation. I'll tell you OF
some of my own experiences and then you
will see for yourself that tnis French
mans theory is entirely wrong, that Is
SO far as to the Hindoo jugglers. l don't
say, mind you, that formic acid will not
produce remarkable results, but they are
not for a moment compared with tue ex-
hibitions have seen in Calcutta. Fur
ther than that know that there is no
actual or palpable growth OF any seed, as
would be the case II formic acid were en-
ployed.
son one of my voyages to Calcutta /
went out in the ship slooloo OF Boston as
nHLe. AtDthlu Whs III SOh-
mand and we stayed there long time.
Every day while we were there and some
times three and four times day Hindoo
jugglers would come aboard. Now
have stood ip the circle around one OF
these fellows and seen him pour into the
palm of his hand what looked to me like
mercury. AS 1 watched II there seemed
to spring up a diminuiive tree. This
would grow gradually larger and la ger
until 1t attained a height of many feet.
Branches would shoot out and leaves form
until the whole had the appearance of a
well-deveioped tree. Then i could see
bright plumaged birds hopping about
among the foliage and hear their twitter-
ing and singing. The whole thing was
to me ss real and as palpable as that street
car passing now and the twittering az
distinct and audible as the sound OF that
gong. Then suddenly the whole thing
would disappear and would find myself
one among others gazing in the air with