The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19
MAGIC AND IT'S ORIGIN.
| Many of the Wonderful Illusions
Founded ON Indian Ideas.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Where do all the wonderful tricks and il
luSionS which are performed by magicianS
come from? Whose fertile brains originate
them? Mr.. William b. Caulk in an inter-
esting illustrated article published in the
Scientific American, shows that these light
fingered gentry are indebted for many of
their best ideas and illusions to the yogiS
and mahatmas of India. Much which has
been said and written of these interesting
people has the touch of exaggeraton, but
there is no shadow of doubt that they are
past masters of the black art, and that
they conceived and were first to perform
many of the tricks from which our modern
nagicians have taken principles on which
they have founded some OF the most start
ling Illusions shown on the stage to-day.
Take. for instance, the illusion known as
BLACK art" or the midnight mysteries of
the yogis, made famous in this country by
those master minds of magic, Harry Kellar
and the late Alexander Hermann. The
vanced by the yogis of India, In this IL
luSion the entire stage, from the first
groove to the rear. IS hung with With black vel
the top Is covered with black velvet, thus
forming a large room lined entirely in
black. The regular footlights are turned
out and a special set are used that consist
of row of open gas jets placed on line
with the boxes and carried up the outside
of the black room. The lights throughout
the entire house are either turned very
low or put out, with the exception of the
special lights mentioned above.
The curtain rises disclosing the black
chamber. In a moment the magician APP
pears dressed in a white suit; wave of
his hand, and white wand appears float
ing in the air, which the magician secures
A wave of the wand and table appears
on the right then a second table appears
on the left. A large vase appears on one
of the tables and second vase appears on
the magician S OutStretched hand. Both of
the vases are shown and proved empty, and
in one is placed a few orange seeds, and
the wand is passed over the vase, which
instantly becomes filled with oranges. The
oranges are poured into the second then
returned to the first vase when they dis
appear as quickly and mysteriously they
appeared, and the vases are again showed
empty and again placed one on each of the
tables A borrowed watch is placed in one
of the vases, from which it disappears and
is found in the vase on the other table
A life-size skeleton now appears and dances
around the stage becomes dismembered
the separated parts floating about but they
finally rearticulate themselves, and the
in one of the vases, from which it is TAX
by the performer, and in his hands be-
comes two, which are tossed in the air
and disappear The number of and style
of tricks performed in the mysterious black
chamber are almost unlimited, but an eX-
planaticn of the ones mentioned above will
suffice 10 show how black art is per-
formed.
While the stage is draped in black. every
thing that appears is painted white and the
magician is dressed in white. There is an
assistant on the stage all through the act
but as he is dressed in black, with gloves on
his hands and hood over his head made of
black velvet, he is not seen by the spec
tators. whose sight is somewhat dazzled by
the open gas jets. The tables are on the
stage. but covered with pieces of black vel