The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-06

Explanation Given By q Theosophist or the
Mango and the hoy and Ladder Trick.

AAbihnhtiou @tNon " u EutO9opulhG U THO
Mango and the hoy and Ladder Trick.
"To q certain class Of Western minds the
occultism Of theosophy appeals In o romantic
and fascinating way, and such men avow them.
selves Theosophists." said DR.. J. NJ. Chalmers,
who has travelled widely In the Western and the
Eastern hemisphere. But these Western pro.
fessors Of Theosophic belief stand merely on the
margin of tho fountain of occult truth. They
have little conception Of the power and insight
Of the Oriental adopts who have devoted their
lives to the study and practice of the ancient
faith In It's early homo In India. In that land 1t
has been my privilege to SEQ the mango tree
trick and the aerial boy and ladder trick per
formed by Q true fakir-one of the class OF Indian
holy men who through asceticism and contem-
plation attatn powers that to tho ordinary mind
"Theoe tricks have often been described by
brought back an account Of them from India
tSsr p SsasatiT tia asS. u But 10 most sas e visito 1rO IN fsd "a
oome away having witnessed only cheap imita-
t SSpss Ss 'e One rarely Yyf has a CT Chance Ins to tPI see P the
Or at the courts Of tho Ralahs who are patrons
ffs T anS f tRss max 9afir m sits Sa' SSr'U a mss 81 sps SSsd
on on. the ground. und . tho open Sky. hip
Of tho proceedings is found to be empty. In tho
first trick he plants q mango seed in full view
this seed springs a shoot Which Becomes nnoT a
mango tree that blossoms. bears green fruit
that sSssgps passes &C. t through C6gmS Syssy SttSse Of eroyth and
trsnsformations taking place during tho frao-
I'm the boy and ladder trick the fakir throws
goes! sloft untiittho end Is out Of sight. Then
voice is heard from somewhere above In the air,
and presently the boy appears. climbing down
to the ground and sends him back for fruit.
oranges, manages. and coooanpts como tum-
sword starts up tho issdder. throateninS
from View. and SOON tho boy comes tumSfRinnS to
the ground IN sectioRs-diiseyered arms, head,
isSd tho Trunk Tbs m str9y tho 1 ErOsnsg at !, th th foot Of thS
ket. and covers I with a cloth; the lsddor van
ishos. tho basket 10 shown empty to the "specta-
"Theae tricks. startlipgi In their verlsimilitude.
have peen performed under conditions in which
Il would DO absurd to ascribe their success to
the e exercise isna,s s Of hyIDnSttio in fSs. BY ths iaLir:
ago, the fakir performed the boy and ladder
trick sitting OF, a mat In the centre, OF a hollow
square formed by a regiment Of British soldiers
concealed from the sight Of the fakir. Artists
the performance in It's different stages, and
Others with cameras were stationed IN good
through the trick successfully, every detail
being fully Witnessed by the entire crowd OF
spectators. The drawings OF the sketch artists
depicted tho performances as the spectators had
and tho falling of the discovered limbs. and
head and trunk; but the work OF tho cameras re-
yea!ed at every stage only one picture-the
fakir seated on HE mat on the ground. with the
IL was my privilege some time after my ro-
turn from India to maet the only Theosophlst
OF western birth that ever impressed nae as hav.
Or, Eric David Even. born in Scotland. while
surgeon In the Brltish-Indian Army. In which
no attained high rank, became interested In
Theosophy. He had retired from the army I'M
lad CONS to America; He made. and, be.
West Indian islands OF tho Windward
or SsyE Yn gEroGE' hu. was passing some months
side streets that lead from Union square, He
was q small, wiry man. with iron-Rray hair.
lie ate no meat and drank no wine; his food
and smoked tobacco In a hookah In moderation.
DR.. Even rarely could be per, uaded, even by
his closest friends, to manifest the wonderful
psyehical powers that he possessed. He could
LADDER tricks after the manner of the adopts,
and his explanation OF the way those seemingly
miTaculoHS effects were produced IL, inter.
@ss%sr!o q hypnotic inaSehco 81 thS
proceeding into Visibility the image conceived
referred to, the successive apparitions. which
wore plainly seen by the spectators and faith
FULLY drawn by tho artists were too intangible
TO impress themselves ON the nlm OF the photog-
The opinion held by DR.. Even Of the late
Nine. BlAyatskX. 10 worth mentioning. Believ-
In. her 70 b = fhsoSORbipt 81 thetE6s faith. he
Saia o. her h9t tie sodi OF . mai wasinsaEnAted