The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1899-07-19
NEW rREArER BORE,


Everybody knows that ubiquitous in
dividual who generally Sits about three
rows away from you in the playhouse
and tells half the audience, in loud
whispers, what is going to happen next.
His rival has been discovered. He is
the man who sits behind you and tells
the two people he brought in on passes
how the magician performs his tricks.
OF course, every one likes to know
these things, but usually prefers to fig
ure them ont for himself. And when
the man who knows it all hasn't the
faintest idea of how the simplest trick
is done he becomes n bore. Like most
bores, however. he doesn't know he's
one. After listening to him tell how
the man on the stage has the rabbits
up the sleeves of his dress-cOat, at
tached TO elastic bands, you turn around
and glare at him with the idea that he
may take IL into his head to keep his
mouth shut and let you enjoy the show.
But he smiles at you in pleasant way
and imagines you are interested in
what he is saying, and proceeds to ex-
plain the next trick.
Finally you grow extremely tired Of
this self-made lecturer and remark. in
an audible tone, that he must have been
with a magician once upon time But
he doesn't appreciate your intended
sarcasm. He leans over and says:
Not at all; just my natural ability
to observe things"
He then tells how the man on the
stage produces billiard balls He says
it's very easy. He simply has a man
in the wings who throws them to him
But he neglects to tell you where they
90 to.
Watch him now" says the man he
hind you. See. ne takes that orange
right out of the end of his wand. Sim
plest thing in the world. Ordinary
rubber ball, painted like an orange.
and squeezed into the hollow stick.
But about this time the man on the
stage throws the fruit into the right
stage box, where a little girl proceeds
to peel il and eat il with relish, con
sidering it is but india rubber.
See that?" queries the man behind
you. THE child works for the show
Sits in n box every performance and has
a real orange she substitutes when You
are not looking. Very simple when You
observe these details"
Perhaps il is, but when the child hap
pens to be the daughter of an OptiCian
and is accompanied by her parents you
rather lose faith in the lecturers ex-
plantations.
Then comes the egg trick. The man
behind you has refused to Keep still.
and you are wondering il you can
change your seat when the act is over.
But the magician evidently knows of
your trouble. for he has arranged pit
into which the explainer will fall and
shuts him up for the rest of the even
ing.
An empty glass is shown. and in it
an egg is placed. 1t is covered with
a handkerchief. and although you can
hear il rattle until the very last min
ute when the handkerchief is whisked
off the hen fruit has disappeared.
Very easy" says the man behind
you. THE egg isn't put in the glass
at all. You just think it is. What you
hear rattle is the attendants ring
against the side of the tumbler."
But alas for the man behind you
The magician proceeds to show just
how the trick is performed. The egg
is hollow and tied 10 the handkerchief.
so that when you pull the covering of
in the right way the egg is lifted out
of the glass and is hidden by the folds
of the handkerchief.
Its very simple when you know how.
In fact the trick is so old the magician
can afford TO show how it is done. &c
is said that the only reason he uses
it at all is so he can protect people from
explainers. and if This was his object
he certainly was successful. The man
in the next row did not speak again
during the perfOrmance.-St. Louis Re
public.