Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1900-04-25
GREAT COBRA TRICK.
WONDERFUL FEATS PERFORMED
BY FAkIRS OF INDIA

Common Street Perforieers DO Tricks
in Broad Day that Are Not EqnaIed
by American or European Prestidigi-
tators with Aid of Stage Devices.
The question of how the fakirs of
India perform their wonderful tricks is
n matter that has for centuries inter
ested scientists, and the best explana-
ton that has yet been offered of the
matter is that it is done by hypnotic
power; that is, that the fakirs simply
hypnotize the entire audience and
make them think that they saw trees
grow out of the ground in second.
Libraries have been written on the sub
ject. In his book Just issued, entitled
QUAINT Corners of Ancient Empires
Michael Meyers Shoemaker, of this
city, deals in an interesting manner
with the Indian fakirs. Mr.. Shoemaker
is known as Il traveller and litterateur,
and his book is attracting quite good
deal of attention. In writing about the
fakirs he says: THE statement has
been made by such prestidigltators as
Hermann and Kellar that they had
never seen any tricks by these men OF
India which they could not explain.
Be that as 1t may, these common street
magicians do some very clever things.
Certainly the performance before
the Grand Hotel, Colombo, this morn
ing, under the blazing sunlight, and not
three feet from the looker-on, was re-
markable. AS to the mangoe tree trick,
there appeared n strong resemblance
between a tree grown yesterday and
the one produced this morning. But 1t
was In the other performances that the
observers were most Interested. In
one instance the fallir took small jar
of metal and handed 1t around to show
that 1t was empty. Then, placing a
copper coin between his teeth, he began
to blow and smoke soon issued from
his mouth and nostrils; the jar, which
was held aloft all the time, was found
filled with water which commenced to
boil furiously. Passing 1t aside, he
opened his mouth and elected Jets of
living fame. Indeed, the whole cavity
of the throat appeared to be filled with
fire, which ignited anything with which
1t came in contact. We all saw the
empty jar, the filed jar, the boiling
water and the fire, but the fire never
approached the jar.
Another trick consisted In causing a
dead and dried cobra to come to life
or so 1t appeared. The snake Is usual
ly kept In a small, round fat basket,
with a closely fitting cover. This we
saw was empty, and into 1t the fakir
laid the fiat, dried skin of dead ser
pent.
"Placing 1t not three feet from our
circle and In the brilliant light of the
southern sun he covered the basket
with its lid and then made the usual
passes with the inevitable cloth, about
q yard square, which he held by two
corners to show that 1t contained moth
ing.
His costume consisted Of one gar
ment of the shirt order, the sleeves of
which were tucked up at the shoulders,
affording, 1t would seem, scant oppor-
tunity to hide anything; yet when after
few waves of the cloth he removed
the lid of the basket the dead snake
was gone, and in its place rose the ma
jestic head and neck of one of the
j largest Of cobras.
"It must be remembered that when
we see such work In England or Amer
lea 1t is done at distance and on the
stage with all the assistance Of stage
/ lights and shadows, but In this case we
were out In the plain air, and near
enough for the serpent to have stung
us.
1.-The last trick consisted Of display
of apparently wonderful strength. A
boy of 10 years of age was tied up in a
large scarf with Its ends attached to
two strong cords. At the ends Of these
cords were hollow brass cups about the
size of an acorn. The fakir, raising the
upper lid of each of his eyes, inserted
these cups Hereunder, and with the
hollow side next to the eyeball, after
which he pulled the eyelids well down
Then, with hands on hips and head well
back, he arose to his full height, lifting
the boy a foot and more off the ground
and swinging him from side to side, the
entire weight, of course, falling upon
the brass cups. 1t seemed marvel
that the eyeballs were not destroyed
Perhaps those who understand these
matters can explain all that was done
but certainly no magicians on our stage
have accomplished similar feats, and
yet these men are but common street
performers. Cincinnati Enquirer.
AN UNTIMELY INVENTORY.