The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
THE MAGTCIANS PHILOSOPHY.
Traits Of Humanity That Help Him 10
Perform His Tricks.

FeTtOpu bus hTiChs.
III you AJAX q woman to choose one OF the
four card suits, the selection will be. nine
times out OF ten. hearts Ask woman 10
name one Of the thirteen cares in that heart
suit, and you will find the queen picked as
often.
with men It IL different. They seem
to have no unconscious preference; Tut IL
there In any attraction Of enc suit over an
other. the leaning is In favor OF spades
As for the particular card, men evince TO
general bias, although my experience
has taught me to expect a low card
The speaker was veteran card magician
who has had years OF experience in study
ing his audiences ard the peculiarities
Of human nature which bear upon his
profession.
Suggestion is the keynote to success
In card tricks. and indeed in all illusions
that depend for finish upon quickness OF
touch and hard.' be went n. "!he man
who can best persuade his audience that
they see something which they do not see.
Is tho successful magician.
Il toss an orange into the air to make
II disappear | cry One and my arm
flies up. Tho audience sees the orange
still In my hand. Two and as my hand
gocs up the orange Ia palmed. Three,
and the hand is turned around to tho au-
dielcc empty, but every one who watched
the trick would have sworn that he saw
the orange disappear upon the count Of
three.
I place three cards side by side on table
and ask some ono TO choose card BY
an almost unbroken succession OF expert
ences, ! am practically positive that he will
select the middle card He docs it,
fhrpa N t,f each
and again ask him to choose one OF the rows.
With the same directnees ] am positive he
viii. name the middle row.
Il have made that same experiment with
all sorts OF things and have never known
it TO fail. Once had discussion with a
friend, who was inclined TO pooh-pooh wha,
he termed my superstition In regard TO
the matter. let the argument drop for
several days, and then one afternoon
dropped into a cigar store with him and
purchased three cigars.
Il casually spread them out on the coun-
ter for him to take his choice. and when
called attention to the fact that he had
picked up the middle one OF tn, three he
was much chagrined.
"Take the case OF asking a person TO
choose q number. Scores OF times l have
asked people TO name a number between
1 and 10. and with almost no variation they
have decided on When |; has not beea
7, Il has been S.
why? ] do not know. There is some
thing mysterious about the number !.
The ancients recognized II. and the longer
] live the more convinced ! am that
has some occult connection with humanity
] have hoard the GIggcstion made that
people persist in choosing IL because II Is
easy To say. requiring little effort Of tongue
and lips TO enuncatr. There may be
something in that
The magician said that when il came
TO explaining why women should show
such o preference for hearts and the queen
Of that suit. he said he had never formed
III IL one Of those mysterious psychology
cal riddles which We meet eva'y day
reasons tina, might rprin1 TO the mind, bu.
who can tell which j. right or even probs blef
Sometimes ! have thought that the ancient
connection between that suit and the
thoughts nj .ove and ga.antry may lao ye
had something TO do with il, bur an rather
inclined TO put that down 10 mere fancy.
ITO the uninitiaied magic and card tricks
appear 10 b. the result OF defines OF hand
and lightnees Of finger. TIE element Of
psychology docs not seem TO enter in at all.
AZ much depends upon that as uppn the
skill OF The hand
knowledge Of ones audience. skill in
picking out the right subject for certain
trick. a cloes study Of mental pecuisrties.
all these things count for much with the
Intelligent magician. And will lay down
for you rule which has no exception, In
those other cases qualified my asse rtionr.
Her, | do moi
Til, easiest person TO fool 10 the one
whose intelligence IL the highest. This
sounds. on the fac, OF IL. like a paradox,
but IL In not The element q suggestion
enters In powerfully here, and the active.
trained mind Of the intelligen, man leaps
~ the dictates 81 suggs stion as steel filings
fyup 10 the magnet.
.Yonr slow and stupid mind las 70 he
I'D and hlowness il fatal TO the magician.
Stupid people and childran ! have found
TO br the ha rdcst 10 deceive"