Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-20
ONCE POPULAR "OUI- ia" BOARD
AROUSES INTEREST IN PARTISAN CIRCLES
Gyrations of This Little Ap-
paratus Investigated by
a Professor of the
Sarbonne.
Special Correspondence Of Tho Star

PARIS. October 6, 1907
A DANGEROUS Paris anarchist by
4 " " e.: 1 '.'' , +. . ,.',.
and injustice. Nothing remained
to him but hatred Of the rich and con-
viction that society must be pulled down,
to start humanity afresh; and, being an
ingenious artisan. he was on the point of
combining a hdeous propaganda by
act" when a communication from his
dead gir.-w.fe stopped him-aud changed
his life
Raped out in the old way, it seemed
vaguely worded and addressed but.
Well, the anarchist-artisan recognized it
as a message for himself, and he threw
himself in spiritualism heart and soul. be-
came president of what is now a flourish
ing wurkingmen's spiCitualistiC society
and together with II. Ouitse of the Lay
marie CoRnection-the backbone of old
stabIisEed French sprituaIism-he has
finally perfected the remarkable little ap-
paratus called the 'Oui-ja.'
Being an ingenious artisan. he was
struck 10y the uncertain slowness of aver
age occult communications, when not
coming through some specially gifted
medium. often there was discoHcertlng
silence Sincere beginners could not get
results The rapport could not be estab-
lIahed
Whether the moving intelligence be that
of living men and women round the ia
bles uncunsciously projecting itself or
that of spirits of the dead, he sought to
devise some sensitive apparatus TO IA
ciIItate its manifestation; and the Partisan
vogue Of the "Oui-ja' in the past three
months is the outcome of mechanical
studies tina, would otherwise have been
applied to bomb construction.
1t is said that 2o.'00 "Oui-jas' have
been sold in Paris alone; and / scarcely
doubt the figure, though the thing is still
so new and the summer vacation inter
yening. You see 'Oui-jas' as much
among non-belicvers as believers.
The apparatus comes In two parts.
There is small. light center table. one
legged with three feet its top marked
off in 4 circle with the entire alphabet,
theN digets and the words Yes and
No" And to act on this there comes
an improved "Planchette" of our grand
fathers. but rolling on wonderful BALL
bearings and furnished with arrow
pointing Indicator instead OF a pencil.
With Dramatic Climax.
Recently, at Biarritz saw some aver
age "OUi-ja'' manifestations in circle of
non-believers with rather dramatic and
uncanny surprise to wind up with.
First one, then another of the laughing
company consulted the alphabetical ia
BILE, In good faith I am sure. not actively
cheating, the results father indicated.
You must sit alone at the table. not
touching il with arms. knees or body.
your right arm free and mobile. the hand
TepOsing lightly on the planchette with its
sensitive little wheels. The slightest un
conscious pressure will start it moving
on the smooth table-back, forth, in
curves. here. there
So much for the operator; but If an in
quirer has not confidence in his receptivity
he need but touch the table to estab
lish a personal rapport, while another OPP
crates.
TO the planchette, the careless triflers
sought TO sober their mirth, hold them
selves "receptive'-Gnd called on invis-
ible injeligences to borrow their brain,