Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1907-02-28

stop" And 1t stops. \
Once more: '
"Spout!''
And thus the crystal fountain spouts
and stops as hidden until more water
is running over the deck than is alto
gether comfortable for bystanders.
During his whole performance the
juggler repeats over again the mystic
but apparently irrelevant words:
"Bandar ka kopra! Bandar ka ko-
pra" ("Skull of monkey. Skull of
monkey.')
"Backsheesh!' the holy man now sug-
gests and indicates the red cloth as an
appropriate receptacle for cash &C.
acknowledgement of his occult power.
AS coins fall he deftly RECEIVERS them
and bites each one to test its genuine
ness. At last he plies the contribu-
lions neatly, shakes the cloth and
again spreads it on the floor
Again the juggler's eyes fix them
selves in catalcptic trance. Again he
PAGES around the red square, muttering
outlandlsh words.
the cloth. 1t grows in size as the
spellbound audience gazes. There is o.
faint sound and-out hops grlnning,
chattering monkey, while from the far
Their edge of the red rag cobra pokes
it's venomous head and writhes Its bulk
along the planks
The passengers-even the sailors
shrink and shudder, but their feet seem
spiked to the deck. No one moves
though disgust and horror are mani
fest on every face.
\ much larger object heaves beneath
the clotll-slowly, gracefully. Hindoo
girl rises to her feet, casts the red
cloth from her shoulders and smiles
upon ships company, MS "silent and
aghast as We're the voyagers in that
dread ship, the Mystery"
Before anybody Is able to stir the
juggler claps his hands, his creatures
vanish, he rolls up his coins in the red
cloth, ties 1t around his neck, leaps
over the rail into the stream and
swims away.
There can be no doubt as to these
mystic performances being illusions,
for any attempt to photograph them re-
suits in an empty plate.
Hindoo jugglcrs simply have the pow
err to make not only one person, but an
unlimited number Of persons, see, taste
and hear things which do not exist.
To attribute this power to hypnotism
II .1o
phenomena We must admit that the
basic principle of the mystery is the
subjugation of the weaker to the
stronger WILL
Secondarily, there is in the Hindoo
race an increase in the power OF
thought, resulting from their intense
love of solitary meditation, one of the
nations most pronounced traits from
time immemorial. We cannot dIspatc
that the Hindoos have acquired mental
faculties of which the younger western
civilizations are altogether ignorant
as Il matter Of experience.
The Hindoo has attained marvellous
results on speculative philosophy.
Through centuries he has developed
his mental powers by persistent exer-
else and persistent effort-as with us
athletes develop and perfect the mus.
cles of the body.
The Hlndoo conjuror Is no unlicensed
charlatan. He is man with "voca-
ton" 1t may be while he works in
the rice field that the Hindoo boy
hears the mysterious call of Brahma
and tells his parents:
"Kopal me likkha." cit is written
upon my forehead.'J
At first 'the chosen" wanders
through the streets of his native town
black ropes of dank hair falling
about his face, streaks of clay across
his forehead and down his nose, a sin
gle cotton rag wound about his mid
die. The million gods that 5000 Hin
doc years have accumulated for faith
full souls know that the "chosen" has
vowed pilgrimage to Benares-tht
residence of the gods the Hindot
Olympus, not striding over the Journey
erect, with strong young limbs, but
falling fiat on his face, measuring his
length with his brass water bottle fol
all the weary way.
Thus does the Chosen" accomplish
his pilgrimage, never lacking food OF
drink or sleeping mat, for all jewellers
in the land know that he Is "a Bair
agee!' = he helps to keep the world
straight with the gods. AT last, eyes
bloodshot, feet blistered, lie washes IL
the sacred Ganges and bows In the
great temple ut Benares and the
priests recognize his holiness and say
ut is written upon his foreheld' Aft
err which the Chosen" is for years Sc
cluded in the silent places of Indi,
that by prayer and austerity and medi
tation he may subdue the body and de
velop the mind until he acquires til,
occult force whereby he compels his
fellow mortals to see things which are
not.
In the wild recesses of his mountain.
behind the walls of his temples cary
ed into the solid rock-the Hindoo still
holds the key Of mysteries that def,
the ingenuity Of the best, most logica
and most scientific reasoners Of til,
modern civilization. - Los Angelo,
Times.
The Difference.
a rich man once visited his stables
and watched an old groom currying
favorite horse. you have worked TO
me long time, haven't you, Sam?'