The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-08-01
A FEAT Of CONJUR|NC,
The Popular Coffee Trick and
How It Is Performed.
METHODS OF THE MAGICIAN.

Changing White Paper Into Milk. Blue
Paper Into Mocha and Bran Into Cut
Sugar 70 Comparatively Easy When
You Have Been Shown the Way.
A trick always popular with the pro-
fessional conjurer Is that known as
the coffee trick" though some high
falutin title. as. for instance. Mar
about Mocha" Is better for a pro-
gram. 1t has the advantage too. Of
not conveying any idea of what the
trick Is to he. The trick is as suita-
bic for the drawing room as for the
stage, and an amateur with little
practice may do 1t easily. Remember.
with little practice. for. like every.
thing In conjuring. not only little
but sometimes a great deal of practice
Is necessary IL the performer desires
to do his tricks with ease and skill
and so as to bewilder his audience
When about to present this trick the
performer has on Il table three wooden
boxes, a large goblet shaped glass jar
and two German silver shakers" or
on juice. ice. etc. for !; glass of lem
onade. In one of the boxes is 4
quantity of bran in another some
pieces Of chopped up white paper and
In the third similar 10. OF blue pa
per. These. with two pieces OF black
velvet. each about nine inches square.
and paper cylinder. are all that APP
h. <,;, Di,.t-i
up Que shaker. the performer fills it
with white paper and immediately
pours 1t back into the box. Again he
dips the shaker into the box ard. with
q shoveling motion. fills it and stands
1t on table SD that every one may
see II. The other shaker he fills IN
the same way but with the blue pa
per Finally the glass jar is filed with
| bran and stood on !; table by itself.
| Over one shaker Is spread one of the
| velvet squares and on top nf il is
| placed a small round metal plate. The
| other shaker is covered with the st'-
ond velvet square. but without. any
metal plate
| "Itpnember." SAYS the performer.
''thiS cup Is filled with white paper
! and tha, one with blue" ard. pulling
| the velvet piece ~ one cup. he pours
| from II into small pitcher about
| pint of milk "'rht milk ut human
! kindness as extracted from til. daily
press" Removing the metal plate and
| the velvet from The Sn'olId cup he
pours from it into the first cup steam
ing Mocha coffee; II" grounds for
complaint" Picking NJ ~" s'lrrr cyl
in,fer. he drops it over Ill. uul'er part
Of the glass jar. and. ili'ng II ~ al-
most Immediately, it is found thai the
| bran Is gone and the jar Is flied with
lump sugar
1t is SNOWY trick which is general
u followed by applause. that sweetest
of music to performer Here is the
explanation
In each box OF paper is u duplicate
shaker. one tilied with milk. the other
with coffee Fitted into the month "f
each shaker is Il sta How metal saucer.
the edges fiaring out SO rs to rest on
the mouth OF the cup. At one point on
the edge of each saucer IL soldered u
semicircle Of stiff wire about the size
of dime. So that the performer may
easily grasp it. On each saucer Is
glued some bits OF the paper with
which the shaker is supposed III be
flied. These shakers stand upright III
the box I'D such position that the wire
piece of the saucer will he toward the
performer when he is ready to remove
the velvet cover. AS he Shovels the
umper into the shaker he leaves that
one In the box. grasps th" other hi!ed
With milk or coffee and brings il ont.
some of the loose bits nf paper cling
ing round the top These he brushes
off carplpSsly and IN doing so when
necessary. adjusts the shaker :" t!iar
the wire finger pita.e will he i'll iht
proper position In covering lhe s'itk-
ers the performer takes hold at TIA.
velvet covers SO thai the thumb and
ths. third aud fourth fingers nre under
the cover. and with these he catches
hold of the projecting finger piece.
lifts UP the sarers and draws them
OF. dropping them instantly into Il pad
dpd box or bag fastened n the IN
ot the table
As a glass jar Is transparent II fol
lows that o mere saucer of bran IL us
mouth would not do. 81 rr>t'ri = i'ad
10 another device \ no!inw shape ol
tin, slightly taperiuS. that fits thoSei!
III the lar Is uSed The iar.rr ''na
which Is the top. is ci'stHi while TING
bottom Is open From the i"l' IS il li'
stiff wire passing from one side ~ M
other. II describes Il small bow 'ha
serves as handle to lift ou' 'i'
shane Bran is glued over the ntltstit
OF the shape and some loose bran /
spread over the top The shape !!
filled with lump sugar. placed INSIDE
second jar and stauG INSIDE Tie boy 81
bran When the first jar x pu' int
the box. ostensil,iy TO be tiled. the rer
former exchanges il fnr tiir Sr;r'Ed
This be takes 0ui and shows II m
parently filled with bran II is e"v
, cred with the paper cylinder Wllir|
goes on loosely. and III removing thi
the performer slips "ne finger uide
the wire handle. ifts out the shape
and the sugar fac. into the jar \
the shape Is taken "a, the performer
hand passes carplpssiy over the box q
bran. into which Ilr shape is dropped
At almost the same moment the pape
: is crumpled mp and tossed int" the al
tience The trick is so neatly don
md Is withal so simple that he mus
lpdn 40