Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-13

black magic. intimately associated with
evil spirits Yet no stories OF that misty Z,
the fantastic sorcerer Merlin. who cut
UP such didoes with his doings about the
round table Of good King Arthur.
wss mario oon,,a.rsd $, Il that are.tes. Of
philosophers. Lord Francis Bacon. that.
In the greatest Of his works. the "Novum
Organum." he emphasizes. as one OF the
first steps in the enlightenment Of man
kind. "a thorough instruction in the
methods whereby magicians perform
their feats."
This is no tale. however, made up OF
secondhand rehash from ancient and
modern sorcery. chopped up some lazy
afternoon in the nearest public library.
II is. instead. one that will show how
modern discoveries in the various
branches Of science have brought about
an advancement in magic that amounts
20 a revolution in the art-and by magic
Is meant the tricks played upon the stage
how the commonplace chemist. the
work-a-day electrician and the shirt
sieeved man with the air-pump. delving
unmysterously along In the back-room
workshops. have recently developed
"Djinny' equal to that Of the fisherman
in the Arabian Nights: how the man at
the switchboard Of the lighting apparatus
and the fellow who winds the wire OF
fhe latest improved pocket dynamo have
given into the hands of the modern ma
.uces effects that would make the sor-
rerer Of other days sit up and rub his
eyes in Amusement.
Nor would these astonish the ancient
OF the craft OF half a century. nay. even
Of twenty wears ago, would look upon
some Of the feats performed by the
magicians Of today as nothing short OF
niracuious-just as the most skillful
surgeon Of a generation past would gaze
with astonishment upon some latter
dav operation.
The strides made in science within
the last score of years." recently re-
marked Howard Thurston. one Of the
sd 10 do Of tricks that Woad All Houan
or even the later Herman the Great.
With wonder SO swiftly does the
modern inventive mind create some new
marvel. as the x-ray in ontics the wire
Tess in teleeraphy. or radium In chem
t<try. and so rapidly are these adoDted
into practical commercial use. that either
Of these two maRicians who. half ana
a quarter Of a century ago. respectfveiy.
had a MONOPOLY the marvellous.
would be stunned with ama4ement could
he see the miraculous kinetonhone or
felautoeraph. or loiter for ten minutes
eome evening on the street corner OF a
great city and watch the electrical dis
play.
For wherever applicable to the stage
The modern ma sician has adopted the
best novel features of these latest In
ventions. and. combining them with his
sieight Of hand. has brought forth an
entirely new school of maRic-0ne diff
fsrins entirely from the ancient forms
measure by Houdin.
Before Houdin's time. which was about
the middle OF the las. century. the
stage magician had always intimately
associated himself with mysterious sur
roundings-a method OF magic descended
from the Asiatic. who for centuries. and
even today. affects as much OF mys-
tcism in his accessories as possible.
The stage or chamber where the ex-
hibition was given. was draped with
heavy curtains. and hangings. ex-
travagantly profuse- The lights were
dim and preferably tinted by some
subtle CT sTaical that lent a CHASTITY hue
20 the Surroundings The magician him
self was always clad In flowing robes.
with great sleeves. whose caDacious folds
might hide. horse and wagon-almost.
whether OF objects or of gestures. the
production of the so-called magic ef-
feet was easy.
The art had therefore fallen into the
hands Of charIatans. who took no pains
u possess even the rudiments OF
sieight of hand. which Is the A-B-C OF
magic. but depended entirely upon the
mysterious accessories TO deceive the
senses OF their audiences. many of whom
We're grossly ignorant Indeed. less
than q century ago. many magtcians, to
more greatly influence this ignorant
lass. pretended 20 possess supernatural
power. one OF the favorfte claims being
hat the wizard was in league with the
areh 6end himself.
With the advent Of Houdn. however
whose skill was marvellous. the art of
magic was lifted 70 higher plane. He
discarded the heavy drapings. the dim
lights and the flowing robes with the
SlISpiciouSly extravaganza sleeves. every
thing about the stage was set In man
ner OF .verest simplicity. The great
Hermann, who followed him about forty
wears ago. carried this simplicity to the
last degree. His stage contained moth
ing but chair table generally glass
topped. that the audience might see right
through IL. or some such article OF fur
niture essential to the performance: and
these. as soon as used. Were swiftly re-
moved, TO leave the stage bare for the
next trick.
-
Instead OF the mapping folds Of the
Asiatic costume. with bushel basket
pockets. he assumed the simple evening
dress Of the swallow tall" which, to
all appearances. offers no possible place
or concealment for hidden rabbits. roses
and other surprising hora and fauna.
Tit mode Of dress has been followed
ever since oy the nrst rank or masfcians.
or course. this discarding of mystical
accessories made the practice of magic
far more dificult; reliance had now to be
placed entirely upon the skill and sleight
Of hand OF the magician. But this neces-
sity OF having 10 stand before an audi
ence on bare stage. clothed in a close
fitting suit, with nothing but dexterity
and art 10 rely upon, effectually weeded
ont the spiritualistic fraud and the faker.
who had depended upon those former
manifold adjuncts for their wonder work.
inU