Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-29
HIDDEN VOICES OF THE PAST
Old Religions Owed Much to Use
of VentrilOquism.
without II Their OracIes md Tnlk,nu
statues Would Have Bccn Dumb
The "Knack" May BE Quite
Easily Acquired.


1t used to he a very serious business To
IT the old religions owed much. and
without 1t nearly all their oracles and
talking statues would have been dumb.
In Persia, Greece and Egypt the ven
trlloquist was made much Of and Sc
cured for the mysteries. The people then
feared him; now they laugh at him But
they only laugh at him in civilized coun-
tries.
Not so very long ago there was a negro
In the Island of st. Thomas who used
TO divine on the same lines, taking about
with him a clay statue he had roughly
made. In Haiti the same sort Of thing Is
going on to-day. and the voices come to
condemn from even tho trees and the
rivers
This carries us back again to the past.
Did not the tree speak TO Apolonius at
the command Of the Egyptian gymno-
sophst in feeble voice like that of a
woman? Did not the oaks of DOdona
answer questions in every branch? Did
not Pythagoras solemnly talk to the
River Nessus and receive for a reply the
equivalent to Good morning. Pvthag-
oras"?
At Fernando Pc. on the African West
Coast, there still exists the worship Of
Umo and great is the vencration for
the grottoes in which his rites are held.
At the height Of the excitement the priest
stands alone and the worshippers. one
by one, lay their gifts before him, SIX
ing him to question t'mo on some mat
ter in which they are concerned. soon
the priest becomes troubled In look. and
tells the crowd of eager listeners that
Cmo Is approaching. Then from the
ground comes sonorous voice. and to
every question put the voice replies. 1t
Is I'mo who is talking, but who is Umo?
AMONG THE EsKIMOs
similar scene was described by Cap
tain Lyon as taking place among the
Eskimos at T'elulik. The sorcerer consent
ed TO invoke the spirit Of Tornga If ade-
ouately paid The presents We're given.
and Tornga came. The lights We're put
out. and the sorcerer began his chant.
ending in an appeal to Tornga TO present
himself Suddenly his voice became muf-
fed and as he spoke seemed to come from
farther and farther away dropping TO
whisper and stopping altogether II had
gone in search Of Tornga.
In about minute the whisper was
heard again, increasing in strength, ana
seemingly approaching. accompanied by
another voice, loud and harsh ana very
different The loud. harsh voice said a
few words, made itself generally agree
able and then took it's departure, speak
ing even more softly as II went, ana
suhsidng In n whisper that was cut snort
hv the full voice Of the priest
Over and over again has VentrilOquism
been user Tor me purposes o' I'a""
though no man on ms guar" """lu ''''
he taken in by II. Tor us marVe'S are
only wrought ON 'ne '"'e'eHS VI VIC
weak N siRht ana u'"''''S'
''' famous - ,,.,
as a triumph "' '',
pant was V"''' 10 '"!' VI
N"' we 49,, ,,os
'F .,,o,,' oanao,.. No.,
,'"'9 va NV. t-, .to
N'' W ''' ,
no * rich and has excellent character
am suffering severe bnt just punish
mont because opposed a suitable mar
liaee
When. a minute or SO afterward, Louis
was introduced from an ante-chamber
in which he had been waiting, he found
the widow so frightened that she gave
her immediate consent
But Louis had no money. notwithstand-
ing what the voice had said What was
he u doo
He called on a rascally banker named
Cornu, resolved to frighten him out -
some Of his lI-gotten gains Adroitlv
turning the conversation. he spoke of re-
wards and punishments and a future life.
and when he noticed the banker was some
what alarmed at his doscription of the
fate in store for him. an appealing voice
was baard c,oip,ire 10 NJ C,orr,, ,,.bo-
and ordering Cornu 10 give Brabant TO-
on pounds toward freeing the Christians
from the Turks
Cornu I'D not part with ,he money. and
ca 1.ou,s wont n bi,,, oaot, ,,.ho,, w.
scene was again cnocted with ir,crove-
ments and Louis c,,,,o oo.,v witch .b, ,,.sb
In tril,n,nh