Republican farmer., 1919-05-30

The great claims Of wonder-work- ing made by Spiritualists today has led once again to a revival of the dis cussion. on the tricks performed by Indian Juggicrs. Are these feats. such s.s the rope trick, the growing oranges while you wait, merely the result of Eleight-of- hand, or has a mysterious apirit-influence something to do with it all?
 Let me say straight away that I do not believe there is anything In the Indian juggier's art which is not sus- ceptible to explanation. There is noth- ing supernatural about his perform ance. amazing as 1t very often is, although he claims, as the famous jusgler, Ram Findha claimed. that his work was considerably assisted by spirits and EenH. which he sum fnoned to his aid.
 The most famous illustration of Indian juggling Is the Indian rope trick The only time I have seen it pCrforme was at Massi- i-kassi, in Cast Africa where there is very large Indian community. l was stay ing at this small Portuguese town, which stands on the frontiers of Rho- desia, and I was told one afternoon, that an Indian jusgler and conjuror AaaAGUdtu kANAlA1 thiA N-NAAA'''+'A' ''' NA'~ rnarkct-place. and my presence was ''hcnorably" requested
 There were several Europeans present at the entertainment. which was a more or. less ordinary affair and one which did not particularly i'm press me. When it was over I asked the conturor whether he had ever heard of the Indian rope trick. He replied that he had, and that on one
 .st... h., 4s-f ffftf lariy gifted by the supernatural pow CTS. which guided him he could per form 1t.
 ''Very we'll" said I. ''Iet us have an exhibition of it now
 To this however. he demurred. say ing that he had not the "spirit' in him. and that he had hardly thought it wns possible that in his present atraightened circumstances. with his mind worried as 1t was by the illness of his father and the recent death of his mother and the starvation of nis family at Bombay, that he could arouse himself to the necessary con- dttion of ecstacy which made such performance possible.
 We made the only reply. namely, that we should be most happy to sub scribe between us a sufficient sum. which, if 1t did not bring his mother back to life and immediately cure his father would at least alleviate the sufferings of his family in Bombay We raised between us something like two pounds for which sum he agreed on the following morning to perform the trick.
 After dinner that night we receiv- cd a. luessa Ee from one of the ragged followers that the performance would occur on n little hill just outside Mas si-Kassi. between half past five and six in the morning. that being the time his Eenn had chosen for the man. ifestation.
 The Ropc Trick Performed.
 It seemed miserable hour but we stout fellows turned up just before. sunrise and found the conjuror for them. He had found all his para phernaiia and had it stretched out on the ground. His small boy assistant. Fl7fvering under q large sack which was wrapped about his shoulders. was on hand. and all that was neces- sarv to make the experiment possible was the performance of certain rites and the mutterlngs of certain incan- tatiouE. which our conjuror proceeded forthwith to ruutter.
 The place where we were to sit vla indicated to us. and at six o'clock tha actual experiment began. I can hardly say that the conjuror stood with his back against the rising sun. We had that same glaring orb of day shining straight in our faces. He pro duccd a rope. threw it up, and. l agree that it Immediately became stiff. The ltt'le boy climbed on to his shoulder, and apparently climbed the rope. and ps apparently disappeared. The con turor'a four assistants excited greet and they were shouting excited greet fnrs 10 the invisible boy. for invisible be was to us. There was a sudden thud, the lad landed flop on the ground from nowhere fin particular. and the experiment was finished. My theory was that the success of the trick depended entirely upon the sun bolrs 4n our eyes. and that the real tricA was making the rope stand stlfflv upright. but that could be done if a certain type of fibre was used.
 The boy then climbed to the mans shoulder, crouched as if to leap for ward, bur in reality disappeared be- hind the man from whence he again emerged when the experiment was over. I have never yet met anybody who saw the trick performed on the diffused light of that day.
 The Woman In the Sack.
 But there are other tricks which only Indians have performed, so Tar ns know. which are almost as amaz- . ing as the rope trick. For example, there Is the woman in the sack, which ] do not think as yet has ever been uuccessfully performed or satisfac- tor.ly explained.
 The tuggler took an ordinary jute sack and through 1t on the ground. He then brought 1t round to us-this happened in Natal---and invited us to examine it before he again placed 1t on tho ground and trampled all over it. piercing 1t with the point or a sword in about 20 places
 He then opened the mouth of the sack and blew into it. It immedi- ateiy began to swell as though IL were large balloon and airproof. thougn n this it could not have been, since the bag was of loosely y-woven fibre. After it had swollen to it's fullest capacity. we observed strange writhings ana twistings going on as though some uyua tpafda He then opened the