Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-26


sages, however, are automatic, I. ..
communications from the sublimi-
nal consciousness finding express
sion through muscular working
controlled IN method hitherto only
imperfectly understood
what does ouija mean, anyway
we asked the patent Office. for We
have heard all sorts Of cabalistic
meanings attached to the queer syl-
tables.
"Well," said an oblfying clerk,
"the name is trade marked just as
word, but we understand that it
means "yes. yes" being derived
from oui. which is French for yes,
and ia, which is German.
This seems plausible, II we dis
count ouija's own statements that
its name signifies '"Phe Masters
Hand" or "The Unknown" or that
it is Hawaiian for Truth" If oui-
ia had not told so many people
such different names for itself 1t
| might be easier to believe that the
word savors of the occult. AS 1t
! is, we fear that some prOsalc toy
maker, French perhaps, or German,
accidentally put these two syiiacles
together and found the effect pleas
/ ing, SO that he named the board
which answered yes and no. oulJa'
a union of languages not offensive
to anyone in those days.
! The ouija board most used in the
United States was patented by Will
liam Fuld, a Baltimore toy man
ufacturer. Mr.. Fuld invented his
board simply as game Of the puz-
zle or mystic variety. He is very
careful to say that he does not
claim any remarkable powers for
his invention, but, on the other
hand, he tells the public that ne
does not himself know exactly
what makes the little table move In
so uncanny fashion.
This Solomon-iike verdict is the
only safe one for the inventor, for
to deny outspokenly that his little
board held any kinship with spirits
would greatly injure the trade in
his best seller, while if he claimed
mysterious powers in league with
the bits of wood, then he might be
held responsible for some OF oulja's
playful jokes.
Take the recent case Of the wom-
an who was unable to account fol
the disappearance Of a sum OF men
iey. Ouija told her that a certain
neighbor had taken it, and tins
startling advice was accepted as
clue from heaven. The neighbol
was dramatically accused of theft
and the case wenN to court, one
woman claiming charge OF theft
and the other after a libel suit In
! such an instance the inventor o.
:. ouija is safe from attack as the
cause Of it all, as he never claimed
that his invention was infallible.
Host Of ouija's history has beer
comedy, SO far, and good deal has
been farce, but in a few cases al
unaccountable force is said to have
guided the board. The outstanding
example e this is the well known
story Of Patience Worth who SEN
messages to a st. Louis woman
through q oiuja board. The nys
terry of Patience was that she talk
. ed in the language Of 18th century
England, using words and figures Of
speech which the medium could moi
possibly know, but which were al
most always found in dictionaries
of archaic English. Patience is
still a mystery 18th century
English spinster who came to st
Louis to give her poems to the 20tf
century, and for social chats witt
the medium and her friends, al
through the ouija board.
/ We had talked to the ouiia board
and delved into its history, ant
there was one more thing we want.
ed to know about ouija-how does
/, it work, anyway. We called up the
bureau of standards, the govern
nent's scientific laboratory. The
chief clerk answered, after his sec.
lretary had gurgled our message tt
him between fits Of giggles, easll,
heard over the phone. The chic
!. clerk was amused too, but the third
commandment Of the government i.
to give serious answer to III.
quiries.
"Of course" he said, 1--WE have
never made a study Of this matter
Unoficially, should say that there
|. is tendency for the eye TO guide
the little table toward some letter
The influence of the eye Is shown
, in that it is impossible to get re
, suits blindfolded.
/ Yes" he concluded, at is prob
| ably the working Of the suh-con
scious mind"
Still, we wonder. Thousands O
people play with the board ever,
night. when the supper table i.
, cleared Off, and weesee tells then
what day Jim will come home, ant
who is playing at the Main Stree
picture show. Sometimes weegei
; hits the answer, som etimes he fails
1t is a game. But ont of thcs,
thousands of ouija fans comes on
: who calls up Patience Worth. Il
: upset the common sense theorie,
and keep US wondering.