THE
Practical Magician
AND
VENTRILOQUIST’S GUIDE.
A PRACTICAL MANUAL OF
FIRESIDE MAGIC AND CONJURING ILLUSIONS,
CONTAINING ALSO
COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACQUIRING & PRACTISING
The Art of Ventriloquism.
New York
HURST & CO., Publishers,
75 Nassau Street.
(Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1876, by Thomas D. Hurst, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D.C.)
BEST BOOK ON THE “BLACK ART.”
PARLOR PASTIMES.
A NEW BOOK ON
MAGIC, CONJURING, LEGERDEMAIN,
AND PRESTIDIGITATION.
BY THE CELEBRATED
PROFESSOR RAYMOND
This work is certainly the most exhaustive one on Magic that has ever been issued. It exposes all the secrets of the Wizard’s Art. No trick or illusion of importance is left unnoticed, and the explanations are made in so simple a manner that any one of ordinary comprehension can readily understand and perform them. The book thoroughly elucidates all the mysteries connected with
| White Magic, | Galvanism, |
| Natural Magic, | Magnetism, |
| Jugglery, | Legerdemain, |
| Sleight-of-Hand, | Necromancy, |
| Electricity, | Fireworks, |
| Chemistry, | Mechanics, |
| Cards, | The Black Art, |
| Coins, | Prestidigitation. |
It also contains a grand assortment of
RIDDLES, CONUNDRUMS, CHARADES, ENIGMAS, REBUSES, TRANSPOSITIONS, ANAGRAMS, PUZZLES, PARADOXES, ACROSTICS, AND PROBLEMS.
A study of this extremely interesting work would make any one thoroughly expert in the art of Amusing, whether in private or public. The work may be consulted with profit either by the Amateur or Professional Magician.
Price Twenty-Five Cents.
Sent to any address on receipt of price. Address
HURST & CO., 75 Nassau Street, New York.
CONTENTS.
The Practical Magician
AND
VENTRILOQUIST’S GUIDE.
[CHAPTER I]
INTRODUCTORY.
My object in writing these hints on Conjuring is for the benefit of amateurs to promote lively and entertaining amusement for the home circle and social gatherings.
My large experience enables me to explain and simplify many of the best tricks and illusions of the art. I present the key to many of the mystical mysteries which have puzzled and bewildered our childhood days as well as confounded us in our maturer years.
The young student can in a very short time, if he be in the least of an ingenious turn, amuse and astonish his friends, neighbors and acquaintances.
Preference has been given to those tricks which suggest others, the more complete and difficult performances and illusions have been passed by as being out of place; I shall not, therefore, in these elementary papers advert to those experiments which require ample resources, or a prepared stage, for exhibiting them—or which can only be displayed to advantage by consummate skill and the most adroit manipulation—but confine my remarks at present to those branches of the art to the performance of which a young amateur may aspire with prospect of success.
A few hours’ practice will enable the learner to execute the simple tricks that I shall first treat of; and they will only require for their display such articles as are readily available in every household. Most of them will be supplied by any company of a few friends, and if not in the parlor, can be brought from no greater distance than the kitchen or housekeeper’s room; such as handkerchiefs, coins, oranges, or eggs, a glass bowl, etc., etc. There may only remain a few inexpensive articles to be supplied from repositories for the sale of conjuring apparatus, or they may be had direct from the publishers of this work.
It may be well explicitly to avow that the time is quite gone by when people will really believe that conjuring is to be done by supernatural agencies. No faith is now reposed in the “black art of sorcery,” or even in the art to which the less repulsive name was given of “white magic.” Many years have elapsed since conjurors have seriously assumed to themselves any credit as possessing supernatural powers, or as enabled by spiritual agency to reveal that which is unknown to science and philosophy, or mysteriously to work astonishing marvels.
A well-marked contrast exists between the old school of conjurors and those of modern times. The former, who used boldly to profess that they employed mysterious rites and preternatural agency, designedly put the spectator upon false interpretations, while they studiously avoided giving any elucidation of the phenomena, nor would ever admit that the wonders displayed were to be accounted for by the principles of science and natural philosophy.
Modern conjurors advance no such pretensions. They use as scientifically as possible the natural properties of matter to aid in their exhibition of wonderful results. They are content to let the exhibition of their art appear marvelous. They sometimes mystify the matter, and so increase the puzzle, in order to heighten the interest and amusement of the spectators; but they throw aside any solemn asseveration of possessing hidden powers, or of ability to fathom mysterious secrets.
It may be admitted that proficients and exhibitors still adopt language that has become current with conjurors, and in common parlance it may be asserted that the wonderful Mr. So-and-So undertakes to pass some solid object through a wall or a table; to change black into white, and white into black; to place rings in closely-fastened boxes, or draw money out of people’s ears; and conjurors may with ridiculous humor distract the attention of spectators, so that accurate observation is not fixed upon the object that is to undergo before their eyes some singular transformation; but no outrageous bombast or positive falsehoods are commonly advanced. And the practical meaning of any exaggerated pretension is clearly understood to mean no more than that Mr. So-and-So undertakes to present before you what, TO ALL APPEARANCE, is the conversion of black into white, or vice versa; and the audience are clearly aware that no more is assumed to be presented to them than a very striking illusion, undistinguishable from a reality; and how this is effected will be in many cases wholly untraceable, and therefore the trick is inimitable.
We may be permitted to feel some pleasure in the conviction that the exhibition of our art in its more striking exploits is really marvelous, and very attractive; for we certainly have the power of placing some astonishing phenomena before our audience; and we may surely prize the estimation with which the uninitiated are disposed to honor us, but we erect no vain-glorious assumptions upon these data, as we are quite contented with fair praise intelligently accorded to us. And so far from closely concealing the principles and arcana of our science, we are ready plainly to avow that it all depends upon faculties that all may attain by patient culture, and exhibit by careful practice. Undoubtedly there are less and greater degrees of excellence to be obtained by proportionate intelligence and dexterity. There are attainments in the art, at which, by natural qualification and peculiar adaptation, special study, practice, and experience enable some few only to arrive. These qualifications cannot be easily communicated to every one who might wish to possess them; and therefore the highest adepts will ever have an incommunicable distinction. But this is no more than is the case in the medical, the legal, and any learned profession, in all which the most eminent proficients reserve to themselves, or unavoidably retain, an unquestioned superiority. At the same time there is much in our art that may be communicated, and the present papers will show to our friends that we are willing to impart to others such portions of our art as they are capable of acquiring; and we trust that what we shall communicate to them will furnish them much rational recreation among themselves, and enable them to supply innocent and interesting amusement to their friends and companions.
[CHAPTER II.]
OF PALMISTRY AND PASSES.
The true nature and limit of the art of Conjuring has now been defined—what it is that we assume to do, and wherein we have discontinued the exaggerated pretensions of the conjurors of the old school; and I have hinted in what respects, and within what bounds, a young amateur may gim at exhibiting some amusing experiments in our art. But it remains for me to explain the grand pre-requisite for a novice to cultivate before he should attempt to exhibit before others even the simplest tricks of prestidigitation or legerdemain, to which we at present confine our attention.
I have first to speak of Palmistry, not in the sense that the fortune-teller uses the word, but as expressing the art of the conjuror in secreting articles in the PALM of one hand while he appears to transfer those articles to his other hand. It is absolutely necessary that the young amateur should acquire the habit of doing this so adroitly as to escape the observation of others while doing it openly before their eyes.
The two principal passes are the following:
FIRST PASS; or, method of apparently carrying an object from the right hand to the left, while actually retaining it in the right hand.
The reader will please to observe that the illustrative sketches depict the hands of the performer as seen by himself.
FIRST POSITION OF PASS 1.
The right hand, having the knuckles and back of the fingers turned toward the spectators, and holding openly a cent, or some similar object, between the thumb and forefinger, must be moved toward the left hand.
The left hand must be held out, with the back of the hand toward the ground, as exhibited in the illustration. (Fig. 1.)
Fig. 1.
First Position of Pass 1.
SECOND POSITION OF PASS 1.
The left hand must appear to close over the object that is brought toward it, at the same instant that the right hand secretes and withdraws that object.
The left hand that appeared to receive it must continue closed. The right hand, though it actually retains the object, must be allowed to hang loosely over it, so that it appears to have nothing in it.
Fig. 2.
Second Position of Pass 1.
The performer then may blow upon the closed left hand, and may say, “Fly,” or “Begone,” or any similar expression, and then open his left hand, holding it forward. Of course there is nothing in it, and the object seems to have flown from it, and the spectators are much surprised.
SECOND PASS.—Method of apparently transferring an object from the left hand to the right, while retaining it in the left hand.
FIRST POSITION.
Let the left hand hold up the object in its open palm. The right hand is brought toward the left hand, but only appears to grasp it.
Fig. 3.
First Position of Pass 2.
SECOND POSITION.
The left hand secretes the object in its palm, while the fingers are allowed to fall loosely down, appearing to retain nothing under them. At the very same moment the right hand must be closed, and remain in shape as if containing the object, with the second joints of the fingers pointed toward the spectators, and the back of the hand toward the ground. The performer then holding his right hand forward, may blow on it and say “Change—fly,” and opening that hand, the spectator deems the object has passed away from it, though in fact it has remained all along in the left hand.
Fig. 4.
Second Position of Pass 2.
The illusion in either of these passes is, that the spectator seeing both hands move as if the object were passing from one to the other, thinks it has done so; whereas, in fact, the object always remains in the hand where it was first visible to the spectators. The BACK of that hand where the object is first displayed must afterwards be kept well toward the spectators.
Observe, the eye of the performer must rest always on the hand or object at which he desires the spectators to look, and whatever he wishes them not to notice, he himself must refrain from looking at.
If it is not required that the very object that has been held up in these passes be seen again by the spectators, the performer must quietly pocket it, or drop it on a handkerchief on his table, or inside a hat, or otherwise get rid of it as soon as he conveniently can.
On the contrary, if that very object must be again produced or transferred to a person standing at some little distance, this must be effected by one of the following methods:
Either you must take care beforehand to place adroitly in that person’s cap or pocket a double or similar object.
Or, you must walk up to him, and putting your hand on his hair, sleeve, or pocket, quickly place there the object you have all along retained, and which you must pretend by this manœuvre to find in his possession.
Or, lastly, you will see in the first trick subjoined, a method of substituting one object for another.
FIRST TRICK.—To command a dime to pass into the centre of a ball of Berlin wool, so that it will not be discovered till the ball is unwound to the very last of its threads.
REQUISITE PREPARATIONS, TO BE MADE PRIVATELY.
You will require a glass bowl or quart basin, and you must have a flattened tube of tin about four inches long. It must be just large enough to let a dime slide easily through it by its own weight. Round the end on this tube wind a ball of Berlin wool of bright color, covering about two inches of the tube, and projecting about an inch beyond the end of it. Place this ball with the tube in it in your right-hand pocket of coat tail, (or in the left breast-pocket, if that is large enough to hold it completely covered.) Lastly, place a dime concealed in the palm of your left hand.
Commence the exhibition of the trick by requesting one of the spectators to mark a dime (or cent) of his own, so that he will be sure to know it again. Then ask him to lend you that coin. Holding it up in your right hand, you may say, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is the marked dime which I shall experiment with. The gentleman has accurately marked it, so that there can be no mistake about its identity when reproduced.” Then by Pass 1 pretend to transfer the marked coin to your left hand, but in reality retain it in your right hand. Next, hand with your left hand your own dime (which had been secreted in that hand) to some person, and request him to hold it. Choose for this person some one three or four yards distant from yourself, and also from the person who originally marked the coin. It is unnecessary to explain that you do so, lest the two should compare notes. Of course, the person who is asked to hold it will believe that it is the very dime that was borrowed.
You may proceed to say: “Now we want a ball of worsted.” So, placing your right hand in your pocket, pretend to feel about for something in your pocket, and while doing so you must place the dime in the top of the tin tube, and shake it down. Then carefully draw the tube out of the ball of worsted; and leave the tube in your pocket, but draw the ball out of your pocket, pressing it together while doing so.
Then request some one to feel the ball in order to ascertain that it has no opening towards its centre.
You may here make some humorous remark about your having such a ball in your pocket. As for instance:
“Ladies may think it odd that I have such a ball of Berlin wool in my pocket. It was bought to please my cousin Mary Ann, or my Aunt Tabitha. Well, it will do very fairly for our experiment.”
Then request some one to hold the glass basin containing the woollen ball. While you retain in your hand the end of the woollen thread, address the gentleman who has consented to hold the dime, asking him to hand it to you. Take it in your right hand, pretend by Pass 1 to transfer it to your left hand, but in reality keep it concealed in your right hand.
Holding up your closed left hand, (which in fact has nothing in it,) you may say:
“Now, dime, pass along this woollen thread into the very centre of the woollen ball which is there held in the glass bowl or basin.”
Blow upon your left hand, and show that the dime is gone.
You must adroitly get rid of the dime, which has remained secreted in your right hand, by placing it in your pocket or sleeve while making some humorous remark, or while asking some lady or gentleman to draw the woollen thread till it is all unwound. It will be done the quicker by letting the ball be confined loosely in the bowl with two fingers preventing its leaping out.
Draw attention to how completely the coin is wrapped up till you arrive at the very last circles, when it will drop into the bowl.
Hand the dime to the owner who marked it, and let him declare whether he recognizes it as the very one he lent you. His affirmative will surprise the spectators.
SECOND TRICK.—To change a bowl of ink into clear water, with gold fish in it.
REQUISITE PREPARATION, TO BE MADE PRIVATELY BEFOREHAND.
The same glass bowl as in previous trick. If your bowl has not a foot to it, it must be placed on something that will hold it high above your table. Some small fish, a white plate or saucer, a piece of black silk just fitting the inside of your bowl, a spoon of peculiar construction, so that in a hollow handle it will retain about a teaspoonful of ink, which will not run out as long as a hole near the top of the handle is kept covered or stopped. A large tumbler and two or three minnows will do for a simpler exhibition, but will, of course, not be so pleasing to the eye.
Place the black silk so as to cover the part of the bowl that is shaded; when damp it will adhere to the glass. Pour in clear water to fill the space covered by the black silk, and place the fish in the water.
Fig. 5.
Commence the trick in public thus: Holding the spoon-handle slanting up and uncovering the hole in the handle, the ink which you have placed in the handle will run into the bowl of the spoon, and the spoon being held carefully to the surface of the water, concealing the black silk, will give the spectators the impression that you fill the spoon from the glass bowl.
Pour the spoonful of ink on a white saucer, and show it round to convince the spectators it is ink. They will see it is undeniably ink, and they will conclude, if the spoon were properly lifted out of the bowl, that the glass bowl contains nothing but ink.
Borrowing a silk handkerchief, place it for a few seconds over the bowl, and feigning to be inviting fish to come to the bowl, exclaim “Change!” Then, placing your hand on the edge of the bowl near yourself, draw off the handkerchief, and with it take care to catch hold also of the black silk. The bowl when uncovered will exhibit the fish swimming about in clear water. While the spectators are surprised at the fish, return the handkerchief, having first dropped out of it the black silk on your side of the table. Decline giving any explanation, as people will not thank you for dispelling the illusion.
THIRD TRICK.—The Dancing Egg.
REQUISITE PREPARATION TO BE MADE IN PRIVATE.
An egg-shell that has been blown (my young friends will know that the way to blow an egg is to make a small hole at each end of the egg. Then, by blowing at one end, the yolk will be driven out, and the egg-shell be left empty.)
Make a hole also on the side of the egg, in which insert a chip of wood, or a small pin, held by a fine black silk thread, about twelve or fourteen inches long, which must have a loop at the far end, which loop fasten to a button on the coat or waistcoat; and have on a dark vest, otherwise the dark thread becoming visible, will reveal the moving power.
Fig. 6.
Commence by borrowing two black hats. If there is an instrument in the room, ask some one to play a lively tune, as “eggs are fond of lively music to dance to.” Then, with the brim of a hat in each hand, interpose the round of each hat successively under the thread that holds the egg, moving them from your breast toward the egg. The egg will appear to move of itself over the hats, as you place them under it.
You must not allow people to handle the egg on the thread afterwards, for when they see the simplicity of the process they will undervalue the trick, whereas it appears marvellous as long as they do not understand how the extraordinary movements are produced. And in these illusions, as Hudibras expresses it,
Doubtless, the pleasure is as great
In being cheated as to cheat.
FOURTH TRICK.—The Walking Cent.
PRELIMINARY PREPARATION IN PRIVATE.
Ask for a long dark hair from some lady’s tresses. Have a pin in shape of a hook, or a small loop affixed to the end of this hair, and fasten a little piece of beeswax (less than a pea) at the other end of the hair. Fasten the hair by the loop to a button on your vest, taking care to wear a dark-colored vest. The hair may be allowed to hang from your vest, with the beeswax visible. Have a glass of water or cup on the table.
Commence the exhibition of the trick by borrowing a cent. While pretending to examine the cent to see if it is a good one, press the waxed end of the hair firmly to the under side of the cent, and place it about a foot from the edge of a table. Then bid the cent to move toward you, to the right or to the left, and by gently moving your body in whatever direction you name, the hair will draw the cent in the same direction. You may say, while your left hand is near the table, “Now, cent, move up my arm.” Advancing your arm gently, the cent will appear to move up to your elbow. It is your arm that moves, but it will appear to the spectators as if the cent moved; or you may help it up the outside of the sleeve by interposing your right hand under the hair, so as to draw up the cent, while appearing to beckon it.
“Now, cent, as you have performed so well, you shall have a bath.” Placing the tumbler near the edge of the table, draw the cent into it. After exhibiting it in the water, say, “Oh, cent, you must not stay so long in the water.” Then jerk it out upon the table. Detach the waxed end of the hair by your nail, after which return the cent to the person who loaned it to you.
When performing this trick, in order to keep the spectators at a little distance, you must inform them that “the cent is very susceptible to magnetic influences, and request ladies not to approach too near it, as the loadstones of their eyes are the cause of the magnetic attraction.”
Fig. 7.
My young friends must remember that it is absolutely necessary to keep up in spectators their belief in the mysterious, and therefore must decline on the spot to give explanations before or after the performance of this trick, however they may be disposed to reveal the secret privately to any friend. A singular instance is recorded of a person who was grievously disappointed when by importunity he had received an explanation of this very trick, which had appeared at first to him a most marvellous phenomenon; and he was quite annoyed when the gilt was stripped off his ginger-bread. It is said that a gentleman walked into a coffee-room at Manchester, England, and was exhibiting to a friend the above trick. A traveler at a table near them had his attention drawn by their laughing discourse, while one of them exhibited the trick to the other. The cold barrier of English reserve was broken down, and he addressed one of the strangers, requesting to be informed how the trick was done. For his part he imagined it must be connected with some perfectly new philosophical law of attraction involved in the experiment. “Will you be kind enough to tell me? I shall be happy to offer a fee to learn it. I was about to proceed by the next train, but I will gladly defer my journey to understand this, which appears so unaccountable.”
The gentleman declined for a considerable time; but at length, being overcome by the importunity, in order to get rid of the matter, assented. The time of the departure of the train had arrived and passed by, and the aspirant offered two guineas to learn the trick. The gentleman acceded to his request on condition that he should faithfully promise not to reveal it to others, or to make public the mystery. “Agreed,” says the traveler. The mail train was gone—the money paid—the trick exhibited and explained to him. “Oh!” cried the traveler, “how easy and plain it is. What a simpleton I have been to lose my journey and spend my money only to learn how you—.” “Stop!” cried the gentleman, “remember you have promised not to divulge the secret.” “Yes, but how foolish to care for an experiment which only depends on—.” “Stop, sir, stop. Are you going to tell all the room?” and thus a good half-hour’s amusement was caused by the traveler fretting over his simplicity, and having relinquished an important journey for that which, though marvellous while a secret, became so simple and uninteresting to him after an explanation.
[CHAPTER III.]
TRICKS WITH AND WITHOUT COLLUSION.
In resuming my hints to amateurs, I shall now offer some remarks upon two subjects.
First.—I will notice the class of tricks that are performed by the collusion of a confederate. Old books on conjuring record several of this description, and some conjurors still practise them. But I do not advise the inexperienced frequently to exhibit tricks of this sort, for the co-operation of assistants used in them is liable to be traced by spectators, or to be divulged by the person who has been employed to aid in the exhibition of them. They may, indeed, be very well as a make-shift until dexterity of hand is acquired; but they will always rank as an inferior branch of the science of conjuring, and if the collusion is discovered, it will throw discredit even upon those tricks which the same performer may exhibit without such collusive arrangement. An instance of the annoying failure of such dependence upon confederates is recorded in “Houdin’s Memoirs.” It is there related that Torrini, at the commencement of his career, was insidiously induced by an envious rival (Pinetti) to undertake a public exhibition of his art before a very grand assembly. Torrini was at the time diffident of his own attainments, but he was persuaded to make the attempt by the assurance of Pinetti that he would take care that several confederates should be present, and should help in carrying out sundry illusions which he would have to display. One of these was, that the conjuror, after borrowing a ring, was to restore it magically into the possession of its owner. The ring was borrowed, and some mysterious gesticulations practised; but instead of the contemplated result being produced, the false confederate proclaimed aloud that he had lent a very valuable jewelled ring, and had only received back a common copper ring. The audience was of course disappointed at such words so derogatory to the conjuror. This unpleasant feeling was deepened by the malicious meddling of another false confederate. Torrini had to present some cards to the King of Naples, who was honoring the assembly by witnessing the exhibition, and a card was selected by his Majesty. Instead, however, of being pleased with what he saw on the card, the king manifested intense disapprobation. The confederate had written on the card words of disrespect and insult, and Torrini had to retire amid the loud censures of the enraged spectators. There may be no danger of so disastrous results to a young amateur; but dissatisfaction of a milder kind will probably ensue whenever it is discovered that any trick has depended upon the secret co-operation of an assistant among the spectators.
The SECOND topic which I propose at present to discuss is the employment of mechanism—such mechanical constructions as boxes with false sides, cabinets with secret drawers, or double compartments, etc.
It makes a great difference whether such arrangements are used as subordinate aids, or as constituting the essence and substance of the illusion. In the former respect it is quite legitimate to take advantage of any well-arranged mechanical aid subordinately. In fact, nearly all tricks must be performed with some modified aid of artistic contrivance, or with mechanical implements adroitly used. The conjuror, therefore, unavoidably requires, and may advantageously employ, mechanical arrangements to give greater effect to his illusions. I only wish to dissuade the learner from relying solely upon mere mechanical puzzles, or artistic contrivances, for furnishing an interesting exhibition of the conjuror’s art.
The fewer the contrivances which he employs of this sort, and the more entirely the performance rests upon sleight-of-hand the more lively will be the surprise of the spectators.
I myself prefer doing without the aid of any confederate, and without mechanical aids; but I must remember that I am writing for amateurs and novices in the art, and that, in proportion as they are unpractised in palmistry, and in what the French term prestidigitation, (preste digite, signifying “ready fingers,”) it will be desirable for them, at first, to have the assistance which mechanism will supply towards the exhibition of their tricks.
Let them, however, keep such aids as subordinate and as secret as possible. For instance, in the preparation for exhibiting the first trick described on page 12, the small tin tube (which is requisite for the performance of that trick) must not be seen by the audience, either BEFORE or AFTER the trick is exhibited, but must be kept secreted in the pocket. Again, in Trick No. 4, the preparation of the hair and beeswax must be made PRIVATELY beforehand; and these implements must vanish out of sight when the trick is over. And the reader must observe that in both the first and fourth tricks the mechanical aid employed is the minor and subordinate part of the tricks, and that a successful exhibition of either of them depends really on the dexterity of the passes, and of manipulations by the performer.
It may be admitted, then, that, with regard to the first topic of our present paper, the young conjuror need not be restrained from employing the subordinate aid of an assistant, so far as this may carry him over difficulties which he cannot otherwise surmount in the present stage of his imperfect skill.
And in regard to the second topic, the employment of mechanical contrivances, (though it may be well to begin with those departments of the art which are easier, because aided by mechanical apparatus,) it will be desirable for the amateur to strive to get free from dependence upon such aids. Mechanical arrangements cannot be wholly discarded at any time, and the conjuror will always require a few implements; but the more he advances in dexterity of hand, quickness of eye, control of his hand and eye, instantaneous adaptation of his words and movements to contingencies as they arise, the more able will he become to elude the observation of the most watchful spectators, and to mislead their imagination, so that they shall fancy that they see him DO things which he only APPEARS to do, and shall blindly fail to observe actions and movements carried out before their very eyes.
And here let me say, that I have, by long experience, come to the conviction, that the simpler and more common the objects are on which, and with which, a trick is performed, and the less anything beyond dexterity of hand is openly used, the greater will be the astonishment and the amusement of the spectators. There are, it is true, some very striking and complicated illusions which it is impossible to present without resorting to artistic contrivances of mechanical or scientific arrangement. On these illusions, as being beyond the power of a young amateur, I need not dwell. Nor need the preceding remarks be considered as any disparagement of the combinations and extrinsic aid which are indispensable for developing such startling illusions. The scope of my present remarks is simply to this effect, that to depend mainly upon the co-operation of a confederate, or upon mechanical contrivances, for what can be far better carried out by mere sleight-of-hand, will not pass for a satisfactory exhibition of conjuring now-a-days; and the amateur will find that, as he advances in skill and dexterity, he will swim more freely the less he trusts to such unsubstantial bladders to uphold him.
Having thus discussed my two topics I shall now add explanations of a few more tricks, which the learner may practise with the hope of making progress in the art of conjuring. The only way to make such progress and gain high attainments in the art, is to practise diligently over and over again the passes I have described in my former paper, and to learn to do a few tricks neatly, and without hesitation or stumbling. I subjoin, therefore, some simple but effective tricks, in which they will do well to perfect themselves.
TRICK 5.—To make a quarter and a penny change places, while held in the hands of two spectators.
PREPARATION.
Have a quarter of your own secreted in your right hand. Then borrow two handkerchiefs, and a quarter and a penny, from any one in the audience. Tell the lender to mark or accurately observe them, so that he will know them again. In placing them on the table, substitute your own quarter for the borrowed one, and conceal the borrowed one in your palm.
MEMORANDUM.
It is better to use things borrowed than coin of your own. Still, the conjuror should provide himself with articles requisite to display any trick, or otherwise much delay may occasionally arise while borrowing them.
Commence the trick by pointing out where the quarter and the penny are lying on the table. Take up the penny and show it openly to all. Then take up one of the handkerchiefs, and while pretending to wrap up the penny in it, substitute in its place the borrowed quarter which you had concealed in your palm, and ask one of your friends to feel that it is enfolded in the handkerchief, and bid him hold the handkerchief enclosing it above his head. Ask him if he has got the penny there safely. He will reply that he has.
Then take up your own quarter which was laid upon the table; pretend to wrap it up in the second handkerchief, but adroitly substitute the penny, (which you concealed in your palm while wrapping up the first handkerchief.) Ask some friend to hold it up above his head, indulging in some facetious remark. Slip your own quarter into your pocket. Clap your hands or wave your wand, saying, “Change.” Tell your friends to unfold their handkerchiefs. They will be astonished to find that the quarter and penny have changed places.
TRICK 6.—Another trick with the dime, handkerchief, and an orange or lemon.
PREPARATION.
Have an orange or lemon ready, with a slit made in its side sufficiently large to admit the dime easily; and have in your pocket a good-sized silk handkerchief with a dime stitched into one of its corners.
Borrow a marked dime. Take out your handkerchief, and while pretending to wrap this dime in the handkerchief, conceal it in your palm, and take care that the one previously sewn into the corner of the handkerchief can be felt easily through the handkerchief. Giving it to one of your friends, tell him to feel that it has the dime in it, and to hold it up over his head firmly. While giving these directions to your friend, the dime that is in your palm must be transferred to your pocket, and introduced into the slit of the orange. Then bring the orange out of your pocket, and place it on a table; you will keep the slit on the side away from the audience.
Then make a few mesmeric passes over the hand of the person that holds the handkerchief, saying, “I will now destroy the sense of feeling in your hands. Tell me, can you feel the dime?” He will say, “Yes.” You can reply, “Oh, you must be wrong, sir. See! I will shake out the handkerchief.” Taking hold of one corner of it, shake it out, saying, “Observe, nothing will fall to the ground. You see that you were mistaken about feeling it in the handkerchief.”
The fact is, the dime being stitched in the ‘corner’ could not fall out, and you must take care not to let that corner of the handkerchief hit against the ground. Put the handkerchief in your pocket, and say, “But I must return the borrowed dime.” Exclaim: “Fly, dime, into the orange on the table.” Cut up orange, and show the dime concealed in it, and then restore it to its owner, asking him to tell the audience if he finds it to be his own marked dime.
TRICK 7.—How to double your pocket money.
The only preparation is to have four cents concealed in your left palm.
Commence the trick by calling forward one of the spectators, and let him bring up his hat with him.
Then borrow five cents, or have them ready to produce from your own pocket should there be any delay.
Request your friend, while he places them one by one on a small plate or saucer, to count them audibly, so that the company may hear their number correctly. Inquire, “How many are there?” He will answer, “Five.” Take up the saucer and pour them into your left hand, (where the other four are already concealed.) Then say, “Stay, I will place these in your hat, and you must raise it above your head, for all to see that nothing is added subsequently to them.” You will have placed these nine cents in his hat unsuspected by him.
Borrow five cents more. Make Pass 1, as described on page 9, appearing to throw these five into your left hand, but really retaining them in your right hand, which is to fall by your side as if empty.
Afterwards get rid of four of the five cents into your pocket, retaining only one in your right palm.
Hold up your closed left hand, and say, while blowing on it: “Pass, cents, from my left hand into the hat. Now, sir, be kind enough to see if they have come into your possession. Please to count them aloud while placing them in the saucer.” He will be surprised, as well as the spectators, to find that the cents in his hat have become nine.
You may then put on a rather offended look, and say: “Ah, sir! ah! I did not think you would do so! You have taken one out, I fear.” Approaching your right hand to his sleeve, shake the sleeve, and let the one cent, which you have in your own hand, drop audibly into the saucer. It will raise a laugh against the holder of the hat. You can say: “Excuse me, I only made it appear that you had taken one. However, you see that the original money is now doubled.”
TRICK 8.—The injured handkerchief restored.
PREPARATION.
Have a dime of your own wrapped in the centre of a piece of cambric about five or six inches in diameter, the ends falling down loose. Conceal these in the palm of your left hand.
Borrow a marked dime from any of the spectators, and a white cambric handkerchief. Throw the handkerchief spread out over your left palm, (holding under the handkerchief your own dime wrapped in the small piece of cambric.)
Openly place the borrowed dime on the centre of the spread-out handkerchief. Keeping hold of that dime, jerk the ends of the handkerchief over, so as to fall loose down from the lower side of your left hand. Draw out from between your thumb and fingers (that is from the upper side of your left hand) about two inches of the smaller piece of cambric, containing your own dime. The spectators will naturally conceive the two pieces of cambric you hold in that hand to be merely the cambric handkerchief.
Call any of the spectators forward, and request him to mark off with his knife the portion of the piece of cambric which holds your own dime, and whisper to him to cut it completely off, and to let the dime drop on the table. The spectators will believe that he has cut a hole in the handkerchief itself, and that the dime falling out is the one you recently borrowed, whereas it is in fact the other piece of cambric that has been cut, and the borrowed coin remains still wrapped up in the handkerchief.
Pretend to blame the person who cut the two inches off, saying: “Dear me, sir, what have you done? You have quite destroyed this nice handkerchief. Well, I hope, madam, you will pardon the mistake, if I manage by magic to restore to you your handkerchief in perfect order, and I request you to allow me to try to do so.” Carefully holding in the candle the edges of the cambric, (both of the part cut off and of the portion from which it was cut,) and letting the real handkerchief hang down from the same hand, pretend with a conjuring wand to weld together the edges of the cambric when they get hot, as a blacksmith welds metals together. You can prevent the flame from reaching the real handkerchief by tightly pressing your fingers. Then exclaim: “Oh, where is the dime?” and while picking it up from the table, get quietly rid of the pieces of cambric with their burnt edges into a hat or some corner unseen by the audience.
Holding up the dime which you had just lifted from the table say: “But to complete my trick I must replace this dime in the centre of the restored handkerchief, whence it was cut out.”
Make the Pass 1, appearing to pass it into the centre of the handkerchief, but retaining it in your hand, and afterwards secretly pocket it. The handkerchief has already the borrowed dime in it. Say to the handkerchief: “Change—restore!” and unfolding it, show the borrowed coin in it. Shake out the handkerchief and show it is all sound and right, and restore it with thanks, as well as the borrowed dime, to the owners.
TRICK 9.—To make a large die pass through the crown of a hat without injuring it.
I will now give my young friends a nice, easy trick, requiring very little dexterity, as the articles for its exhibition can be purchased at any depot for the sale of conjuring apparatus; therefore the most diffident amateur will be able to display this trick.
PREPARATION.
Have a die exactly like the common dice, only it may be about two inches square. Have two covers for it, one of them exactly resembling the appearance of a die, only hollow, except that one side of it is open, so that it can easily be placed over, or be taken off, the solid die.
The other cover may be of decorated material, and it is intended to be placed over the first die-cover. Let this last cover be made of some pliant material, so that by compressing gently two of its sides with your fingers, while lifting it up, you can lift up the first die-cover, which will be within it.
Commence the trick by borrowing two hats; place one with its rims upwards on the table, and show that you place in that hat the die with its first cover on it. But say, “I forgot to appeal to the company whether they will like to see the trick done visibly or invisibly.” They will most likely say, “Visibly;” but it is of no consequence which answer they make, for the process of the trick is the same in either case.
Take out from the lower hat the first cover, which is painted exactly like a die, and having placed the second hat (with its rims downwards) on the other hat, display the first cover, and openly place it on the crown of the upper hat. All the spectators will believe it to be the solid die itself. Then take your penknife; you may just thrust it into the crown of the hat, and pretend to cut all round the die-cover there lying; say—“I shall now bid it move into the lower hat, but it will not do so while uncovered, so I must place this ornamental cover over it.” Do so; show that you have nothing in your hands or sleeves; then wave your wand or your hand, and say, “Change, pass, die, into the lower hat.” Give it a little time. Then, compressing the outward cover gently, lift off also with it the painted die-cover, which it has inside it. Lift up the lower hat, and show the company the solid die lying in it. Show all that the upper hat has received no injury.
The illusion to the audience will be that the solid die has passed through the crown of the upper hat without at all injuring it. Return the hats to the owners, and show them to be uninjured.
TRICK 10.—To produce from a silk handkerchief bon-bons, candies, nuts, etc.
PREPARATION.
Have packages of various candies, wrapped up in bags of the thinnest tissue paper, and place them on your table rather sheltered from observation. Have also a plate or two on your table.
MEMORANDUM.
It will be always desirable to have the table removed two or three yards at least from the spectators, and of a height that they cannot see the surface of it while sitting down in front of it.
Commence the trick by borrowing a silk handkerchief, or any large handkerchief. After turning it about, throw it out on the table, so as to fall over one of these packages.
Having carefully observed where the bag lies, place your left hand so as to take up the bag while catching hold of the middle of the handkerchief.
Taking the handkerchief up by nearly the centre, the edges of it will fall around and conceal the bag; make some pretended wavings of your wand or right hand over the handkerchief, and say, “Now, handkerchief, you must supply my friends with some bon-bons.” Squeeze with your right hand the lower part of the bag which is under the handkerchief; the bag will burst, and you can shake out into a plate its contents.
Asking some one to distribute them among your young friends, you can throw the handkerchief (as it were carelessly) over another bag, from which you can in the same way produce a liberal supply of some other sweetmeats, or macaroon biscuits, etc., etc., all of which will be duly appreciated by the juveniles, and they will applaud as long as you choose to continue this SWEET trick.
[CHAPTER IV.]
PRACTICE.
In conjuring, as in all other arts and sciences, perseverance is requisite in order to become expert and successful. There is no royal road, or possibility of acquiring the end, without exercising the means to that end. Let my young friends, then, carefully practise over and over again the passes and the tricks which I have already explained to them. It is the only way to attain dexterity and confidence, without which they will never be able to make any creditable exhibition of the art of conjuring. After they have attained considerable skill and sleight-of-hand in displaying a few tricks, they will easily extend the range of their performances, and gradually rise to greater ability. I may, therefore, parody an old injunction for obtaining success, and say: There are three rules for its attainment: The first is “Practice.” The second is “Practice.” The third is “Practice.” In a word, constant and careful practice is requisite, if any wish to be successful as amateur conjurors. They should never attempt to exhibit before their friends any tricks that they have not so frequently practised that no bungling or hitch is likely to occur in their performance of it.
Let no one be staggered by the simplicity of the processes recommended in these tricks. The result will in fact be all the more astonishing, the simpler the operations employed.
The great point is the address of the performer, and that will carry through successfully the means employed. However simple and insignificant those means may appear to the learner when they have been explained to him, if there is good address and accurate manipulation, the astonishment at the result will be infinitely greater than any one would imagine possible to be produced by such simple means.
There is one help that I can suggest towards the better management of the hands in concealing or removing objects; it is the use of a conjuror’s rod or short magic wand. This is, now-a-days, commonly a stick of about fifteen inches long, resembling a common rule, or a partially-ornamented one. You may often have observed this simple emblem of the conjuror’s power, and deemed it a mere idle or useless affectation. The conjuror waves it mystically or majestically as he may be disposed. Of course you are right in your judgment that it can do no good magically; but it does not follow that it is useless. The fact is, that it is really of considerable service to him. If he wants to hold a coin or any object concealed in his hand, without others observing the fact of his hand being closed, the wand in that hand is a blind for its concealment. He may require to pick up or lay down some object, and he can do so while openly fetching or laying down his wand. If he wants to gain time, for any illusion or process of change, he can obtain it while engaging the attention of the spectators by some fantastic movements of his wand. By the use of the wand, therefore, you will be able to prevent the observation of your audience too pointedly following the movements which you wish to carry on secretly. You may also, at the same time, dispel their attention by humorous remarks, preventing it from being concentrated on watching your movements.
As a general rule, you must not apprise your audience of what you are actually doing, but must often interpose some other thought or object to occupy their mind. For instance: Do you desire that a person should not examine too closely any object which you place in his hand, tell him to hold it well above his head. That takes it out of the range of his eyes. It would never do to tell him not to look at it. He would then immediately suspect that you are afraid of something being observed.
Have you perchance forgotten to bring on your table any article requisite for displaying any trick, a feint must be made that you must have more candles, or must remove some other object, thus gaining the opportunity to fetch what you require without naming it.
Do not even announce too fully or vauntingly beforehand what is to be the result or development of any trick; rather proceed with it, and let the audience come unexpectedly upon a result which they had not contemplated. Their surprise will be greater, and their amusement more lively, at such unexpected result.
It is for this reason that it will be well to avoid the repetition of the same trick in the same evening, though requested to perform it over again. The minds of the spectators have already traced once the whole performance of it—the beginning, the middle, the end. The zest of it, therefore, is gone off; their minds are languid and disinterested about its second repetition; and the conjuror’s art proportionately sinks in their estimation.
Having offered these general remarks, I will now invite the attention of my young friends to another batch of interesting tricks, which, with a little effort, they may succeed in exhibiting.
TRICK 11.—A sudden and unexpected supply of feathers from under a silk handkerchief or cloth.
PREPARATION.
Have ready a good supply of plumes of feathers. They may be obtained from a fur or fancy store, or purchased there loose, and tied up so as to lie thin and flexible where you wish to place them. You may have at least four batches of them. The common hackle feather will do, stitched round a thin piece of whalebone. Feathers that are a little injured for sale as ornaments may be picked up at little cost.
Take off your coat. You may then have one or more batches of feathers placed round each arm; the lower point of the stem on which the feathers are fixed being near your wrist, and the top of each batch of feathers confined near your elbow by a slight worsted string, so that they do not stick out the coat sleeve too much, or slip down together if two batches are concealed in the same sleeve. You can have one or more batches placed just within each side of your waistcoat, with the lower point of the stem within easy reach of your hand—about four inches below your chin. Then put your coat on.
Fig. 8.
Position 1.Position 2.
Commence the trick by borrowing a large silk handkerchief or cloth of the same size. Show it to be empty by holding out the two top corners in front of your breast, and shake the handkerchief while it falls loosely down over your vest. Then moving the handkerchief toward your left, catch hold (with your right thumb and finger) of the end of the stem of the plume, No. 1, and draw it from under the left side of your vest. It will remain concealed behind the handkerchief while you move your two hands to the right, which will draw out the plume from under your vest, then over the centre of your chest. Then toss the handkerchief about, enveloping the first batch of feathers; say, “Handkerchief, you must supply me with some feathers.” In a minute or so, take off the handkerchief, and display the plume to the spectators.
Show the spectators again that the handkerchief is quite empty. Move your arms toward your right till your left hand comes just over the edge of the right side of your vest. With your left thumb and forefinger catch hold of the stem of the feathers there concealed, and by moving your arms back towards the left, you can draw out without its being observed the plume that had been concealed under the right side of your vest. Toss about and display as before this second batch of feathers, and then place them aside.
Then show to the company again that your handkerchief has nothing in it, and lay the handkerchief over both your hands. While waving it mysteriously about, exclaim that the handkerchief must furnish you with some more feathers. Draw out of the left sleeve one of the plumes, shake the feathers out while taking off the handkerchief from this, which will be plume the third.
Then, throwing your handkerchief over the hand, and clapping your hands together, (with the left over the right hand,) manage to catch hold of another point of a plume, and pull it out from your right sleeve while waving about your two hands with the handkerchief over them. You have now produced four plumes.
The exhibition may be continued to an increased number of plumes, if you have more concealed in your sleeves, or elsewhere; but four will probably be sufficient to manage at the commencement of your career as an amateur conjuror.
TRICK 12.—Heads or Tails?
I shall now give directions for reproducing, before a juvenile audience, a trick that will carry us back to the primitive style of conjuring in old times. I cannot say that there is anything very scientific or elevated in it, but, if neatly and adroitly executed, it will tell very well with a youthful audience.
PREPARATION.
You must take care that your table be so placed that none of the spectators can see behind yourself or the table. You must provide yourself with some young pet of the juveniles, such as a puppy, a kitten, or any other small pet. The performer must either have some little bag hanging under his coat-tails, or some provision for concealing the little animal behind him, or in a drawer before him; so that there will be no chance of any of the audience seeing it before the proper time. He must have ready also a penny, or any coin.
To begin the exhibition of the trick. Standing with all the nonchalance you can assume, and placing one or both your arms behind your back, you may say, “For a variety, I will challenge one of my young friends to come and try which of us will succeed best in a few tosses of this penny.”
Induce some young person to come to the front of your table, and tell him to bring forward his hat. Ask him to toss first with the cent and put the hat over it, while you will guess “heads” or “tails.” Say it shall be seen who is most successful in five guesses. After he has tossed up twice, you can take the penny, and say, “Now, I will vary the method of tossing. You shall name now which you choose, ‘heads’ or ‘tails.’”
Toss up the penny, and while attention is occupied with this, and he is looking to see which is uppermost, heads or tails, you withdraw your left hand from behind you, holding the little animal you have concealed, and slipping it into the hat, and turning the hat down over it, exclaim, “Stay, I mean to pass the penny through the hat upon the table, and the whole affair shall be settled by the result of the present toss. You shall see the heads or tails on the table.”
By Pass 1, pretend to place the penny on the hat, but retain it in your right hand. Say, “Fly, pass, and quickly.” Lift the hat, and show both head and tail on the little animal or pet there concealed.
If you should have had a Guinea pig, you must make the guesses go on till your adversary guesses “tails,” and then it will make a good laugh to say, “He has won, and he had better now take it up by the tail.”
TRICK 13.—To cook pancakes or a flat plum cake in a hat, over some candles.
REQUISITE PREPARATION.
Have two gallipots or earthen jars, of a size to go easily into a hat, but of such dimensions that the one reversed will fit closely over the other. Tie worsted or a strip of linen round the smaller gallipot, so as to insure the larger one holding firmly round the smaller one. Have ready some thin, fluent dough, some sugar, and a few currants, enough for two or three pancakes or a small plum cake; also a spoon to stir the ingredients up.
Have at hand two or three warm pancakes that have just been prepared by the cook for you, with the same ingredients as mentioned above. Let them be firm and free from grease. Have also at hand two small plates, with knives and forks.
Commence the exhibition by borrowing two hats, to give you a choice with which to perform. You can remark that as you should be sorry to injure your friend’s hat, you will secure it from being soiled by placing some paper in it as a lining. Hold up the paper to show it is only paper, and then openly place it in the hat, and lay the hat down on its side on the table near you, having the brim towards you.
Have the ready-prepared pancakes lying near you, and whilst taking off the attention of the spectators by pretending to arrange the articles on your table, slip the prepared pancakes or plum-cake into the hat.
Fig. 9.
Unobserved, also place the smaller gallipot in the hat, and while doing so, if requisite, add some remark, such as: “Please to shut, or open, that door,” or any words that will draw off the attention of the spectators from what you are doing. You must next, with some parade, mix the fluent dough with the sugar and currants in the larger gallipot. It must be fluent enough to pour out slowly, apparently into the hat, but really into the smaller gallipot, which has been already concealed inside the hat. Show you have emptied the larger gallipot, all but a little; then, placing it over the smaller gallipot again, empty the very last of it, and press the larger gallipot firmly down over the smaller one. Then, with it, lift the smaller gallipot also, with its contents, while you appear only to take back the larger gallipot. Remove the gallipots, as supposed to be empty, out of sight. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, I must request your patience a few minutes for the process of cooking.” Put two or three candles near one another, and move the hat at a safe distance above them for two or three minutes, making in the meantime any laughable remarks that may occur to you, such as: “My young friends will find this capital way of supplying themselves with a delicate dish when they have lost their puddings from being in the black books of their teacher or parents,” or any similar humorous remark; but take care not to burn the hat whilst the (supposed) cooking is going on. After a short interval, place the hat on the table, and with some little ceremony take out the real pancakes or plum-cake. Let it be cut up and handed round to the juveniles who may be present.
REMARKS.
A more finished or surer arrangement for holding the dough, etc., can be made with a tin apparatus, which can be prepared by any tinman, upon the same principle as the gallipots, taking care not to have it made larger than the inside of a youth’s hat.
Fig. 10.
An amateur can render a common table more suitable for concealing any little object he wishes to have secreted, by placing three or four tumblers under each end of a plank, about the length to extend across the table, and throwing any common cloth over the board and table, or a kitchen table, covered with a cloth, having a drawer pulled out about six inches, will furnish a very good conjuror’s table. It is well to have the table rather broad, so as to keep the spectators at a sufficient distance.
TRICK 14.—TO EAT A DISH OF PAPER SHAVINGS, AND DRAW THEM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH LIKE AN ATLANTIC CABLE.
PREPARATION.
Procure three or four yards of the thinnest tissue paper of various colors. Cut these up in strips of half an inch or three-quarters of an inch breadth, and join them. They will form a continuous strip of many feet in length. Roll this up carefully in a flat coil, as ribbons are rolled up. Let it make a coil about as large as the top of an egg-cup or an old-fashioned hunting-watch. Leave out of the innermost coil about an inch or more of that end of the paper, so that you can easily commence unwinding it from the centre of the coil.
Procure a large dish or basketful of paper-shavings, which can be obtained at little cost from any bookbinder’s or stationer’s. Shaken out it will appear to be a large quantity. As you wish it to appear that you have eaten a good portion of them, you can squeeze the remainder close together, and then there will appear to be few left, and that your appetite has reason to be satisfied.
Commence the trick by proclaiming you have a voracious appetite, so that you can make a meal off paper-shavings. Bend down over the plate, and take up handful after handful, pretend to munch them in your mouth, and make a face as if swallowing them, and as you take up another handful, put out those previously in your mouth, and put them aside. Having gone on with this as long as the spectators seem amused by it, at last, with your left hand, slip the prepared ball of tissue paper into your mouth, managing to place towards your teeth the end you wish to catch hold of with your right hand, for pulling the strip out from your mouth. You will take care also not to open your teeth too widely, lest the whole coil or ball should come out all at once.
Having got hold of the end, draw it slowly and gently forward. It will unroll to a length of twenty yards or more in a continuous strip, much to the amusement of the spectators.
When it has come to the end, you may remark: “I suppose we have come to a fault, as there is a ‘solution of continuity here, just as the strongest cables break off,’ so we must wait to pick up the end again, and go on next year, when the Great Eastern again goes out with its next Atlantic Cable.”
TRICK 15.—How to cut off a nose—of course without actual injury.
PREPARATION.
Have ready a piece of calico of light color, or a white apron, a sponge saturated with a little liquid of the color of blood—port-wine, or the juice of beet-root, will do; also two knives, resembling each other, the one of them whole, the other with a large notch in its blade, so that when placed over the nose it will appear to have cut through the bridge of the nose. A cutler could supply such knives, or they may be purchased at the depots for conjuring apparatus.
Having placed out these articles on your table with seriousness and imposing formality, show to the audience the knife that is whole, and call upon them to observe that it is sufficiently strong and sharp. The other knife must be placed somewhere near you, but where it is sheltered from the observation of the spectators.
Ask some young friend to step forward, assuring him that you will not hurt him. Make him sit down on a chair facing the audience. After having measured the real knife across his nose, say: “But I may as well protect your clothes from being soiled, so I will put an apron round your neck.” Go to the table to take up the apron, and, in doing so, place down the real knife where it cannot be seen, and, with your left hand take up the conjuror’s knife, holding it by the blade, lest any one should observe the notch in it. Conceal at the same time also, in your left hand, the piece of sponge.
Advancing to the chair, tuck, with your right hand, the apron round the youth’s neck. Then press the conjuror’s knife firmly over the nose and leave it there, as if you had cut into the bridge of the nose. At the same time gently squeeze the sponge, and a little of the liquid will make an alarming appearance on the face and on the apron; go on for a short time, covering the face and apron with (apparent) blood. When the audience have seen it long enough, seize up the apron, wipe the face of the youth quite clean, throw away the conjuror’s knife, and exhibit your young friend to the audience all right, and dismiss him with some facetious remark on his courage in undergoing the alarming operation.
[CHAPTER V.]
TRICKS BY MAGNETISM, CHEMISTRY, GALVANISM, OR ELECTRICITY.
There is a class of tricks about which I must say a few words, viz., those that require to be exhibited by the help of magnetism, chemistry, galvanism, or electricity. I need not dwell long on them, for I do not consider them such as the young people, for whom these notes are written, can be recommended to devote their attention to, for the following reasons: in the first place, they are, with a few exceptions, attended with considerable expense. Secondly, the tricks connected with the powerful agencies of galvanism and electricity are dangerous to the unskilful operator; and, even in experienced hands, the most effective of them are uncertain things to manage; therefore their effect cannot be depended on.
Some very interesting tricks have, doubtless, at times been exhibited by the help of galvanism and electricity. We have read of a conjuror by such help confounding a powerful Arab, by first letting him lift with ease a box, and afterwards rendering it impossible for him to raise it, when an electric current had, to his dismay, paralyzed all his strength. It is evident that an experiment of this kind could not be safely attempted by any but a very experienced person. We read also of conjurors who have surprised their audience by receiving them in a dimly-lit theatre, and then firing off a pistol, (to startle the audience and cover the real mode of operation,) they have by electricity lighted up one hundred lamps at once. This has proved very successful on some occasions; but on others, notwithstanding the most careful preparation and the greatest precaution, it has been found that the apparatus would not act, and the impatient spectators have visited the disappointing failure with their indignant murmurs. Other conjurors have become so attached to electric experiments, that they have proposed to regulate all the clocks of a large district by electricity, or have amused themselves by turning electric or galvanic currents to the door-handles of their houses, so that unsuspecting strangers, on touching them, were startled with electric shocks. There is also a trick for rendering one portion of a portrait electric by a metal plate concealed under it, and the spectators being invited to touch some part of the picture, have, on touching the spots that were charged with electricity, received a shock or powerful blow, as if the portrait resented their touching it.
Having briefly given the character of this class of tricks, and stated that they not only require expensive apparatus, but are attended with danger to the inexperienced, there still remains another serious objection, viz., that, like the experiments performed by automaton figures or complicated machinery, they are liable to fail, through any trifling disarrangement, just at the moment when the performer is hoping that his audience will be delighted with his surprising exhibition.
For these reasons I shall not stay to describe the more elaborate of these tricks, as, however interesting they may be to the scientific, they would not, in a youthful amateur’s hands, be sure to produce the amusement which it is my primary object to supply.
The simpler experiments of magnetism and chemistry may well be regarded as recreations of science, interesting curiosities, suitable enough to be exhibited by a professor of chemistry for amusement and instruction; but even these can hardly be considered as belonging to “conjuring proper.” Young people do not care, at festive parties, to watch red liquids turning into green, blue, and yellow; or the mixture of different chemical ingredients producing strange conversions into varied substances; nor will experiments that are interesting as chemical curiosities produce the same excitement and pleasing surprise that the wonders of sleight-of-hand do. In a word, such experiments in a private circle of young friends fail to constitute the most amusing kind of parlor magic, while upon a public stage they are too minute for any large audience to trace and comprehend.
Lest, however, my young readers should think that I have any desire to shut them out from any field of reasonable pleasure, I will now carefully select one or two examples of tricks connected with the sciences of magnetism and chemistry, and which may, even in the hands of amateurs, produce a safe and pleasing exhibition.
In the following trick they will find an amusing instance of the combination of science with rational recreation.
TRICK 16.—The watch obedient to the word of command.
The magnet is a well-known agent in producing several toys for the entertainment of the young, and though its attraction is wonderful, there is no danger likely to arise from employing it, in the same way as might arise from unskilful dabbling with electricity, galvanism, or chemical powers, and a strange and singular effect may be produced by placing a magnet of some little strength near a watch.
Supposing the young conjuror to have provided himself with a powerful but not very large magnet, let him conceal it in the palm, or under a thin glove in his left hand, or near the edge of the cuff of his sleeve. Let him then borrow a lady’s watch, (without chain,) and the thinner the watch-case is, and if it has a glass, the better. Let him then call forward a youth, and placing the watch in his own right hand, and near to the ear of the other, ask him if he hears it going: he will answer “Yes.”
Let him next bid the watch to stop; and on taking it in his left hand, where the magnet is concealed, it will stop, if held steadily; and on inquiring of his young friend whether he can hear it, he will reply “No.”
Observe: you must keep systematically to using your right hand when you wish to make the watch go on, and to your left when you wish it to stop. Appealing to others among the company, the performer may then tell the watch to go on, and holding it in his right hand, and giving it a slight shake, apply it to one of their ears; it will be heard “tic, tic;” then holding it in his left hand and telling it to stop, they will also find that it does stop. You can pretend to doubt whether they are all deaf of one ear, but lastly may declare that this is caused by the obedient disposition of the watch, which so orderly obeys your command. Remind your audience that savages upon first seeing a watch believe it to be a living animal with power to think and act of itself. “At any rate,” you may conclude, “the present watch seems to hear, to understand, and to obey my orders.”
It will be an amusing addition to the above trick to say that you will now order the watch to fly away and conceal itself.
You must for this purpose have provided yourself with an electro-plated locket resembling a lady’s watch, and have two loaves ready in some convenient corner.
When the watch has finished its “manual and platoon” exercise on the platform, you may say, “I will now place this watch visibly to all upon the table.” Turn round to go to your table, and in walking to it, substitute the locket for the watch, and place the locket on some spot visible to all. It will not be distinguishable from the watch by the spectators at six or eight yards’ distance from them. Conceal the watch itself in the palm of your hand. You can now exclaim, “I require two loaves,” and walking towards them, slip the watch into the one you have prepared with a slit in its side. Advancing to the audience, ask in which loaf they will prefer that you shall bid the watch fly. If they name the one in which you have concealed it, proceed to break open the loaf and find the watch. But suppose they name the wrong one: you then, remembering that the left hand of the spectators is your right hand, proceed with the true loaf, whichever they have named, or manage to cross the position of the loaves as you place them on the table.
Then taking up the locket with your right hand, make Pass 1, as if transferring it to your left hand, but really retaining it in your right hand (as described in my first paper.) Blow upon your closed left hand, and say, “Watch, fly into that loaf.” Clap your hands. It is gone.
Advancing to the loaf, get rid of the locket from your right hand; take up the loaf, break it open on the other side from that in which the locket was introduced, bring out the watch, and appeal to the lady to declare whether it is the same which she lent to you.
TRICK 17.
An experiment with a very mild dash of electricity in it, which will at any rate be a popular trick with most people that try it. It will do for a small entertainment, or at any joyous party of young people. It does not, however, require a large number to be present, but, contrary to the usual scientific tricks, its development comes off better with one companion than with a dozen.
PREPARATION.
You must induce your cousin Jemima, or some other young lady who is just of age to have cut her eye-teeth, to consent to help you by accompanying you to a room with closed shutters and no candles. A moderate-sized looking-glass must be on the table, the smaller the better, for reasons below assigned. Have ready at hand some ounces of hard candy.
You commence the trick by placing yourselves, hand-in-hand, before the looking glass. If it is rather small, your heads will be the closer—in order to see the reflection of both at once. Then, with mouths as open as may be, try which of you can crush his or her share of sugar-candy with the teeth the quickest. In the glass will appear the reflection of sparks of electricity, as the experiment proceeds. If your companion is nervous, you can of course support her with one arm—ladies are sometimes susceptible, whether from animal magnetism or what not. The electric sparks coming between the lips may also be attractive, and you may be tempted to try whether the electricity evaporates the sweetness; but of course you must not be tempted to forget the philosophical nature of the experiment; and, if you behave with propriety, the lady will doubtless, on her return to the company, tell them, in a staid manner, that the experiment was all right; and perhaps when you see her, even a day or two afterwards, you will observe there is an arch dimple on her cheek and an electric sparkle lighting up her eye—and I should not wonder if you should feel a desire to try the experiment over again.
TRICK 18.—A chemical trick to follow one where a young friend has assisted.
PREPARATION.
You must have a wine-glass, a saucer, and a teaspoon, and the chemical bottles No. 1 (silicate of potash) and No. 2 (aluminate of potash,) which can be obtained from any druggist.
At the close of some trick in which any young friend has assisted, you can say: “Well, my young friend, you have assisted me so courteously and well that I must, in order to express my thanks, ask you to take a glass of wine. Do you like wine? Ah, I see by your smile you do.”
Pour out of bottle No. 1 half a glass, and, going towards him, stop short and say: “Ah, but I am afraid your mamma would be displeased with me if I gave you wine so strong without any water, and I should be sorry to tempt you to drink what she would disapprove. Stay, I will mix a little water with it.”
Mix some of No. 2 bottle, so as to fill the wine-glass, and say: “Oh, never mind losing the pure wine; I dare say you will like it very well as it is,” and make a few chatty remarks, to give the liquids time to mingle their effects in the glass; and after a minute or two say: “Ah! I’ll tell you what I am sure your mamma would like still better—if I could give you some calves’-foot jelly. Now, I really believe, if I were to stir it with this teaspoon, and try my magic wand over it, I can turn it to jelly. Let us try.” Occupy a little time while it is becoming like jelly, and go on with a little more talk till you see that it has become solid. Then say: “Well, after all, I will not deprive you of your wine; so here it is. Please drink it.” Putting it to his lips, he will find it has become so solid that he cannot drink it, but it can be turned out quite solid into the saucer, and a general laugh will greet him on the disappointment of his wine.
Having submitted a few remarks upon the class of tricks that are to be performed by help of the sciences, magnetism, chemistry, etc., and having stated my reasons for my not more fully discussing them, I will now proceed to give an explanation of one or two more that are better suited for the practice of amateurs.
TRICK 19.—To draw three spools off two tapes without those spools having to come off the ends of the tapes, and while the four ends of the tapes are held by four persons.
PREPARATION.
You must have two narrow tapes of about four feet long, bent as in Fig. 11. Red tape I prefer.
You must next insert about half an inch of A through the loop of B, and bring it back down on the other part of A.
A spool such as cotton is wound on, or an ornamented ball with a hole drilled through it, just large enough to hold the tapes lightly, will be required (Fig. 13.)
Figs. 11, 12.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 14.
The spool or ball must be put on the tapes at the extreme ends of the tape B, and drawn to the left, till it just covers the noose at K. as in Fig. 14.
N. B.—All the above should be prepared before the spectators are invited to witness the trick.
Commence the exhibition by calling upon the spectators to observe that you hold a reel, or ball, through which two tapes are passed.
You may then produce two more spools, or wooden balls, and place one of them over the ends at A, and the other over the ends at B.
Fig. 15.
The following will then be the appearance of the balls or spools and the tapes passed through them (Fig. 15):
You may move about the spools 2 and 3, to show how the tape runs through them, but you must not move spool 1.
You may then say that the puzzle is to get the spools off the tapes while the four ends are held firmly in the hands of four persons. Appoint four persons to hold them, and you may then say: “To make doubly sure, I will tie one of the ends at A to one of the ends at B with (the first half of) a knot.” It does not signify which ends you take to do this, so that you take one A and one B. “I will now pull these two ends so tight that it will draw the three spools together, and also tighten all along one side of them.”
Fig. 16.
Then, while four persons hold firmly the extreme ends of the tapes, you must take shorter hold of the two A’s with your left hand, (where it is marked by a dotted line, Fig. 16,) and also take hold of the other tapes where a dotted line is marked on them towards B. Then drawing your arms wider apart, so as to pull the tapes steadily, the spools or balls will fall to the ground without passing over the ends of the tapes.
TRICK 20.—To restore a tape whole after it has been cut in the middle.
PREPARATION.
Have five or six yards of tape about three-quarters of an inch broad.
Take half the length in each hand. You will be able to show the audience that you are about to cut it in the middle, by holding it in two loops of equal length. Call their attention pointedly to the equal division of the full length.
The tape will thus appear to the performer in the position represented in Fig. 17.
Observe the tape A crosses at z the tape B on the side next to the performer, whereas the tape D is to cross the tape y on the side farthest from him.
Fig. 18 represents the hands as they appear to the performer himself, holding the tape with the thumb and forefinger at the crossings of the tape at y and z, while the outward sides of each loop are to be held by the three other fingers of each hand.
Fig. 17.
Fig. 18.
Left Hand,Right Hand.
