CHAPTER V.PARLOR AMUSEMENTS.
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I willnow explain a few simple little tricks in second sight which may be performed by any one in his own home, but which, if well done, will be very mystifying.
The performer brings forward a pack of cards which he shuffles well, and then passes the cards from one hand to the other with faces toward the audience. A spectator is now asked to remember any card he sees. Upon this being done the performer again shuffles the cards and passes them from hand to hand, one at a time, when it is discovered that the card thought of has disappeared. A second card is similarly treated.
To produce the above effect the performer takes an ordinary pack of fifty-two cards, but pastes them back to back, so he really has twenty-six cards with a face on each side. It will thus be seen that on one side are pictures of twenty-six cards and on the other side the remaining twenty-six. Afterthe spectator has thought of any card the performer in shuffling the pack merely turns them over and next exposes the other side. It will be readily seen that any card selected, in fact, all of the cards first exposed have now apparently disappeared. To any one with a pack of cards so arranged would be suggested a number of clever experiments, such as changing the colors of the cards from all red to all black, and by waving a single card in the air to change its suit and color, etc., etc.
In this experiment the performer has an assistant, usually a young lady as the effect is better, whom he blind-folds, and she takes a seat in the room. He next borrows a number of coins from those in the audience, and has some one person select a coin. The performer asks this person to notice the coin carefully so that he can identify it. He then asks the person to hold the coin tightly in his hand and think very intently about it. The rest of the coins are now placed in a hat, and after a short period the person who has selected a coin is asked to drop the coin into the hat with the others. The coins are now well shaken up, and the hat taken to the blind-folded assistant. She puts her hand into the hat and promptly withdraws the selected coin. This, while a very simple trick, is very effective. The coin which the person selects and holds in his hand becomes slightly warm from the heat of the hand, and the assistant is thus able to distinguish it from the other coins, which are cool.
In this experiment the performer brings forward an ordinary slate and piece of crayon and requests some person to write a column of figures on the slate. The performer now takes the slate, quickly draws a line underneath the column of figures, and places the slate, face downward, on a table, on the top of slate placing a small piece of crayon. His assistant, who has been out of the room during this part of the experiment, now enters, and on walking up to the slate picks up the crayon and marks down the total sum of figures on the other side of the slate, which are found to be absolutely correct on turning the slate over and adding the figures up.
To perform this experiment the performer is armed with a small piece of crayon in addition to the crayon which he gives to the spectator. One side of the crayon which he retains is filed smooth. The performer also has a small lead pencil concealed in his hand along with the crayon. When the person in the audience is writing down the figures the performer mentally adds these up, and secretly writes the sum total on this small piece of chalk which he has in his hand. He now takes the slate, places it face downward upon the table, and on top of it places the prepared piece of chalk, flat side down, retaining the chalk which the spectator used. All that is now necessary is for his assistant to pick up the piece of chalk, secretly read the figures written on it, and mark them down upon the slate.
By the following method quite mysterious tricks may be performed in one’s own house. The performer’s assistant is blind-folded and sits in a remote part of the room. She has attached to her finger an end of a fine black silk thread. The other end of this thread the performer carries. He is now able by sharp twitches upon the cord to communicate with his assistant, telling her the dates of coins, the suit of a card, the number of a watch and many other experiments by using a little code which they have arranged between them. It is needless to say the performer must keep his hand hidden in making these twitches on the thread so as not to be observed by the audience. This little trick can be worked up with good effect, as the performer may stand quite some distance from his assistant, and no words are spoken.
A person is requested to write a question with ink upon a card. The card is now placed in an envelope and sealed. The performer takes the envelope from the room for a few seconds. On coming back he returns the envelope to its owner and also another envelope, which on being opened will be found to contain a card, on which is written an answer to his question. The envelope, however, in which his question is sealed shows no evidence of having been tampered with in the slightest.
When the performer leaves the room he immediately takes a sponge which is saturated with alcohol and rubs it over the surface of the envelope, which makes it transparent, and he is thus able to read what is written on the card inside. He then writes a suitable answer on another card, which he seals in another envelope. The alcohol evaporating very quickly there is no sign of it upon the envelope when returned to its owner.
The End.
Transcriber’s Notespg 12 Changed: loose ends are tied to-togetherto: loose ends are tied together