The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 25, 1901, Page 8

VO persons (lady and gen- tl, are on the stage, their backs toward prtan ) with the a1 A third one goes into the auditorium, with his back toward the stage,to receive the f the audience. If the 7 international celebrity o0 him, with lightning gl ansmitted. tleman on the stage turns jiately and appears in v and dress as the p~—z0ith tis wonder- emblance. vise whisper to the auditorium the onal opera, rnational song. ung, and the wanted, n- ipanying herself on s mmerstein’s * the Sven- adise s performance in New alk of the town. fresh from Cal- h Avenue Hotel a air and keep it ncing wand it would rful to the average mind reading feat— age, her back to tly playing the musi spered to Svengali, still king if it is correc the Were a H t 1 oss the cu you telling the audience, “Yes, perfectly correct—wonderful!” and you go home Te: 1o believe in Spiritualism, Robinson soe, Jonah and the whale, and all the things you have doubted for a hun- vears rs have the same experience. They Lincoln, Victor Hugo, Bis- Grant, Kruger, Dewey other famous men, while still < nmame opera airs, grand marches, symphonies, and before the scent of Ken- tucky mint leaves their breath the whis- pered name is repeated on the stage and the girl 2t the piano begins the music mentioned to the man Svengali at your elbow. Everybody Surprised at the Feats. audience naturally applaud, and the rs cease trying to make the right change for refreshments. It all appears m especially to men who have traveled and seen things on both sides of the Atlantic. The visiting card sharp who can hide 2 “ten spot” under a freckle is emazed, it'’s a new one on him and @eclares he could break a bonanza bank wigh such a trick worked in the Nevada mines. Cougtry church members wonder if Sa- tan isn’t running the world, after all, while city people, smart bank clerks, wardmen and police captains look on with open-mouthed astonishment, as much be- wildered as the hayseed chaps from Cat- skill or Hohokus, at the things, said, done end whispered in full view of the audi- ence, with no dark lantern seances or slate writing flummery to make one doubt per of ws rvelous, that it is the real thing—genuine mind reading. “It beats table tipping to Manila end back again,” an iron-faced lawyer remarked to an infidel .brother-in-law, who never believed in anything until he zar Nicholas,” and saw the he stage, fifty feet away, whirl n his Majesty’s uniform, while the girl played the R an hymn on the piano. Whis pered Thoughts Instantly Read Theetrical managers and Chicago critics said it was “great,” and Svengali, the genius of the show, wore a smile that reached around the block. If you don’t know how such feats are @cne they simply bewlilder the imagina- tion. If your whispered thoughts can be read by a stranger at the further end of the hall, why isn’t it all true, you ask yourself—every claim made for the super- natural, communication with the absent end dead, voices in the air, whispers at midnight, voodooism and witchcraft, and the telepathy that carried the news of the Sepoy mutiny across Hindostan in a moment of time, . “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your phil- osophy, Horatio,” you murmur to your- self as the exhibition goes on, and weird possibilities thrill those hungry for a word from some dear friend beyond the grave. Even the vigiting detective, who got in on his badge, with telescope nese end gimlet eves, thinks it clairvoyance or spirits. And so the tests go on, up one gisle and down another, Spiritualists whispering, “I told you s50,” and country mediums believing it all a part of the spook gospel originated years ago by Ka- tie Fox and her foxy sisters in Western New York, who made knocks with their as Katie confessed at her his- toric bition in the New York Acad- emy of Music. The men who don’t believe it other than jugglery didn’t betray the secret, for that would be unprofessional, giving away @ in the business. How Tricks Are Done. 1t is reserved for the Call-Herald to de- toe join ex brother seribe the stems by which such feats may be performed. The chief thing is a perfect performance. Art must conceal the art. Long practice is required to make the tricks so simple that every eve is de- ceived. When the curtain rises the master of cer well dressed, with a modest in his buttonhole, walks to the of the stage with the confidence that inspires cor monics, wey fron idence in a pleasing ies and Gentlemen: I pleasure of introducing to you voice be the have etc. I will call your attention to the fact tkat the audience must confine their whis- pered wishes to international celebritic es of well-known personages namn son; and operas of international fame.” etc. This limitation of choice is the key the performance. They have lists of these “international celebriti " rulers, state men, diplomats, great writers and musical compos ongs of world-wide reputa- tion. popular selections from the operas, etc. And the secret of the evening is that all these carefully selected names, titles, e numbered, as in the following ex= SMEN AND RULERS, Bismarck. ing Humbert of Italy. o poleon Bonapa: POPULAR SONGS Sweet 1—*‘Home, Home. Last Rose of Summer.” Marseillaise."” 4—The jewel song in *Faust. 5—Walter's Prize Song. 101—*Comin’ Thro' the Rye.” OPERAS. ‘Bohemian Girl.” ‘Lucia di armen.” “Trovatore.” GREAT WRITERS 1—Thackeray. 2—Victor Hugo. 3—Dickens. 4—George Eliot. akespeare. 101—Dante. How the Signals Are Concealed. Lammermoor." The manager reiterates that if only names of international reputation are given the responses will be correct 999 times in a thousand. Then he descends from the stage, and, smiling right and left, inclines his ear tq catch the whis- pered wishes as he moves slowly up the aisle, generally with his back to the stage. An auditor whispers to him, “Bis- marck.” Herr Svengali, gesticulating freely but naturally, pressing his eyes with his fin- gers for an instant as if going into a mo~ mentary trance—only a second or two just enough to impress the audience— then thrusts a hand into the air, wipes 1he moisture from his face with his hand- kerchief or leans toward a spectator, seeking his attention, when a voice from the stage says, “Bismarck.” “Right,” responds the man who whis- pered that -dllustrious name. Then there is a craning of necks and crushing of pro- grammes, all eyes fixed on the stage, where the impersonator, standing before a cabinet of costume pigeonholes, with the aid of an assistant has donned wig and uniform in his lishtning change and whirls around disguised as Bismarck, while the girl at the piano plays “The Watch on the Rhine.” It is all the work of a few seconds and makes a great im- pression upon the spectator. The next man calls for an opera air, “Bohemian Girl,” and the piano plays “I Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls,” ete. Another man suggests the magic name Sheridan. It is echoed aloud from the stage, while the audience applauds and the girl plays “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The few experts present pay little atten- tion to the stage. Their eyes are fixed on the man Svengalli in the aisle, noting every move he makes. It is observed that his numerous gestures, his frequent use of his handkerchiei, the pressure of Lis fingers on his eyes, as if to hypnotize his assistants on the stzge, are natural movements, attracting no attention, yet necessary to hide the vital signals in the cipher code of the show. In the programme and show bills it is emphasized that the lady and gentleman on the stage have their backs to the audi- ence, while Svengali down in the aisle has his back to the stage, making collusion apparently impossible. This makes a pro- found impression on the public. A Confederate Behind a Screen. But not a word is sald of that curious Some of the Signals For the secrdl looking screen’ panel bearing a double- headed eagle—the Austrian coat of arms— surmounting the large cabinet of cos- tumes occupying so much space on,the stage. The programme does not explain that this screen panel is transparent from behind, and that an accomplice with a strong magnifying lens reads every move made by Svengali; and not a word is said of the other man in the gallery, who faces Svengali and repeats his signals to the man behind the transparent coat of arms bearing the imperial eagles of Aus- ttia, who directs the pretty girl at the piano and the impersonator at the cab- inet. There are twenty variations of the trick. In case one is exposed there are nineteen others to fall back on. There are wireless telegraphy; the hidden camera, that com- mands the house; a little silken thread, running from the man in the gallery to the little spring trigger under the per- forated shoe of the girl at the piano, held high above the audience by the big chan- delier or a pendant from the ceiling. This invisible silk thread is worked by the man in the gallery repeating the signals by a tick-tack code, giving the numbers to the planist on the stage. Then there is the telegraph wire, laid down along the aisle or to the gallery, the signal being given Svenaur signalling the B9\ \hispered messages tohis ’ Assistants on Fhe stoge with the foot ro deftly that the man at the operator's elbow, his eves glued to the stage, knows nothing of it, all of which may be verified by visiting Martin- ka's Palace of Magic, in Sixth avenue, ‘Wwhere other equally wonderful tricks are exploited and explained to visiting magi- cians, from Kellar to Herrmann. In the present performance by the Sven- galis the key signals, so few and simple as to be unobserved by a majority of the spectators, tell the chief operator, con- cealed behind a transparent screen on the stage, what has been whispered as clearly as if the word were shouted through a megaphone. The Systems Explained. Here is an {llustration of how the figure system can be worked. As explained above, the famous personages, popular songs and operas are on numbered lists, Svengali in the aisle, with his code of sig- nals, has all these numbers committed to memory. ‘When a spectator whispers ‘“‘Dickens” Svengali knows it is No. 4, and he signals accordingly. But how? By touching his head, chin or breast, or that particular part of his body designat- ed in the signal code of the Svengali Com- pany. The diagram given herewith illus- b code of the SVENGALIS. trates the system of communication by numbers, nine figures and a cipher (0), by ‘which all the wealth of the world may be measured, and any number of words may be communicated without a word of speech. One has but to map out a square on his face, breast or body and number it with these nine figures, with an extra space for the cipher, to be ready for the Svengali business. That ls,’ when he has memorized the names and the numbers representing them. Say the human head is used for this purpose. Imagine the top of the head, right hand side, as No. 1, the right ear as No. 2, the jaw as No. 3 and the neck as the cipher; the forechead No. 4, the nose No. 5, the chin No. 6, the top of the head on the left side as No. 7, the left ear No. 8 and the left side of the jaw No. 9. Thus you have the code’ system by which operators can communicate vol- umes by using a codified list of numbered ‘words or sentences. 1t you label the Lord’s prayer No. 4 and the Declaration of Independence No. 5 you may instantly telegraph the mighty liter- ature through wireless space—enough lit- erature to save all Europe fronf anarchy— by two natural movements of the hand. You can label your eyes, your move- ments or even your glances, ma\‘ng them ~ numbers. take the places of the nine omnipotent Again: Glagce upward to the right for No. 1, straight upward for No. 2 and upward to the left for No. 3. Re- peating, glancing horizontally for Nos. 4, 5 and 6. Repeating the same again, by glancing downward for Nos. 7, 8 and 9, and stroking your chin for the cipher (0). With your back to the audience you can telegraph in a similar way, using your arm and elbow to make the necessary signals. Let the right arm, hanging down, represent No. 1; the elbow, projecting from the side, No. 2; elbow raised, No. 3. Repeat with the left arm for Nos. 4, 5 and 6; with either hand placed naturally be- hind you, on the small of the back, above the belt and over your shoulder for Nos. 7, 8 and 9, and on the back of your héad or neck for the cipher (0). Any One Can Do It. Thus a conversational code may be im- provised and with such a list once comi- mitted a lot of noiseless conversation may be carried on by magnates or strike offi- cials at critical moments, as, for example: Scene, corner of Broad and Wall streets fr. Morgan. touches his chin, saying by his private code to Mr. Schwab, ‘‘Make terms with the strikers or I'll smash the combination.” Mr. Shaffer, having a little code of his own on behalf of the strikers, puts his palm against his ear, saying, trike "em for more than we want, and take what you can get, or I'll Skip the works and jump the job." Not a word had been uttered aloud, yet to-morrow the continent may tremble and stocks go waltzing up and down the list. And Mr. Carnegie, three thousand miles away across the damp sea, puts his thumb to his nose and says without ‘words: “Let them fight it out. I'm out of it. Glad I'm happy, though rich.” ‘Wonderful is the power of numbers— all the great libraries of statistics and tabulated statements are the magic ma- nipulation of nine little figures and a lone- ly cipher. But it may be asked, How does Sven- gali, or his confederates, rather, know which list the names are to be found in? That is easy to answer. A separate sig- nal designates it. When the Svengali shot his hand into the air two fingers were dis- played, meaning list No. 2—the list con- taining the operas. Each signal tells its story, tells the confederates on the stage exactly what to do, and so the perform- ance proceeds, as wonderful to thQ Spec- tators as if the spirits of the other world were in control of the show and could pro- duce Caesar or Cleopatra in flesh, bones and blood. In all these spooky exhibitions the par- ticularly wise man in the audience who was the wonder of fond parents in his boyhood sees everything but how the trick is performeds . Even experts are now and then deceived by some new feat of legerdemain by a new masgician. Look at the wonders per- formed by Kellar and Herrmann. Last week two professors of the art were dis- cussing new tricks in a friendly way, when one of them said: “Have you seen the latest? Here is a poker deck. Select any card you please.” The friend drew the queen of hearts. “Now write a line to my wife at the Wal. dorf, asking her what card you have drawn.” The friend wrote the note, handed it to the magician, sealed, ana asked if the address was correct. The wizard barely took the envelope in his hand, handed it back, and a messenger boy carried it to the lady at the Waldorf, h‘medlately returning with the answer; “You drew the queen of hearts from my husband’s pack. The friend was astounded. Then the trick was explained. When the magiclan took the envelope to glance at the super- scription he pinched the lower right-hand corner, leaving the impress of his thumb nail on the envelope. It told the lady that the card was the queen of hearts, in ac- cordance with a code of signals which they had worked on for a month, with a view to performing just such feats. With a penci! divide an envelope into as many squares as there are cards in a pack, and number each square accord- ingly. By practice the operator will be= come perfect, able to tell at a glance on any blank envelope just what card may be designated by the slightest mark of identification. Another way Is to give your friend the number of the room, say 22, which is In- correct, it being the number of the card drawn. “I made a mistake,” he said; “the number should be 42.” It is erased, the right number (42) substituted. The lady, seeing the ntmber canceled by a stroke of the pen, knows it is the num- ber of the card. Still another method is to let the false room number stand, as the hotel clerk will send the note to the lady regardless of the error, and by this false number on the envelope, supposed to represent the room, the lady will know what card the friend has drawn. How simple are the tricks that mystify the wise and coin money for the hard working magician! “The moral of all this,” sald an expert, “is that the really honest men are the professional magicians. They make no pretense that their feats are of a super- natural character, but the slate writers and bogus clairvoyants claim supernat- ural power and demand money for com- municating with the dead, which is tm- position and fraud. “The tricks of Kellar and Herrmann far surpass the most expert of the mediums, and no claim is made that they are of spiritual agency.” ‘ine situation was tersely summed up vesterday by a distinguished “‘magieian,” who said: “The age of miracles is past. Only one man performed miraculous feats, and he was crucified.” THE SQONCMY OF IQE. HERE are many people who from a false idea of economy fail to get the best results from the use of ice and refrigerators. A common mistake is getting a small piece of ice every day or every other day instead of filling the ice chamber two or three times a week. The small piece of ice cannot reduce the tem- perature sufficiently, and the result is that each new piece melts rapidly and the food cannot be kept long. It will be found at the end of the season that the cost of ice and waste of food have been much greater than if the ice chamber had been kept filled. Another mode of economiz- ing is to wrap the ice in woollen cloths or paper. This would be all right if the idea were to preserve the ice, but thus wrap- ped it cannot cool the refrigerator, and so fails in doing its legitimate work. There are, on the other hand, people who are perfectly reckless in the way they waste ice and lower the temperature of the re- frigerator. Such people place warm food in the refrigerator, and even on the ice, hoping to cool it more quickly, thus rais- ing the temperature and producing a va- por which is bad for both the food and the refrigerator. People should learn that food cools, to a certain point, more quick- 1y in the open air than in a closed refrig- erator.—Ladies’ Home Journal.