The evening world. Newspaper, March 4, 1922, Page 16

The Mystic “9.” EITHER a trick nor a puzzle, this little blackboard stunt is mystifying nevertheless. All that you need is a blackboard, a piece of chalk and an audience. Lacking the blackboard, the stunt may be per- formed with pencil and paper. Fair warning is given, however, that your friends will like it better if you do it on a big scale. “This is a strange fact about the number ‘9’,'’ you'll say as you face your friends, chalk in hand. ‘We know that 9 multiplied by 1 makes 9."’ (Write 09 on the blackboard.) ‘We know that 9 multiplied by 2 makes 18, We know that 8 times 9 equals 27.” Continue until you reach 10 times §. The row of figures on the blackboard ought to be like line ‘‘A”’ in the draw- ing. “Then we discover that by taking the left digit of each number we may read across: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Starting at the other end and taking the right digits we may read across with the same result. We also dis- cover that 0 plus 9 makes 9, 1 plus 8 Ebhe Eveniug Gorlds * TRICKS PUZZLES 09 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 90H 90 81 72 63 54 45 36 27 18 09 ©) 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99¢c) 0+9=9,1+8=9, 2+7-9, 3+6:9,4+5=9 enc. makes 9, 2 plus 7 makes 9, and so on across. “Suppose we write these products backward on the board.'’ Write what you see in the line ‘“‘B’’ in the @raw- ing. “Then, if we add we get this amazing result.'' The result ef the addition is shown in line ‘'C."’ The Broken Match. N excellent trick for a parior gathering is this one in which a handkerchief and a match are used. A match is borrowed. The per- former wraps the match in the hand- kerchief and lets several persons feel it to make sure that it is there. The Hat, the Coin and the Goblet. the illustration. Now, put a half dollar on the hat so that it is over the mouth of the goblet. Strike the inside of the hat a sharp blow. The hat is knocked away and the coin falls into the glass. Then ask your friends to try it. They will try and try, but will fail every time. The coin simply won't fall into the glass. The reason is that you did not do just what you ap- peared to do. Pretend to strike the hat a couple of times, each time drawing your hand back just before it touches the hat. The effect is as if you were gauging the force of the blow needed to do the trick. When you do strike the hat, however, you strike inside, It is seldom that any one observes that you do not strike where you showed, by your manner, that you in- tended to strike. At any rate, strik- Pp”: a derby hat on a goblet, as in Mind Reading in Earnest. HIS is a conjuring joke, and if ei it is to be effective, it must be presented with all of the seri- ousness you can command, Do not let the spectators know, until the last minute, that it is anything but the trick in magic it pretends to be. Give to a spectator a plece of paper and ask him to write on the paper any word he likes. He is then, with- out letting you or any one else see the word, to fold the paper and put it in his pocket. : “‘Next,’’ you will say, ‘‘I must read your mind. Think intently of the word you have written.’’ Gaze into his eyes. Appear to be having a rather difficult time. Then exclaim: “Ah! I have it now! I know the word of which you have been think- ing—the word you wrote on the bit of paper. I shall now write on this piece of paper that very word!’’ Write and hand him the paper and he will have to admit that you have done what you promised to do, What you have written is: “That very word.’ ing the hat so causes the coin to fall into the goblet. You may present the stunt as a puz- zle by telling the folks what is to be done, letting them fail and then showing them how to do it. The Mystic Heap. T HE magician places two piles of cards on the table. He asks one of the spectators to decide which pile he will take, but not to touch it until the word to do so is given. Then the wizard takes a piece of paper and writes a sentence on it. This he folds and gives to a spectator to hold. The spectator then touches either of the heaps. The spectator who has the slip of paper is asked to read what the per- former wrote. This is what he reads: “John will select the seven heap,"’ This is correct. This is how it is done. One heap is composed of seven cards—any cards. The other heap is composed of the four sevens. If the spectator selects the heap composed of the seven cards, the performer calls attention to the number and shows that the other heap (he does not show the faces) contains but four cards. If the spectator selects the heap containing the four sevens, the performer shows their faces. Then he shows the faces of the other cards to show that they are merely odds and ends. The Land Problem PIECE of land was left to A four brothers. (See Fig. 1). Under the terms of the will each brother was to have exactly the same amount of land and all four parcels were to be of the same shape. Fig. 2 shows how the brothers finally divided the land. , match. Then, holding the match through the handkerchief, he breaks it in two. After he repeats a few mystic words and makes a few mystic passes, the performer declares that the match has been restored. Sure enough, | when the match is shaken out of the handkerchief it is just as good as it ever was. The secret is that the borrowed match was never broken. Before pre- senting the trick the wizard put a match in the hem of his handker- chief, which he opened at gne corner. When he wrapped the borrowed match, he got hold of this hidden When the spectators were assuring themselves that the match really was in the handkerchief they were feeling this hidden match. When the performer broke the match he broke this one. The borrowed match never was in danger At the conclusion of the trick the performer puts the handkerchief into his pocket. If any one wants to ex- amine the handkerchief he takes it out and passes it for examination. The reader may suspect that he prepared for the request by having two handkerchiefs in his pocket. The reader is correct. ° A Card Mystery. HE performer shuffles a pack of playing cards or has a spectator shuffle them. He permits a spectator to select a card, look at it and return it to the pack. Another spectator shuffles the pack. There has been absolutely no sleight of hand and nothing that requires practice. The performer almost in- stantly discovers the card that was selected. The trick will puzzle ma- gicians, especially when it is known that the person performing it has no skill in sleight of hand, Here is how it is done: The performer obtains a pack of cards of the kind known as ‘‘picture backs."’ When he examines them he will readily see that there is a top and a bottom to each picture. That is the foundation of the trick. He arranges them so that all of the tops are to- gether. The cards may be freely shuffled (if the shuffler drops none on the floor) without turning any of the cards around. When the spectator selects his card, the performer en- gages him in conversation, telling him tu be sure to remember the card. While talking, he turns the pack around. When the card is returned, it will, of course, be reverse@ and it will be an easy task for the performer to discover it. If he is careful to turn this card around, he may repeat the trick without fear that his secret will be exposed. The Transit of Matches. UT a dozen safety matches in u P row on the table, close together, Then say: “IT have these matches here. I want to get them to the table on the cther side of the room, If I clasp my hands behind my back and keep them there, how can I do it?"’ Some one will suggest that you can easily do it by picking up the matches with your hands. It can te done. “Suppose I agree not to touch them with my hands—how then?’ you ask, It sounds difficult but it is really very casy. You have left the outer part of the matchbox standing on end. Take one end of the cover in your mouth and put the box directly over the matches, By suction you can hold the matches to the matchbox long enough to per- mit you to carry them to the dther teble. Experiment to find the num- ber of matches that can be carried by means of the match box you use. A “March” Acrostic. ERE is an acrostic with which you and your friends can pass an interesting hour. Take the word ‘‘March'’—the name of this month—and see how many acrostics you can make with it. Each of you take a slip-of paper and a pencil and see who can employ the word in the greatest number of acrostics. Here are two samples: MARCH MARCH ADORE AGILE ROVER RIGID CREED CLING HERDS HEDGE Note that the five words used must in every case read the same, both horizontally and vertically. No names May be used. The Fortune Tellier. OU'’LL require a wedding ring, a yard or so of thread and a tumbler. Tie one end of the thread to the ring and ask one of the ladies to hold the other end so that the ring is suspended just inside the tumbler. Tell her that if she will hold the ring steadily it will answer questions. The ring will of course, swing for a time. Then it will cone to rest. While it is swinging back and forth, any one in the party may ask a ques- tion of it. This is what will happen: The ring, after it ceases swinging back and forth, will begin swinging again. The swings will be longer and seemingly purposeful until the ring strikes the side of the glass. If the question can ‘be answered by a number, the ring will ring that number by striking the glass. Then it will come to. rest, ready for another question. Once the ring begins to behave properly it will provide plenty of evi- ~ ayn dence for the belicf that ‘‘there must be something in it.’’ For example, here is’ a test that never fails to create considerable discussion. A glass of water is provided. Un- seen by the person holding the thread, one member of the party drinks a bit of the water. The glass of water is now placed in front of the suspended ring. If a man drank from the glass, the ring will swing back and forth. If a woman drank from it, it will swing round and round, The ring is said to have an astonishing record for accuracy. Some folks declare that the ring will tell whether an egg would, if hatched, produce a hen or a rooster. In this case the ring {s suspended over the egg. Try it, but don’t believe that there is anything supernatural about it. There isn’t. a oS Saas ane Slider gone ee od — BIR oe