The evening world. Newspaper, March 25, 1922, Page 16

G WORLD'S Sbe Evening Gdorld's "TRICKS PUZZLES 25, 1922, WHAT IS MISSING ON MR. BROWN'S DESK? ERE we show a picture of Mr. Brown’s desk. If you study the drawing very carefully you will discover that everything is not as it should be. As a matter of fact, there are nine things missing which, logically, ought to be there. What they are you will find listed at the bottom of this page. But don’t Jook at the list until you have figured everything out for yourself. Then look at the list and see if you found everything that was wrong. A Mind Reading Game. HERE are a number of variations T of this stunt. By knowing and using several of them you can mystify the skeptical friend who knows—or thinks he knows—one of the several methods. The effect is this: Two persons present the trick. One is the alleged mindreader. The other, who should be a ready talker and who should mimic the air of the self-im- portant lecturer in the side show, is the demonstrator. The medium leaves the room. During his absence the party de- cides upon some object in the room. Then the medium returns. The trick is for him to indicate which object has been decided upon. Usually the demonstrator points to several objects, asking cach time: ‘‘Is fs that?’’ The medium answers ‘‘No" until he touches the object decided upon when he siys ‘‘Yes."' It is never wise to give a signal when the object is pointed to. For that reason thte signal is given a cer- tain period before the selected object fs indicated. lor example: The first time the trick is performed, the signal is given while pointing to the article which precedes the selected article. The second time the trick is performed, the medium knows that he is to ignore the article mentioned when the signal is given, that he is to ignore the next one and says ‘‘Yes'’ for the one fol- lowing. By ‘‘skipping’’ one more each time the trick is performed, it may be done half a dozen times, leaving the spectators more mystified at the conclusion of the sixth test than they were at the conclusion of the first. The signal is any slight motion or position decided upon by the two be- fore the trick is presented. Often it is wise to employ two signals and al- termate them. An excellent signal is with the thumb. When pointing, the thu'ab normally touches the base of the extended forefinger. When it is destred to give the signal the tip of the thumb is lifted. Another signal is with the left hand. The hand is kept closed until it is desired to sig- nal Then {it is carelessly opened. Keep the left hand well up so that the medium can see it while pretend- ing to look at the object at which you point. Another signal is to pre- tend to adjust your tie and still an- other is to rub your hands together as, in apparent thought, you look around to see what to touch next. Little Journeys. 6 HIS puzzle-trick looks a great deal T easier than it really is. Take a pencil and try it. You see eight circles connected by paths. The problem is to start at any circle and make a straight line, fol- lowing a path, to another circle. You see that you have the choice of two paths. At the end of the line (npt the beginning) make a cross. Con- tinue, always starting from »# circle that is vacant and always making a straight line, following a path, to an- other circle and there making 4 cross. Only one cross may be placed in any eirele and you may not start your Mnes from any circle containing a @ross. The idea is to make a cross in all But one of the circles. Before you have made more than four of the crosses you probably will be fm difficulties. There is, however, an easy way to do the trick. Here it is: After your first cross is made, start so that the second cross will be made in the circle from which you started, If you will follow this rule all will be well, Kor example: Suppose you started from circle 8 and made the cross in circle 8 Your next line could be made from circle 6 to circle 8, where you would make a cross, The next could be from any circle that would enable you to make a cross in circle 6. As circle 8 has a cross in it you would have to start from circle 1, Next draw 4 to 1, then 7 to 4, then 2 to 7, and, finally, 5 to 2, leaving the one circle, 5, uncrossed. . The String and the Ring. HIS puzzling trick is done with a T piece of string two feet long. Tie the ends together and put them over a spectator’s thumbs as in Figure 1, Next borrow a ring. The trick is to get the ring on the string without taking the loop off the thumbs. Do this: Put the ring on a single loop (see Figure 2) and then drop this loop over one of the thumbs. Now, remove the original loop—and there you are. (Figure 3.) The trick can be done by putting the ring on the string in the first place and remove it by reversing the method here described. It is not wise, however, to combine the two tricks unless you want your friends to dis- cover how the trick is done. The Coin and the Pins. - HIs trick seems to be one that T requires a great deal of prac- tice and unusual steadiness of hands. As a matter of fact it is very easy. . You'll need a half dollar that is new so that the milling on the edge is not much worn, You'll also need two pins. Take one pin in each hand and by pressing the pins aganst opposite parts of the edge, as in the illustra- tion, pick it up. You will find that there is not much danger that the coin will fall if you push the points of the pins well against the coin. While holding the coin about eight or ten inches from your mouth blow gently, directing your breath against the lower part of the coin. The coin will spin around. Keep blowing and the coin will keep spinning. Mr. Brown’s Desk. ERE are the ten things that are missing in the picture of Mr. Brown's desk, printed at the top of this page: 1. No receiver hook on the tele- phone. 2. Wo handles, or ‘‘pulls,”’ on the desk drawers. 3. No light bulb in the desk light. 4. No 9 o'clock (IX) on the clock face. 5. No string suspending the tele- phone book. 6. One front leg of the desk is missing. 7. No mouthpiece, or ‘‘stem," in the tobacco pipe. 8. No Sundays on the calendar. 9. No 31st day on the calendar— March has thirty-one days. Magic Squares T will be easy for you after you ] have been told how to do ii, wut your friends may not find it such a simple task. The problem is to write the digits from 1 to 9 in the squares in such a manner that each straight line will! total fifteen. Of course, only one digit can go into a square and every digit must be used: Figure 2 shows how the muzgic square may be made. Note that the two diagonals also total 15, Perhaps you can find a few others If your friend tries to solve the puz- zie and succeeds too easily don't de- spair. Tell him that if you place one digit for him, he'll find the trick more difficult. Place the digit 8 as in Fig- ure 3. Then let him try. Be sure that you call them digits or figures—-not numbers. om