Show PARLOR MAGIC Clever and Pretty Tricks Can Be Scientifically Accomplished BY OLIVE HARPER There are many interesting tricks I children can do with little trouble and expense They are really applications of scientific principles but when properly prop-erly done look like magic A couple of I clever boys can amuse a arty or I I 1t w J 1z a I grown people a whole evening with I these scientific experiments When the boys wIsh to make a little money for I some pet charity they may be sure or giving their moneys worth to those who buy tickets For the first thing on the programme they might hypnotize a chicken To do this have a dark table and draw a white chalk line across it beginning from dIrectly under the bill of the chicken whore beak should be held down to the table so that it must look at the line A rooster will become senseless and nerveless by the time the line is two feet long and remain with his beak glued to the line sometimes over n minuteand that seems long A CENTER OF GRAVITY TRICK Many prettrtricls are done with the I princIple of the center of gravity A goblet and a bottle with colored 01 clear water two sliver table forks I and a cork are necessary for this The two forks arc stud firmly In opposite sides of the cork and left to hang down I at an angle of about 35 degrees The bottom of the cork Is then stood upon the edge of the mouth of the bottle The forks and cork form a whole with the center or gravity over the point i supporting It The bottle can be bent I emptied even of all Its contents without unbalancIng the cork This Is n trick I often done by professors of magic Another pretty trick Is possible with the same cork forks and bottle only a needle must be pushed head first Into the cork exactly In the center leavIng the point downward A piece of money Is then laId over the mouth of the bottle bot-tle and the cork with Its two forks is I stood upon the money Then push one of the forks hard but without jerking I and they will swIng around In a circle for n long time A flower or other devIce de-vIce on top of the cork Is also an addition ad-dition Another interesting trick Is to lift a decanter half filled with water by a dent straw This would seem impossible Impos-sible but is not The decanter should have n narrow neck and wide and rather square shoulder part The straw which must be a good and whole one about two and onehalf feet long or two feet This Is to be bent upward onethird of Its length 01 enough to bring It under the shoulder of the decanter Doubled it Is pushed into the decanter and then it spreads I apart leaving thelong end outside and the short one Inside This end Is lifted I carefully and as It Is It displaces the center of gravity which Is brought dl reetly under the point of suspension It Is well for the performer to have two or three extra pieces of straw to be sure to find one without crock or break THE PRINCIPLE OF INERTIA By applying the principle of Inertia we may produce a number of interestIng interest-Ing trIcks that will amuse and perhaps Instruct some of the big folks as well as the chIldren One trick requires an old broomstick sawed off at the broom end Two paper rIngs about 12 Inches in diameter are made by pasting together to-gether slips of wrIting paper an Inch wIde Two sharp table knives or razors ra-zors should be held by two persons each holding one on the same level with the sharp edge upward Over I these the paper rings are to be passed and the broomstick suspended by these paper rIngs The performer then takes a strong stick and strikes the broomstick broom-stick a sharp strong blow In the middle mid-dle and It breaks instantly without tearing the paper rings or causing them to cut on the razors Or this can be done b3 sticking a needle in each end of the broomstick and resting the needles on the edges I of glass goblets stood on chaIrs In I either case the blow struck in the middle mid-dle breaks the stick without moving I the sllIiports A pile of checkers maybe may-be put on the table and by one blow with the edge of a knife the center or even the bottom one may be removed without disturbing the others Atmospheric pressure furnishes some I interesting facts some of the experIments experI-ments being enough like magic to find a place In a parlor entertaInment Take an ordinary decanter and a hardboiled egg Take the shell off the egg Then push a piece of paper down into the decanter and light it and let It burn As soon as you see that the paper Is nearly consumed put the egg on the mouth of the decanter like n cork small end down In a few minutes the air outside presses the egg through the neck of the bottle down Inside The egg being at least twice as largovts the mouth of the decanter It requires force enough to make it grotic long and narrow nar-row The vacuum inside made b3 the I burning paper and the atmospherIc pressure get the egg through md it falls to the bottom and regains its own shape Ye will not discuss the ques tlon of getting the egg out again IN A PAPER BOX Two more trIcks based upon the conducting con-ducting power oC metals and the power of absorption of heat hy water One may take a small but powerful alcohol lamp and stand It on the table An ordinary playing card wIth the edges bent uP has a piece Gf lead about as large as half a dollar put in the center This card Is then held directly over the flame of the lamp and In a few minutes the lead Is melted and the card Is not injured In the least The last and neatest experiment of all Is to boil water In a paper box A little paper box Is folded as all schoolchildren school-children know how into a square box about an inch deep and two square Cords are fastened to the corners and a piece of stick passed through so that It will hang perfectly level Light the alcohol lamp and fill the little box with water and suspend It directly above the flame about three inches higher In ai i few mInutes the water will boil and I send up a miniature cloud of steam without harm to the box This requires some experience as to the proper dis I I tance It should be held from the tlacie and it Is well to have the lamp in a goodsized dish in case the performer should be careless enough to upset the box or a string pull out A short magic lantern exhibition would finish out n really pleasant and Instructive evenings even-ings entertainment |