After Dinner Tricks Gibson

8/13/2019 After Dinner Tricks Gibson

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A F T E R D I N N E RT R I C K S1? ^ I L L U S T R A T E D H

By WAL T E R B. GIBSONAuthor of: E asy Magic, Mi raclesA ncient and Modern,Practical Card Tricks.

Number One F ifty Cents

MAG I C P U BL ISH I NG C O., 48 E . L ong St., C olumbus, O.


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W I L L LMM .L . M.C . L O N D O N }


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AF TE R D I N N E R By WA L T E R B. GIBSON

A uth or of E asy M agic, M ir aclesA ncient and M odern,Practical Card Tricks

EDITED BYALVIN RICHARD PLOUGH

M A G I C P U B L I SH I N G C O M P A N Y48 E ast L ong St.C O L U M B U S , O H I O

W I L L A k D v ?A D E1 7 3 P U T S T R E E T

s V D N E Y


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All Tricks, Text, I l lustrations, Titles fully Copyrighted, 1921P ubli c L edger C ompany

Repri nted by Special P ermi ssion


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T h e State L ibr ary of V ictori aA L M A C O N J U R I N G C O L L E C T I O N

INTRODUCTIONF all the forms of impromptu entertainment, magic is the mostpopular, and is best suited to all occasions. Everyone is inter-ested in tricks, and the amateur conjurer will always be calledupon to entertain his friends.I t is not necessary to study sleight-of-hand to become a com-

petent performer. On the contrary, many of the best tricks are quiteeasily acquired, with only a few minutes' practice.

It is the purpose of this volume to describe a large number of simplebut effective tricks that will appeal to the average man who knows littleor nothing about the art of prestidigitation. All the articles required forshowing these tricks are easily obtainable, and cost practically nothing.The man who studies them will find himself well repaid for the timespent, both in personal enjoyment gained, and in the popularity he willrapidly attain.In order that the book may be more readily used as a referencevolume, the tricks have been divided into sections, according to the differ-ent articles employed in their performance.

A few words of advice regarding the presentation of the tricks willprove of value to the reader. I t will be noticed that several differentmethods are explained for presenting single effects; for example, there area number of different ways of vanishing a coin. This is done for twoteasons: First, to allow the reader to choose the method he likes best;second, to allow him to repeat the trick if he wishes. The same trickshould never be done twice in succession, for the element of surprise willbe missing, and the audience will be likely to detect the secret. I f,however, the same effect is repeated with a different method, the wilyspectators will be completely mystified.

Similarly, the performer should never tell his audience what he isgoing to do, as this will also put them on guard.

I t must not be thought that because the tricks included in this bookare simple, they are not mystifying. The simplest tricks are usually thebest in actual practice. The success of a trick depends upon the performerputting it over with an air of mystery. I f he has a lot of difficultsleight-of-hand to bother with, it will distract him from his main purpose,namely, to puzzle his audience. The simplest trick in the hands of a cleverman will prove most perplexing. On the other hand, a very clever trickmay prove a failure in clumsy hands.


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CONTENTSA N D R E Q U I R E D A R T I C L E S

PAGEM A T C H E S 7Small, wooden box of matches, coin.

C O I N S 11Hat, tumbler, paper, box.

C A R D S 1 5Cards, rubber band.

T U M B L E R S 17Tumblers, soda straw, paper, match, fork, rubber cloth, rubberband, paper napkin.

P E N C I L A N D P A P E R 19

S T R I N G , R U B B E R B A N D S 21

C I G A R S , C I G A R E T T E S 22

Cigarette papers, cigar bands.

N U M E R A L S 24

D I C E , D O M I N O E S 25

M I S C E L L A N E O U S 26Orange, apple, ring, knife, stamps.


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Strike Safety M atches W it h-out BoxI t Is commonly supposed that a safetymatch can only be struck on the box.A neat little stunt is to strike one onthe sole of the shoe, and then challengeany one to duplicate the feat, whichthey will be unable to do.T he secret is quite simple. The sideof a match box was previously rubbedagainst the sole of the shoe, at theinstep. Some of the substance is thustransferred from the box to the shoe,and the striking of the match becomesa simple matter. A s the instep doesnot touch the ground the applicationwill not wear off for some time.Copyr igh t. 1921. by P ubli c L edger C ompany

I nvitati on of a M atch B oxA match box is placed upright on theback of the hand. I t is pushed down,but immediately rises to its former posi-tion. A fter some repetit ion, the box is.handed for examination, but nothingunusual is discovered.I n setting the box on the back of theihand, the drawer is pushed out slightlyand, in pushing it back, a bit of flesh\is pinched between tfce box and the edge;of the drawer.The box Is then knocked down flat on.the back of the hand, but by merely,doubling the fingers it will rise as on ahinge.


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T he Leaning M atchI .ean a match against the side of amatch box with the head cf the matchstandi ng on a piece of wood (not amahogany table).T he pr oblem is to remove the boxwi thout the match fall in g. T o accom-plish this, strike another match andlight the head of the leaning match;then blow it out immediately. T hetumbler may then be removed withoutthe match falling.Co t v r l eh t , n i l , 6 k P ub l i c L edger Compan y

A L ight That F ailedA friend asks for a light. Y ou strikea match for him, but when he takesIt he finds the light has gone, and issurprised to see you still hedding it. ;The match was previously broken inhalf, and then held at the joint, instriking. Of course when you held itout, he trok the unlighted end, and as aresult only received half the match,while you kept the light.Cowr ie** . 1 2 1 1 , by PutH o L edger Compan v

Whi ch E nd Burns Fi rsttT wo matches are wedged between thesides of the drawer and the inner sidesof a match box. A third match is placedbetween them. T he thi rd match islighted In the middle, and anyone isasked to guess which end will burn first.B efore either end is reached, pressurewill be relieved by the center of thematch being consumed, and the piecesof the match will leap into the air.


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A match is balanced on the ball ofthe forefinger.T o accomplish this feat secretlybreak off the tip of the match at thebase. T hi s leaves a number of tinyprongs or slivers of wood. When thematch is set on the finger it is pressedagainst the flesh and the tiny sliversare imbedded vary sl i jh tl y. The matchwil l then stand as long as desired. N oone els? can do the trick, as they in-variably fail to press the match intothe finger.Copyright^ 1311 bv Public Ledger Company

T he M ystic M atchesA pair of paper matches are shownto have printing on one side, but to bablank on tiie other. They are held bythe ends between the left thumb andforefinger. T he right thumb and for e-finger take the matches at the centerand turn them over, but the printing isstill uppermost, no matter how oftenthey are turned.The secret is a half twist made b/drawing back tfie thumb a tr ifl e. Thuevery time the matches are turned overthey make a complete tw ist , whi chleaves the same side on top. The tw i i lis indefectible, as the turning of thmatches makes it unnotlceable.Copy r i g h t . I S t l b y P ub l i c L edger Compan y


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A P u z z l e With MatchesA neat little puzzle is to lay seven-teen mathes as shown above. T heproblem is to take away five matchesand leave three perfect squares.T he solution is shown in the secondillustration.Copy r i g h t , 1 921 , b y P ub l i c L edger Compan y

A Square by M oving One MatchH ere is a clever l itt le puzzle which ispractically unknown and which will taxthe brains and ingenuity of every one.Arrange four matches as shown inF ig. 1, forming a cross.The problem is to move one matchand make the matches form the sidesof a perfect square.The solution is shown in F ig. 2. Thesquare is quite perfect, even though Itssize is smaller than expected. M ovematch four.

Self-Servi ng Match B oxSome one asks for a match. When thebox is pushed open they are startled t osee the match raise itself right out ofthe box.A little hole is made in the top ofthe box uear the end, and a match ispushed through into the drawer of thebox, all except the head, which sticksout a trifle, but will not be noticed.When the drawer is pushed open, thematch is forced up through the hole,'and comes out in a very mysterious1manner.

Copyright by Pub lic Ledger Company


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M ysterious Sounding M oneyA good li ttl e tr ick to work on awooden or stone table. H old a coin inHie left hand, but reach forward withthe right, as though it held the coin.As the right hand sets its imaginarycoin on the table, the left hand letsthe real coin down with a siiarp click.E very one wil l suppose that the soundcame from the right hand and will beastonished when it is lifted, showingnothing there.

Copyright, by Publ ic Ledger C ompany

T he Changed Coins in H andA coin is held on the palm of eachhand. T he hands arc slapped down onthe table. When they are li fted, bothcoins are found under one hand. I nturning ri ie hands over one coin iathrown from one hand underneath the;other. T he hands are brought downso rapidly that the coin does not haveitime to roll away.After a little practice, a nickel andn penny can be made to change placesby throwing both coins.

Copyright, by Publ ic Ledger Company

Chosen Coin Picked OutA penny is marked and tossed intoa hat with a number of others. A l -though blindfolded, it is a simple mat-ter to reach in and draw out themarked coin.The secret is this: While the coin iabeing marked and passed among thespectators, it becomes warm, due tntlie handling, and can be easily pickedout from the others, which are all cold.Cv p v r i o h t , 1 9 2 8 , b u P ub l i c L edger Compan p


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Coin Appears in E mpty B oxA match box is shown empty by sli d-ing open the drawer. The drawer iaclosed, and when re-opened a half dol-lar is found inside.B efore performing the coin is wedgedbetween the top of one end of th


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Disappearing Coin in BoxA coin Is spun on a plate and coveredwith a match box ; the spectators areasked to guess whether the coin liesheads or tail s. T he action Is repeatedonce or twice; finally the box is liftedand the coin his disappeared.T o accomplish the tr ick , an emptymatch box must be used ; t i e coin shouldbe a dime or a penny. Whi le the coinis spinning rapidly, the box is broughtdown sharply on to the coin, which willbe driven right through the wood intothe, box. The box snould be slappeddown top firBt, so that the coin has butone thickness of wood to penetrate.Cop y r i g h t b v P ub l i c L edger Compan y

T o See Both S ides of a Coinat OnceH ow can you actual ly see both sidesof a coin nt once, that is, without usinga mirror?Simply spin the coin on a plate, andif you watch it carefullyt both Bides canbe seen at the same time, when thecoin begins to slow down.Cop y r i g h t , 1 9 2 1 , b v P ub l i c L e dger Compan y

Co i n Di ssolves I nto Ai rA handful of coins are shown in theleft hand. T he ri ght hand removes adime from the pile, rubs it gently andcauses it to dissolve into thin air.Among the coins in the left handthere is only one dime. T hi s coin 1bapparently removed by the right handbut In reali ty it Is slipped under alarger coin, say a quarter or half-dollar.As the dime is no longer visible amongthe left-hand coins, every one takes itfor granted that it is in the right. Thusthe disappearance of the dime createconsiderable surprise.


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The Three AcesT he aces of clubs, spades and di a-monds are exhibited in a fan . One ata time each ace Is pushed into thecenter of the pack. When this hasbeen done, the top card is turned over,and proves to be the ace of diamonds,which, but a moment before was lostin the depths of the pack.T he "ace of diamonds" originallyshown is actually the ace of hearts. Byholding the cards as shown In the dia-gram, only the tip of the heart appears,and it is mistaken for a diamond. Thereal ace of diamonds is on the top ofthe pack all the time. The three fannedaces are turned faces down before theyare pushed into the pack; hence the trueidentity of the camouflaged ace ofhearts is not disclosed.Copy r i g h t , 1 922 , b y P ub l i c L edger Compan y

F inding a Selected C ardT ell some one to take a card from apack, look at it, replace it on top ofthe pack, and then cut the cards. L ook-ing through the pack, you Immediatelyfind the card selected.P reviously note the card on the bot-tom of the pack. A ce, for example.Thus when the chooser puts his card,perhaps a king, on top, and cuts thepack, his card comes directly beneaththe one (nee) you already know. Xouhave merely to ran through the pack,and the card after yours will be thechosen oneCopy r i g h t , 1S 11 , b y P ub l i c L edger Compan y

KNOWN CABOTTOM OT


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Separated CardsJ oinedSecretly place the seven of heartsand the eight of diamonds at the bottomof a pack of cards. Openly removethe seven of diamonds and the eightof hearts, show them, and push theminto the pack. Gi ve the pack a fewflips, and show the two cards on thebottom. E veryone wil l think they arethe same cards you just pushed intothe pack. T hi s is a very puzzling litt lemystery and not one person in a hun -dred will note that tie two cards atth bottom are opposite in suits to thosefirst shown.Cop y r i g h t , 1 9 9 1 , b v P ub l i c L e dger Compan y

T he L eaping Calling CardA calling card is borrowed and pushedinto the center of a stack of a dozenothers. A t command the borrowed cardleaps from the pack.A rubber band is previously pushedthrough the centers of two calling cards,and a knot is tied in each end of theelastic. These two cards are in thcenter of the stack, and the borrowedcard is pushed between them, stretchingthe elasti c. The lower end of the stackis held firmly between the thumb andforefinger A s soon as they releasepressure, the rubber band will propelthe borrowed card out of the stack.


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CLASTIC

Tumbler F rom PocketT o carry a tumbler filled with waterIn the pocket and remove it withoutspilling a drop seems an impossibility,but it is quite easily accomplished.P rocur e a piece of thin rubber andstretch It across the mouth of the tum-bler. Secure the rubber wi th an elasti cband. The tumbler may then be car-ried in the pocket as long as you desire.I n removing it from the pocket firstslide off the rubber and bring out theglass alone.Cop y r i g h t , 1 9 2 1 , b y P ub l i c L e dger Compan y

M agnetizing a TumblerA tumbler can be made to adhere tothe palm as though magnetized by sim-ply dampening the hand, then pressingthe palm against the bottom of the glass)and giving a sharp, heavy twist . Avacuum will be formed in the hollow'at the bottom of the glass and will cause'It to stick to the hand. Of course thetr ick cannot be done with a flat-bot-tomed tumbler.Cop y r i g h t , 1 1 1 1 , b y P u i i c L edger Compan y

Balanced Glaos of WaterT o balance a glass of wa,ter on edgerequires a keen eye and a steady handunless one knows the tr ick. Thesecret Is a bit of a match stick whichis previously slipped beneath the tablecloth, and which materially assists inaccomplishing the balance, the glass be-ing leaned afai nst i t. E ven then, alittle experiment li necessary, In orderto make the balance look realiitlc.

Copy H int, br Public L ti ln r Company


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The Tuneful TumblerT he prongs of a fork are snappedwith the fingers and then the fingersheld over a glass of water . A s thefingers are drawn away from rtie glassa low, humming sound issues from thewater, as though drawn by the fin-gers.The trick lies in the other hand,vrfcich holds the fork . A s attent ion isdirected toward the glass the base ofthe fork is pressed against a plate, orthe wooden table. This causes theringing sound to come from the fork;but it sounds as though it came fromthe glass.Cop y r i g h t , 1 9> 1 , b p P ub l i c L edger Compan y

Spiritualistic Glass of WaterA good trick for a dark room is topaste several strips of paper over themouth of a glass of water. The per -former's hands are held, but when thelights are turned on the water is partlygone. Thts wonder may be attr ibutedto spirits, even though the glass doesnot contain spirits.All you need is a long straw in theinside pocket. This is reached with themouth, which withdraws the straw,inserts it in the glass, drinks part ofthe water and replaces the str aw. Ofcourse a little practice is necessary,but the same is true with every trickthat te worth while.


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T r i c k s w i t h P a p er a n d P en c i l

Disappearing Bit of PaperA bit of paper is moistened and fixedto a finger nai l. W it h a wave of thehand the paper disappears. Anotherwave brings it back. T he paper wasattacked to the tip of the second finger.In waving the hand that finger was bentin and the first finger extended. Ofcourse the paper was gone. Dur ingthe second wave the fingers were againchanged, which brought the paper back.Cop y r i g h t . 1 9S , b y P ub l i c L edger Compan y

A F eat of Str engthA paper napkin is twisted like a ropeand given to some one to break. Itwill be found impossible, without enor-mous effort, but the performer breaksthe twisted napkin with ease.While some one is trying to tear thenapkin, secret]^ dip your fingers in aglass of water. I n tak ing the napki n,rub It a bit at the center, as thoughtwisting it tighter. By thus dampen-ing the paper, it is weakened, and iseasily torn with but very slight effort*Cop y r i g h t , I t s I , b y P ub l i c L edger Compan y

A DivinationAs a demonstration of mental telep-athy ask some one to write secretly afew words on a slip of paper. Ix>okfnginto the writer's eyes you write a fewwords on another slip, then ask him ifhe remembers what he wr ote. Whenhe says "yes," you confidently remarkthat you have written exactly the same.Of course, every one wants to comparethe two slips, and when they are shown,much to their amusement they findwritten on your slip the three words,"exactly the same."Cop y r i g h t . 1 9 i l , b y P ubU o L edger Compan y


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A f t er D i n n e r T r i c k s

T he Magic Paper Band*Three long strips of newspaper arepinned or glued so that they form threbands, or paper hoops.The first Is cut along the center, andquite naturally falls apart into twohoops of equal size.But when the second band is cut itcomes out in one large band, twice thesize of the others.The third, when cut, falls apart Intwo, but these two are linked together.I n forming the bands the first waspinned to form a cir cle. The secondwas given a half twist before pinningwhile the third was given a completetwi st. T hat accounts for the curiousresults.I f desir ed, a four th band may oeused, with a twist and a half. I tcomes out a single band, tied in a knot.Cop y r i g h t , 1S 11 , b y P ub l i o L edger Compan y

A large piece of thin paper i placedon the palm of the hand. The hand isturned over and the paper adheres tothe palm.The trick is accomplished by layingthe paper flat on the table and rubbingit with the palm a number of times.The friction generates electricity andcauses the paper to adhere to the hand.If the paper starts to fall a downwardmotion of the hand will keep it Inplace.Another way of doing the trick is tomoisten the palm very slightly at thebase of the forefinger. T hi s will makethe paper stick and will not be notice-able after the sheet is taken frcm thehand.Cop y r i g h t , 1S 2S , b y P ub l i c L edger mp an y


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Adhering CigaretteA cigarette or cigar mysteriously ad-heres to the tip of the forefinger.A tiny bit of chewing gum or beeswaxis all that is necessary. I t is previouslyaffixed to the nail of the forefinger andthe cigarette is pressed against it , n; arthe end. The cigarette is removed laterand the end to which the gum sticks isplaced in Che mouth and the cigaretteis lighted.Cop y r i g h t , 1 9X 1 , b y P ub l i c L e dger Compan y

Anti-Gravity CigaretteA n a s t o n i s h i n g f e a t i s t o l a y t h e t i p

o f a c i g a r e t t e o n t h e e d g e o f t h e t a b ' . ew i t h t h e r e m a i n d e r h a n g i n g o v e r t h ee d g e a n d l e a v e i t b a l a n c e d t h e r e .

T h e c i g s r e t t e m u s t p r e v i o u s l y b e p r e -p a r e d . R e m o v e s o m e o f t h e t o b a c c oa n d i n s e r t a s h o r t p i e c e o f m e t a l a t t h et i p . T h e n r e p l a c e e n o u g h t o b a c c o t om a k e t h e c i g a r e t t e a p p e a r o r d i n a r y .N a t u r a l l y , t h e w e i g h t o f t h e c i g a r e t t e i sn o w a l l a t o n e e n d , a n d i t c a n e a s i l yb e b a l a n c e d a s d e s c r i b e d a b o v e .C o p y r i g h t , 1 9 22 . b y P u b l i o L e d g e r C o m p a n y

The M agic Cigar B andA cigar is shown, and waved in the|air. Suddenly the band disappears from;the cigar. Another wave, and it re-appears.The band only goes half way aroundthe cigar. I t is glued to the perfectoto keep it from falling off. In wavingthe cigar, it is given a half turn, whichbrings the blank side to the front. A,reversal of the movement brings theband back. j


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The Magnetized C igar 01CigaretteT he performer borr ows a cigar andplaces it against the fingers of his righthand, where it mysteriously adheres,held by some unseen for ce. I t final lydrops from the fingers and is returnedto the owner, while the hand may baexamined.The secret is a short pin, which theperformer unobservedly pushes in to theside of the cigar. T he head of the pinis clipped between the two middlefingers which are held together. Whenthe cigar is removed by the left hand,the pin is left behind, and is quietlvdropped beneath the table, while theciftar is retur ned. The hand may thenbe inspected.C opyri ght. 1921, by PubllQ Ledger C ompany

F ind a Marked C igarette PaperA cigarette paper is taken from apacket of papers and is mark ed. I tIs then mixed In with Hie rest, and theperformer, placing the papers beneaththe table, immediately draws out themarked one.M ost cigarette papers are cut on thebias, that is, instead of the corners be-ing square, they are at an angle. Whi leone paper is being marked, the packetis secretly turned around, so when thepaper is replaced two of its corners willprotrude sligti tly. When he place thepacket beneath the table, the perfc.'merfeels for the protruding corners anddraws out tlie marked paper.

Cojarrlsht. by P ubli c L odger C ompany


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| 36 < 9 r C t t j iFlCiiT o F ind a T otal of Sci letFiguresA number is written on a slip of pa-per which is folded and given to someone to hold. V ar ious persons then setdown numbers between one and ten onanother sheet of paper. A ny one's Ini -tials are written on this sneet for iden-ti fication. T he figures are added up andfound to equal the unknown number

written on the folded slip.Suppose the number the performerwr ote on the sli p was 30. H e watchesthe figures that the spectators are writ-ing and when their total reaches 27or more (which is within 9 of 36), hetakes the slip and asks for some one'sini tials. As he wr ites the ini tials onthe paper he secretly adds the missingnumber at the bottom of the column,and thus brings the total to 36.Copvrieht. 1921. by P ublic L edtor companlF tapid A ddi ti on to M ake 100T he performer offers to race any one

counting to 100, the conditions beingthat first one will name a number notover ten; then the other will add asimilar number, etc., thus: 3. 11, 17,27, 28, and so on. T he one who man -ages to name 100 wins the race. T heperformed wins every time.T he secret lies in certai n " k ey "numbers. T hey are 1, 12, 23, 34, 45,56, 67, 78, 89. A ft er several numbershave been given, the performer strikesfor one of those numbers, and fromthen on he cannot be beaten. T hu s theman who starts the race can alwayswi n if he kn ows the secret for he haamerely to begin by naming 1.A variation is for the performer tomake his opponent win. T he "k ey "numbers for this are 2 2 3 3 4 455 , 66, 77 , 88, 99. ' '

Copyright. 1921. by P ubl ic L edj er Compan y


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The M agnetized D iceA pair of dice are taken and the fiveside of one placcd against the fire sideof the other. Thi s causes the dice tobecome magnetized, so that they adhereto each other. I t wi ll not work whenany other sides are used and the spec-tators are unable to do it at all.The trick is accomplished by secretlymoistening the five side of one dice.When the dice are placed together theywi ll adhere. When they are drawnapart the thumb quickly wipes off themoisture. Of course, it will work withany sides of the dice, but by layingttoe "magneti c power " to "peculi arproperties" of the five side, suspicion Isdrawn from the real secret.Cop y r i g h t b v P ub l i c L edger C t i * t t ^ v

To Foretell the End Nun-.hers In a Game of DominoesA 6et of dominoes Is laid on the table,and the spectators are asked to linethem up, just as though playing a gameof dominoes. The performer wri tes twonumbers on a slip of paper, and whenthe game is completed, those numbersprove to be the end numbers of the lineof dominoes.The trick is accomplished by s e c r e t l yremoving one domino (not a d o u b l enumber) from the set before tlie "game"is begun. The numbers on this dom-ino will be the end numbers when thegame is completed. o the performeiha merely to write those numbers onthe slip of paper and quietly r e p l a c ethe extra domino with the others a f t e rthe line has been broken up.Cop y r i g h t , l l , b p P ub l i c L edger Compan j


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M ysterious Spots on a K ni feT wo bits of paper are moistened andone stuck to each side of a table knife.With a wave of the knife, both papersdisappear, only to reappear at anotherwave.In attaching the papers to the knifethe piece supposedly stuck to the bot-tom side of the kni fe is not placedthere at all, but is retained by the fore-finger, which wipes the paper off onthe coat.Both sides of the knife are apparent-ly shown, but in turning it over, thefingers give the knife a half twist; sothe same side is shown twi ce. When,the knife is waved it is again given ahalf twist, bringing the blank side up-permost. Both sides are then shownto be blank by again employing thehalf twist.T hus the paper pellets vanish and re-appear ad lib.C opyri ght. 1021. by P ubl ic L edger C ompany

H ere's a Magical Sex I ndi-catorT he performer i ntr oduces a fingerring with a stri ng attached to it . H eholds the end of the string with thering dangling beneath. W ithout anymotion on the part of the performer theri ng begins to swing in a cir cle. A tthe request of a spectator the ring stopsand hangs motionless. I f a lady placesher hand beneath the ring it will swingsback and forth; if a gentleman does soit will swing sideways. A s soon astheir hands are removed the ring willagain swing in a circle.There is really no deception to this[interesting little experiment; it dependsentirely upon nerve control, or un-conscious muscular movement. Whenthe performer relaxes his muscles theinvisible vibration causes the ring todescribe a circle; by tightening hisimuscles and setting his mind upon it,he can cause it to stop or swing like aipendulum in whichever di rection heidesires.'Copyri ght. 1021. by P ubl ic L sdger C ompany


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,To Tell If Number on DollarBill la Odd or EvenL et some one take a doll ar bi ll andlay I t on the table. P ut your thumbover the entire serial number and letterthat appears on the bil l. T o tell I f thehidden number la odd or even, note thesifcgle Old E ngl ish letter whi ch appearnon the upper left-hand corner, about aninch from the eagle's wing, or the smallblock printing letter at the lower right-hand corn er of the bil l. I f the lettffi:Is A or 0 the hidden number is odd;if B or D, th number is even. .[I ll ustr ation* of the bill cannot bemade, as tk 'aw does not allow thereproduction of pictures of moneys.JCopyright, by Publio L odger Company

The Changing Postage StampA on-cent postage stamp la laid oothe open palm of the left hand. B ymerely passing the right fingers ov r I tthe stamp is transformed Into a tw-cent.T he tri ck is accomplished by gumminga one-cent and a two-cent stamp backto back. T he stamp Is exhibited as inordinar y one-cent stamp. W it h verylittle practice the stamp can be secretlyturned over by the right fingers, nothat It apparently Is raised in denom-ination.CoPI/H0M, I t 1 1 , / r at ju 1 . 4 * f r Comym*


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Changing an Orange to anApp'eCut an orange into quarters andcarefully peel the skin off each part.P iaster the orange peels on to an appleof about the same size, and the finishedproduct will closely resemble a genuintorange. P lace the imi tation orange ina dish of iruit.E very one will be surpr ised when youtake an orange, peel off the skin andfind an apple inside.Cop y r i g h t , J 9 2 J , b p P ub l i c L e dger Compan y


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After Dinner Tricks Gibson