0
.'AKT OF VENTRILOQUISM.
-ONE WHO CAN "THROW HIS VOICE"
SAYS IT IS NOT A GIFT.
PeneTcrmnce Any Oua Can Learn
tao Triefc Then An Three Llvtlo
What U' Generally Called. Tentrilo-
I
A Few Practical Uinta.
Ventriloquism is without doubt' an
ancient art, one which was and is at the
present time surrounded by a halo of
mystery. It is remarkable that in this
Advanced age so much doubt and mis
conception prevail respecting ventrilo
quism. This is due in a great measure
"to the fact that the happy possessors of
the. gift are inclined to retain the secrets
xor their own profit, and so prevent a
" -bost of competitors from taking the field.
Ventriloquism is not a gift; it depends
ta a great measure on the histrionic abil
ity of the student as to whether he will
succeed in making a mark or not, but it
ia nevertheless true that any one possess
ing a certain amount of perseverance
nd seal can become to a certain extent
an exponent of the fascinating art. caus
ing their friends to wonder at the nuni--tier
of voices within them. Those so en
dowed are able, if they seize the oppor
tunity, to cause considerable amuse
ment or annoyance to their fellows, but
not to the extent that a great many peo
ple' believe.
The writer has been asked on numer-
-ons occasions to "throw' his voice to the
aide' of a . person some distance off, so
that it would appear to proceed from his
own pocket or some other equally absurd
place.
Now as to the meaning of the word
ventriloquism. It is derived from the
Latin roots venter, the belly, and loquor.
to speak: but belly speaking is certainly
misnomer, uml leads many people to
imagine that the voices are produced
trom that portion of the body. That is
sot so. the ventriloquial voice . being
formed purely and simply in the throat,
the muscles of the stomach only being
requisite to give sufficient strength or
power to the voice. Ventriloquism may
be classed under three heads: Ventrilo
quism proper, colloquism and poly-
, phonism. Under the first of these
beads comes the distant voice: that
is. . imitation . of sounds ' as they
appear when . heard from a distance
and in various places and directions.
1 The man-up-the-chimney, on-the-roof
and down-the-cellar" illusions, which
nearly every one has had an op
portunity of hearing, are ' the Outcomes
of this voice. Again, there are the
"street pries." in which the performer
has a miniature drawing room window,'
and gives imitations of varied and hu
morous well known street cries, heard
i first a long way off: then gradually the
man is beard coming nearer and nearer,
passing the window, and going slowly
away again in the distance. The win
dow being made to open and dose makes
the illusion perfect.
Colloquism consists of the imitations
of Various human voices: for instance, it
is usual for most ventriloquists to intro
duce comical, life size, talking automata,
the heads of which are made of papier
atache. the interiors being fitted with
springs and cords, by the aid of which
the performer controls the month, eyes,
hair, etc., of his talking family the
months of which being made to move at
- (he same time as the words are uttered
by the performer, and, owing to the un
certainty of the direction from which
minds emanate, and which, by the way,
ia the true secret of all ventriloquial il
lusions, the voice really appears to pro
ceed from the figures.
Polyp honism or mimicry is the imita
tion of cattle, sheep, sawing, planing.
c This branch of ventriloquism is
lather difficult to acquire, although there
are numerous sounds that can be copied
without any particular gift A great
many persons are excellent mimics with
out being ventriloquists, for in nearly
every school can doubtless be found a
youth who amuses his fellows in the play-
ground corner with his crowing and
cackling. . ,.-
A few practical hints as- to the modes
of procedure to be followed by would be
learners may not be out of place here.
. although half a dozen lessons, from a
good professional would , do infinitely
store for them than all the books that
have ever been written upon the subject,
and which, by the way, are usually a
mass of theoretical phraseology. Before
any attempt is made with the voice the
student must be prepared to devote the
same time and attention to the breath,
which he must get entirely under con
trol, so as to be able to hold it for a con
siderable time without straining. This,
of course, must be a gradual process.
Before commencing to practice a strong
inspiration should be taken, as the lungs
require to be furnished with a plentiful
supply of fresh air, whioh has to be well
controlled and allowed to escape grad
ually. He must endeavor to breathe
through bis nose and keep his mouth
-shut. This is a faint which it would be
as well for every one to remember, and
so save a great deal of cold catching and
illness. The learner must study at all
times to imitate sounds, not as they are
heard at their source, but as they fall
- upon the ear after traveling from a dis
tance. That is the golden rule of ven
triloquism, and if it is continually kept
in mind success is certain. . As conjurers
endeayor to deceive the eye, so ventrilo
quists try to deceive the ear.
The "distant voice" originates at that
spot in the throat where the "cluck"
takes place when drinking, so without
any facial contortions or movement of
the lips the words most be forced against
. the back part of the palate one by one;
with a series of short, quick breaths, at
the Bame time strengthening the sounds
by using the muscles of the stomach,
which will give them increased power.
mo that they will reach the audience
clear and distinct. The farther off the
sound is supposed to be the smaller the
quantity of breath must be expired. The
great fault with beginners is straining
after effect. No sooner do they make a
little headway and begin to feel their'
feet than they want to run, a proceeding
which will bring their endeavors to a
dismal failure. Chambers' Journal.
DEAD BY THE TRACK.
While Hi Laving- Mother Watte ud
Watched in Vain for Him.
"The Western and - Atlantic train left
the track last night at Mclvor's, and
Richard McClain, fireman, was killed."
That was the message, almost brutal
in its brevity, that was flashed over the
wires from Atlanta to Brunswick. He
was only a ' fireman, of small conse
quence to this matter of fact world, with
its rush and bustle, and so a three line
paragraph in the morning papers was
his obituary.
But back of this bare notice of Mo
Clain's death is one of the most pathetic
stories in the history of railroad acci
dents in Georgia. The dead man had a
mother and family who lived in the val
ley of the famous . Chickamauga, and
about them centers the pathos of the
story. . But let Engineer Adamson, who
stood weeping over the body of his
friend, tell it:
"He was a good boy," he said; "one of
the best hearted men in the world. And
he loved his family sot Every night
when he would run by bis home his
mother would put out a light to let him
know that all was well, and he would
answer with a light. Last night she
may have watched all night, for he
didn't pass, and no doubt she was trou
bled with the thought that something
was wrong."
And something was wrong.
While the faithful mother, with her
lamp of love a-flame, was straining her
eyes through the darkness of the night to
catch a gleam of the flashing headlight
that announced 'all's well" with her son.
that son was stark in death.
The eyes that had watched for the
light in the window that told of the
safety of mother and kindred were glazed
by death. No more would they strain
through the dusk of the valley for the
red ray which conveyed to him a mes
sage of love from home.
Richard was dead by the track!
The loving mother, what of her?
Through the dark watches she waited
at the window, in her hand the beacon
that assured Richard of the well being
of the jewels of bis heart.
But the rush and roar of the engine,
and the flushing of the headlight through
the swart reaches of the valley never
came.
The minutes ticked slowly by.
"Richard is late to-night," thought
the loving woman, "but Til wait a while
longer. It is almost like a visit from
him to catch a glipse of the headlight."
So she waited till her eyes grew heavy
with sleep. ;
And Richard was dead by the track!
Finally she said:
"I'll leave the lamp in the window
and lie down a while. I can hear the
roar of the engine in time to wave the
light."
-Slumber came unconsciously to the
loving but tired eyes. When she awoke
the sun was shooting his silver arrows
through the chinks of the room. The
faithful heart turned toward the win
dow. The lamp was extinguished. The
mother sat up with great eyes staring
at the darkened lamp. A shadow of
woe came darkling over her, chilling
the warm love currents of her heart.
For Richard was dead by the track!
Light and love had died together.
Brunswick (Ga.) Times.
Heavy Inabilities.
"Say, girls," Raid one of a trio of young
ladies, "let's go up on this car. The walks
are very slippery."
"Oh, I prefer the exercise of walking."
answered one of her companions.
"Well, 1 don't," said the remaining
one, a tall blonde, Tm going to ride."
With lit tle parley the three boarded
the car.. They conversed pleasantly un
til near Pearl street, when, as the con
ductor approached for vheir fares, two of
the girls began nervously unbuttoning
their gloves.
"Blanche, will you please pay my
fare?" said one, turning to her neighbor.
"I cant. I have only ten cents. But,"
said she, turning to the imperial blonde.
"will you pay for us?"
. "I haven't a cent," sententiously re
plied the blonde. And with burning
cheeks the young ladies signaled the con
ductor and stepped silently but thought
fully from the car. Their liabilities ex
ceeded their assets Albany Argus.
Cheese Paring!.
Cheese parings are tney worth board
ing? Certainly not, and yet thousands
find in them an interesting occupation.
It is a singular fact that there are many
persons who spend all their .time in pe
nuriously saving scraps, the accumu
lated value of which is of no consequence
whatever, yet who will now and again
give away large sums of money. Some
even will regularly subscribe to charita
ble objects sums a small percentage of
which would alter all their human rela
tions, and make a number of fellow mor
tals who come in contact with them
happy day by day. Which is the wiser
to endow a Chanty (with a capital C,
mind) for strangers or to show charity
at home? New York Ledger.
Knows Only Two Tostt.
Speaking of music, here is a true story
of a well known and greatly esteemed
Boston journalist to round out with:
The journalist is so far from ' being a
musician that he is accused of being des
titute of the sense of tune. - One time he
was rallied on this point by a lady of his
acquaintance. . whb asked him point
blank: , 1
"Is it true, Mr. A., that you don't know
one tune from another?"
"It is a fact," he said, "that I can't
readily distinguish tunes apart. There
are only two . tunes that I really know
well."
"What are they?"
"Old Hundred and the lone; meter
Doxology!" Boston Transcript.
Worse Than Doing Nothing.
"What in the world are von Arviniy?-
yelled Cumso to his youngest, when he
caugnc mm pounaing ms papa's watch
witn a Hummer.
'Killin' time." reniied the
infant. Harper's Baaar.
RELICS FROM THE SHIPS.
SOME OF THE QUEER THINGS SEEN
IN OLD SOUTH STREET.
Quaint FisrurehriuU Which' Hsve Inter
esting HItot'ii'B How Some of Them
. Were Handled Daring the Draft Blots'.
A Pessimistic Old gait.
A battered looking old fellow, wearing
an 'antiquated chin beard that was the
color of picked oakum, stood on South
street yesterday, gazing at one of the big
clipper ships that was loading prepara
tory to a trip around "the Horn to San
Francisco. His gaze was somber.' He
seemed in some way discontented with
affairs as they stood. ...Evidently he was
not pleased with' his immediate sur
roundings. "
."Handsome ship, that," remarked a
. bystander to the veteran. .
"Humph," snorted he of the oaken
beard. "Mebbe you're a jedge o' ships."'
"Well. no. but I thought"
"Oh, you did," retorts the veteran.
"Well,Ithort you did. Well, that air
clipper she air well enough for her. I
ain't savin' she ain't a bit handsome to
look at, but I've seen a heap better. Thar
wuz the Davy Crockett. She wuz a ship
as was hansmn an' as did hansum. An'
there wuz but what's the use? Times
is chauged an' ships is changed an South
street is changed. There's more wrecks
along here than anything else.
"What d'ye think I seen along here
a while ago? Well, I went in one of
them junk shops where they keeps all
sorts of things that they . picks up from
old ships, an' shiver me ef thar in that
shop wuzn't the figurehead of a ship 1
sailed in thirty years ago. 'Twuz all
battered an broke, but I knew it at once.
Well, I bought it, an' I'm goin' to take
it up to C"netrykut, where I live, an'
keep it there. An' I ain't goin' voyagin'
through South street any more. It
makes me feel like a castaway hulk my
self!' With this the ancient one re
lapsed into a silence which he would not
break. t
THE OLD STYLE FIGUREHEAD.
In one respect the old salt was right
enough. South street can show an
abundance of queer relics of wrecks and
relics of brave men who have gone down
to the sea in ships within the last thirty
years or more. There are a number of
shops that keep all sorts of queer things
on hand. They pick these things up in
a variety of ways, and there is a consid
erable sale for them.
There are figureheads, for instance.
In the olden time every ship of any pre
tensions had a figurehead. Owners of
vessels vied in their efforts to secure fine
designs, and the enterprising gentlemen
who modeled the representations of fair
maids, sea nymphs, of trim midshipmen
or of admirals in uniform did a right
pretty business. A simple sort of scroll
work has taken the place of the dashing
figures of the past.
Of course there, are exceptions. The
Dig Jinglisli four master, the Falkland,
has an excellently modeled representa
tion of the Fair Maid of Perth above her
cutwater. The clipper ship Seminole
nas a beminole brave in full war paint,
and there are others. v In the main, how
ever, the old time figurehead has fallen
into desuetude.
Just off South street, before a shop in
which nautical instruments are sold.
there is the figure of a sailor that has
evidently seen many and many a storm.
He looks as though he had been crimped
and shanghaied times beyond number.
Part of his nose is gone, some one has
made a pot shot at one of his eyes, but
there is a jaunty, wicked leer upon his
race ana an expression that says:
"Here's a (-alt as has sailed, an' be
Diowed to ye
EFFIGY OF. GEN. BOLIVAR.
There are a couple of old figureheads
to De seen on South street that have had
very hard experiences on land as well as
on sea. One of these is an effhrv of Gen.
Bolivar, and was the figurehead of the
amp of that name.
Originally the effigy was so painted as
to appear dressed in full naval uniform,
cocked hat and alL At the time of the
draft riots the rioters, having nothing
eise to Qo at one tame, stood across the
street and fired bullets at him. He re
ceived full many a wound that day, but
tie -stands in bis place still, stiff and
erect.
Another figurehead fared even worse
at the same hands. It was intended to
represent Samuel Kimball, of Kennebec
Me., but it left the sea Borne forty years
ago. it was tnen placed where it now
stands, to call attention to a store. The
draft rioters had rare sport with it one
day. They tied a rope around its neck,
dragged it here and there in wild elee.
Then they made it the central figure of
a Donnre. Just as it was being consumed
the police came down and rescued it.
It was repainted, and today, impassive
and dignified, it passes its time studying
human nature as it is on South street.
But there are other curios to be found
in this locality besides figureheads.
There is one shop where more or less
warlike articles can be- found. There
you can see ugly weapons taken from
Chinese and Malay pirates; you can find
queer looking weapons taken from na
tives on tho African coast or the wax
clubs of the Patagonians at least you
will be told they are. New York Mail
and Express.
It is not alone the composition1 which
determines the "quality of a bell; very
much depends upon its shape. More
over, the proportions between its height,
width and thickness are all to be taken
into consideration. The dimensions,
roughly stated, which are deemed to be
the best for large bells, are One-fifteenth
of the diameter in t.hif.imH and twelve
times the thickness in height. ,
. .
There are vacant publio lands in the
United States amounting to 586,216,861
acres, exclusive of the undesirable do
mains in Alaska, and not counting the
Indian reservations, some of which are
already falling into the general territory
of the nation.
J. M. HUNTINGTON & CO.
Abstracters,
4 ..... (,
Real Estate and
Insurance Agents.
Abstracts of. and Information Concern
ingLand Titles on Short Notice.
Land for Sale and Houses to Rent
Parties Looking for Homes in
COUNTRY OR CITY,
OR IN SEARCH OF '
Bu0iqe Locations,
Should Call on or Write to us.
Agents for a Full Line of
Leafing Fire Insurance Companies,
And Will Write Insurance for
on all
DESIEABLE RISKS.
Correspondence Solicited. All Letters
Promptly Answered. Call on or
Address,
J. M. HUNTINGTON & CO.
Opera House Block, The Dalles, Or.
JAMES WHITE,
Has Opened a
Ulsixxxolx Counter,
In Connection With his Fruit Stand
and Will Serve
Hot Coffee, Ham Sandwich, Pigs' Feet,
and Fresh Oysters.
Convenient to the Passenger
Depot.
On Second St., near corner of Madison.
Also a
Branch Bakery, California
Orange Cider, and ' the
Best Apple Cider.
If you want a good lunch, give me a call.
Open all Night
C. N. TIIORNBURY, T. A. HUDSON,
Late Rec. U. 8. Land Office. Notary Public.
THORHBURY & HUDSON.
ROOMS 8 and 9 LAND OFFICE BUILDING,
Poatoffloe Box 385,
THE DALLES, OR.
pilings, Contests,
And all other Easiness in the U. S. Land Office
Promptly Attended to.'
We have ordered Blanks for Filings,
Entries and the purchase of Railroad
Lands under the recent Forfeiture Act,
which we will have, and advise the pub
lic at the earliest date when such entries
can be made. Look for advertisement
in this paper.
Thornburv & Hudson.
Don't Forget the
EflST EP 80LOOJI,
' MactaalJ Bros., Props.
THE BEST OF
Wines, liquors and Cigars
ALWAYS ON HAND.
$500 Reward!
We Will TWV thA Hhwn mv.nl ftrtv anw mm
Liver Complaint, Dyspepsia, Sick Headache, In
digestion, Constipation or Costiveness we cannot
cure with West's Vegetable Liver Pills, when the
directions are strictly complied with. They are
uiuuj iqjcuiDie, ana never tall u give sausiac
Hon. 6ugar Coated. Large boxes containing 30
Fills, 25 cents. Beware of counterfeits and imi
tations. The rannlnA mnntifntiireri nnlv hv
TJOHN C. WF8T COMPANY, CHIGAGO,
BtAKELEI & HOUGHTON,
Prescription Druggists;
175 Second St. The la.llea. Or.
FOR SALE.
.
lO HEAD OF CATTLE CONSISTING OF
lt Cows, Calves and Yearlings. Apply to
. W. D RICHARDS.
Near E. H. Waterman's, Eight-Mil.
tub Dalles
36
is here and has come to stay. It hopes
to win its way to public favor by ener
gy, industry and merit; and to this end
we ask that you give it a fair trial, and
if satisfied with its course a generous
support. ,
The Daily
four pages of six columns each, will be
issued every evening, except Sunday,
and will be delivered in the city, or sent
by mail for the moderate sum of fifty
cents a month.
Its Objects
will be to advertise the resources of the
city, and adjacent country, to assist in
developing- our industries, in extending
and opening-up new channels for our
trade, in securing- an open river, and in
helping THE DALLES to take her prop
er position as the
Leading City of Eastern Oregon.
The paper, both daily and weekly, will
be independent in politics, and in its
criticism of political matters, as in its
handling of local affairs, it will be
JUST, FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
We will endeavor to give all the lo
cal news, and we ask that yourcriticism
of our object and course, be formed from
the contents of the paper, and not from
rash assertions of outside parties.
For the benefit of our advertisers we
shall print the first issue about 2,000
copies for free distribution, and shall
print from time to time extra editions,
so. that the paper will reach every citi
zen of Wasco and adjacent counties.
THE WEEKLY,
sent .to any address for $1.50 per yeCk
It will contain from four to six eight
column pages, and we shall endeavor
to make it the equal of the best. Ask'
your Postmaster for a copy, or address.
THE CHRONICLE PUB. GO.
Office, N. W. Cor. Washington and Second Sts.
Giironicie