THE S E C O N D E N C Y C L O P E D I A
OF
T R I C K S
BY GLENN G. GRAVATT
CARD
2 SECOND ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD TRICKS
INTRODUCTION. We were indeed pleased and gratified at the overwhelming popularity of our first work, "The Encyclopedia of Self Working Card Tricks," which was launched early this year. Its remarkable success is now history, We appreciate the hundreds of letters we received from those who, without solicitation, testified as to the merits of the book. Indeed much of the praise from our unknown friends was so extravagant that we ourselves would hesitate to make such claims even in a high pressure ad. It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. We were flattered to have our entire Encyclopedia of nearly 500 pages copied word for word from start to finish and an attempt made by a New York Edison of magic to market it. The copying of secrets is of course nothing new, but we believe this is the first time in history that a book, even its title, was republished by some one else verbatim. The only thing left out of the forged copy was the author's name. The forger, who called himself "The Fairplay Publisher" proposed to issue the book in sections. To date only the first section (comprising a couple of chapters of our book) has made its appearance, and the victims who sent him their money are still waiting patiently for the remaining sections. As some time has now passed it is safe to assume that this enterprise was a failure. Modestly enough, we had expected to sell about 50 copies of our Encyclopedia if we were fortunate.
In fact, that is all we intended to issue. However, the attempt to sell a fraudulent forged copy of our work, a copy perhaps incomplete, made us wish to protect the magicians who had read our advertising matter, who expected to get the original, and who had every right to expect it. Therefore, in order that there would be available sufficient copies of the genuine Encyclopedia, additional quantities were issued from time to time, six editions in all to date. In order to insure subscribers getting the real Encyclopedia, we promised to furnish purchasers with our Second, or Supplementary Encyclopedia, intended to sell at the same price as the first, absolutely free and with no strings attached. Vie are now keeping our promise with this, the present volume. Of course, since no financial benefit was to be derived from, this Second Encyclopedia, we could if we had so desired, issued a very meager flimsy pamphlet of poor tricks and so long as the purchasers of the first book received any sort of publication at all, our promise would have been kept. But even though we will receive no remuneration from the present work we have gone at the job with the idea of making it the very best possible, just the same as though we expected to reap a fortune from it. We are proud of the result, and we believe, justly so. It is submitted for your approval. It contains several new items, and many tricks, the secrets of which have been very expensive to buy. W G hope you like it. If you do, we may feel encouraged to prepare still a third Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, or an Encyclopedia along some other branch of roaglc. GLENN G. GRAVATT July, 1936.
4 CHAPTER ONE. MENTAL AND MISCELLANEOUS MIRACLES,
Page: Perplexo 5 Pythagoras (translated) 5 Uni Mentality 7 Uni Mentality (Self working method 11 Duo Mentality 11 Zens Quadruple Poker Trick — 13 Adventures of Diamond Jack -- 17 A Novel Card Problem 1© Ben Eren's Superlative Speller SO
how many cards spectator has removed from top to bottom. To repeat (and repetition makes it even more mystifying") glimpse the now bottom card of packet as you lay the packet down after showing tho 8th card, but not disturbing the order of any of the cards. If the card now on bottom of packet is for instance, five, subtract 5 from 11, which gives you 6. You keep the number 6 in mind. While your back is turned the spectator transfers any number of cards ho pleases from the top to tho bottom. Yet, when you turn around, you count down to tho 6th card from the top, and its value will show the exact number of cards transferred. Now notice tho new bottom card, subtract its value from 11, and the result will tell you how many to count down to when you do it again. This can bo repeated indefinitely, and the fact that you count to a different number each time will puzzle even the well informed spectator. If spectator thinks to fool you by not transferring any cards, you, by using the above method, count to a card which will bo the Joker, and which, according to the schedule of values, indicates 0, or no cards moved.
MENTALITY. Hero is a trick that was recently advertised and sold to magicians at a good price. Effect: Any card thought of by a spectator is named by performer, without asking any quostions whatsoever. The deck is a borrowed OXIG, shuffled by spectator, and performer never looks at tho faces of the cards. Routine: The deck is first shuffled and then handed to the performer who now requests a spectator to think of any card in tho deck. (1) Per former claims he has an impression of the color but is not quite sure of the suit. To more definitely build up the mental picture ho
PEHPLEXO. Spectator shuffles deck and divides it in half, approximately, then chooses either half. While he is selecting a card from anywhere in his half, you reverse the bottom card of your face down half so that it is face up. Spectator now lays his half face up on the table and places on top of it his selected card, also face up. You then lay your half, face down, on top of all. Now turn the deck over three times, then separate in middle, and show that the chosen card has apparently disappeared. It will be the second card from the bottom of the now top half. Be careful not to reveal it. Place deck together all one way, so top half is on bottom. Put top and bottom cards in center. This leaves, unknown to the spectators, selected card on bottom of face down deck. Cover deck with a handkerchief. As soon as this is done, secretly reverse the deck so it is face up. Ask spectator to cut about half the cards through the handkerchief. He holds them through the handkerchief. You take out the remainder of the deck, reversing it, and bring it out face down, laying it to one side on table. Now take handkerchief and balance of deck from him. Reach under handkerchief, reversing balance of deck, bring it out, and show that spectator has unwittingly cut at the very card he originally selected.
PYTHAGORAS. Under the above title, on page 252 of our first Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, we explained the trick, just as sold by Conradi and other German magical dealers, in its original German, without taking the trouble to translate It. Since that time we have had a number of requests for the trick