The Cheyenne Daily Leader

Amusements of a Conjurer.

In December, 1858, Bosco, the world renowned conjurer, came also; he was a wonderfully jovial man, reveling in the practice of legerdemain, of which he was a consummate master, and not in the least reluctant to fool all he met, high and low, in public and in private. He was the last of the prestidigitators who trusted more to their marvelous manipulation than to artificial tricks and prepared contrivances; short and very stout, he would perform in a sleeveless shirt, black velvet tunic, and, flourishing his massive white arms in the air, apostrophize the "spiriti infernali mici" before executing some perfectly incredible feat.

On market days, strolling before the countrywomen and their wares, he would carefully pick up a carrot or a turnip, cut it open abstractedly, and with feigned surprise extract a piece of money, repeating the experiment several times from different baskets, till the dazzled venders ruthlessly performed the same operation on their whole stock in quest of the coveted silver. Bosco, laughing like a boy at his practical joke, generally handed his dupes the value of their damaged goods, preaching meanwhile a serious little homily on the dangers of covetousness. During his stay in Berlin he was asked to perform before the regent and his family. In the course of the séance he pointed to a terrestrial globe on a stand, saying to the prince: "Highness, drop your finger on the kingdom of Prussia, and you will see it grow under your touch." The prince complied with the request, and as he placed his hand on the specified spot the frontiers expanded on either side, to the incredulous surprise of a score of bystanders. Bosco denied that he had the gift of prophecy.—Court and Society.