Old-Time Magic-Part IV
Cutting a Thread Inside of a Glass Bottle
The Glass Directs the Sun's Rays
This is a trick which can only be performed when the sun shines, but it is a good one. Procure a clear glass bottle and stick a pin in the lower end of the cork. Attach a thread to the pin and tie a small weight to the end of the thread so it will hang inside the bottle when the cork is in place. Inform your audience that you will sever the thread and cause the weight to drop without removing the cork.
All that is required to perform the feat is to hold a magnifying glass so as to direct the sun's rays on the thread. The thread will quickly burn and the weight fall.
Removing a Key from a Double String
"The Key Will Drop from the String"
Tie the ends of a 5-ft. string together, making a double line on which a key is placed and the string held as shown by the dotted lines in the sketch. Turn the palms of the hands toward you and reach over with the little finger of the right hand and take hold of the inside line near the left-hand thumb. Reverse the operation and take hold of the inside line near right-hand thumb with the little finger of the left hand. You will then have the string as it appears in the sketch. Quickly let loose of the string with a little finger on one hand and a thumb on the other and pull the string taut. The key will drop from the string.