Paper Covering Kept in Place with Corners Cut from Old Envelopes and Pasted on the Paper
A Tilting Inkstand
An ink-bottle stand, that can be tilted or adjusted so that the pen will always be filled with a sufficient quantity of ink even when little of it remains in the bottle, as shown in the sketch, can be easily made by the amateur. The base may consist of a square piece of sheet brass, which has soldered or riveted to its center two pieces of spring brass, placed crosswise and bent upward so as to form clips to hold the bottle firmly. The legs are made of two lengths of wire, of sufficient stiffness, and are shaped to form holders for lead pencils and penholders. One pair of the legs may be soldered to the brass plate and the opposite side of the latter rolled over the other pair so as to allow them either to stand upright or be depressed in order to tilt the stand, when the ink supply in the bottle gets low.
Tilting Stand for an Ordinary Ink Bottle to Give Access for a Small Supply of Ink
A Ring Trick
The trick to be described is one of the simplest and at the same time one of the most effective, and but little "make-ready" is required to perform it. The magician, while sitting in a chair, allows his hands to be tied together behind the back of the chair. A ring is placed between his lips which he claims to be able to slip on his finger without untying his hands. This, to the audience, seems practically impossible, but it is easily accomplished.
A screen is placed in front of the performer before the trick is started, so that the audience will not see how it is done. As soon as he is hidden from view, he tilts his head forward and drops the ring in his lap. He then allows the ring to drop to the seat of the chair between his legs. The chair is tilted backward slightly, and he raises himself to allow the ring to slip to the back part of the chair seat, where he catches it in his hands and slips it on the finger. Any one finger may be mentioned, as he can slip the ring as readily on one as on another. Use a leather-bottom chair, if possible, as the least noise will then be made when the ring is dropped.—Contributed by Abner B. Shaw, N. Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
Removing Old Putty
A very effective way to remove old putty from window panes or other articles is to apply a red-hot iron, as follows: The iron should be made of a broken file or cold chisel and the point heated quite hot. This is run over the surface of the putty, which will crack and fall off. Be careful not to let the hot iron touch the glass, as the heat may cause the latter to break.