To produce this little trick, the performer must first provide himself with a round, black stick, about 14 in. long, a piece of No. 60 black cotton thread about 18 in. long, and a small bit of beeswax. Tie one end of the thread to the top button on the coat and to the free end stick the beeswax, which is stuck to the lower button until ready for the trick.
After the wand is returned, secretly stick the waxed end to the top of the wand, then drop the ring on it. Moving the wand slightly from oneself will cause the ring to move upward, and relaxing it causes the ring to fall. In the final stage remove the thread and hand out the wand for examination.
Skis and Ski Running
By Stillman Taylor.
PART I—Prominent Types of
Modern Skis
The requirements of the modern ski call for a hard, flexible, and tough material, and while hickory, white ash, white maple, birch, yellow pine, white pine, and spruce are all used, the experienced ski runner considers hickory and ash to combine in the fullest measure the qualities most desired. Of course, every wood has its limitations as well as merits. Hickory is elastic and fairly tough, but heavy. Ash resembles hickory so far as elasticity is concerned, and its weight is about the same, but the wood contains soft layers. Birch possesses the requisite lightness, but is far too brittle to prove serviceable, and pine is open to the same objection. Maple makes an excellent ski, which can be finished very smooth so as to slide more easily than the other woods, but it is much less flexible than either hickory or ash.
The Telemark-Model Ski
This form of ski, so called from the Telemarken province of Norway, where the art of ski running has reached a high order of skill, is probably the choice of the sportsmen wherever the exhilarating sport of ski running is practiced, and the larger portion of the members of the numerous skiing clubs use the Telemark-model ski. This type is practically identical with the most popular model so long used in Telemarken, and the rule for its selection is to choose a pair whose length reaches the middle joint of the fingers when the arm is stretched above the head. There are various makers of this type of ski, and while the modeling will be found to differ but little, there are numerous brands sold which are fashioned of cheap and flimsy material, and consequently unsatisfactory in every respect.
The Telemark model is shown in [Fig. 1], and from this sketch it will be seen that the wood has two curves or bends, one running its entire length to form a graceful arch, and the second, at the toe. The first one is technically known as the “arch,” and the other curve the “bend,” while the front or toe end of the ski is called the “point,” and the rear end the “heel.” In almost all skis the under, or running, surface is provided with a hollow, known as the “groove,” which runs from the heel to the bend. It will be noticed in the drawing that the sides also are gently curved, thus making the ski a trifle broader at the ends than in the center. This curve affords a somewhat greater bend at the heel, and while some experts approve, others disapprove of it, but most ski runners agree that the curve should not be pronounced, or it will prove a handicap and make it difficult for the runner to secure a firm grip at the edge when ascending steep slopes covered with hard snow.
The “arch” of the ski is necessary to avoid bending when the weight of the body is on the runner, and the total height of this important curve should not exceed ³⁄₄ in., for a too exaggerated arch will practically form a concave running surface and retard the speed, since it will run on two edges, or points, instead of on the entire running surface. A slight arch may be reckoned necessary to offset the weight of the body, but the utility of the ski, in nearly every instance, will be less affected by too little arch than by too great a curve at this point.