"The problem with getting a real street education is that you have to go through a lot of hard knocks and pain for the degree. Jim Rose has remedied that dilemma for the masses by contributing monthly to Punk Globe Magazine ." It is Jim Roses opinion that the psychology of being street wise is crucial to protecting ones self, furthering careers and in some cases just fun to know.

The contents of this article could be dangerous. Misuse of the material can cheapen an art form or at the very least make you look stupid. More importantly, misuse of this information may result in jail time or death. Do not attempt any of these tricks without the direct supervision of a responsible professional. I know more about snake oil than any person alive. I’ve been selling it for most of my life. Quite simply, snake oil is my lifeblood. Magic, circus stunts, hypnotism, hustles, mind-reading; any and every graft known to man. If there’s a con, I know about it. Snake oil, ladies and gentlemen, is the art of the gyp, hoodwink, shuck, sandbag. Identify a weakness or susceptibility and manipulate to your personal advantage. The term originates from traveling “salesmen” in the 19th century who peddled a concoction, usually giving it an exotic name like snake oil, promising to cure all ills. Of course, it was a big scam and eventually the term snake oil came to represent any deceptive product or enterprise.Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, life’s calculations, misdirections, and manipulations became a fascination of mine. During this semi-lawless era reminiscent of the Wild West, slicksters, con-artists, and hucksters roamed the terrain looking for easy marks. Phoenix has now, I’ve been told, become quite civilized and the days of flim-flam are long gone. Don’t believe it. The art of selling snake oil is constantly being reinvented, bastardized and ultimately improved in a perpetual, strangely perverse evolution. Just like me. My introduction to the swindle of snake oil began during my formative teenage years. Working at the state fair, I was initiated into the world of eccentrics with a school-of-hard-knocks education in street smarts. In the late eighties, this education allowed me to found the Jim Rose Circus, touring the planet non-stop for fifteen years. During this odyssey of the odd, I became part of a living eclectic encyclopedia.

This has been a very popular effect with magicians and still is because it presents such an unusual effect. The performer sets a steel trap and then places his finger in it to set it off, the jaws crashing against his finger but no damage is done. The type of trap to use is one of those steel double-jawed traps generally used for catching foxes and other wild game. These have a round pan and are easily set. Do not use a rat trap. That is the kind that breaks a rat’s neck; whereas this style of trap is made to hold the animal and not to kill. With the trap set, extend your finger and place it straight down on the pan and release the latter. The trap will spring and the jaws come against the finger at the joint near the knuckle. There will be no pain, just a sharp rap. Traps, as stated above, are made to hold the animal, and this fact is not generally known. The spectators see the jaws crash and they will think your finger is gone. Try it with a stick at first and then a heavy glove if nervous or if it is necessary to work up courage first. Don’t try to jerk the finger out or put it in sideways. Do it slowly and quite deliberately, for you will soon learn there is no harm to this feat if properly done.

The fakir exhibits a small whiskey glass and a bottle of carbolic acid, which may be examined. He next fills the glass and drinks it, much to the amazement of the audience. Secret: The fact that a small whiskey glass is used serves to convince the audience that the acid is deadly, but fakir really drinks only water. The glass is a special glass, a little taller than usual with a mirror division. Mirror is firmly cemented in. The side into which the acid is poured further connects with a double bottom hidden by a design in the glass or a band painted on. Thus the acid poured into the glass runs into the secret compartment and remains there even when the glass is tilted to pour the water out. The water side is filled, the water being suitably colored if necessary to match the acid. The glass is picked up and shown apparently empty and filled with acid. Hand covers most of this action and glass is reversed in the process showing now a “full” glass.The acid is placed back on the table and the fingers slid down to reveal the “full” glass held at fingertips. After some dramatic display, glass is lifted to lips and “emptied,” the mouth being held wide open so “acid” will not splash. Editor’s note: Carbolic acid (phenol) is a deadly caustic, and even a spilled drop or two proves quite painful. The handling of such materials even by the fakir, or examination of same by the audience, is certainly not to be recommended.

This remarkable test outclasses many stunts of the fakirs. A pot of genuine molten lead is exhibited and performer asks audience to choose a finger from his hand that he shall insert in same. He places this finger into the hot lead and withdraws it without seeming ill effect. Secret: This feat requires great care and greater nerve. The hands must be devoid of all moisture. They must be perfectly dry. This can be done by ”washing” the hands with dry sand. Anything that will tend to dry the hands will help, for the chief thing to remember and have is dry hands. The hands may be “fireproofed” if desired, but this is not necessary. When putting the finger in the lead, it is placed in straight and withdrawn in the same direction. Motion is not swift nor too slow but deliberate. The hot lead will not have time to burn, and since it will roll off a dry surface it cannot cling and inflict injury. To the audience this is convincing demonstration of superhuman power (and nerve).

An Italian by the name of Frankroy, posing as an Asian, presented the following in New York. Playing side shows and stores, he tells that the effect is old in his own country although seldom seen elsewhere. A steel hook is pushed through his tongue. A large vase full of water, supposedly weighing five hundred pounds is suspended from the hook and the performer whirls around with all this dangling from his tongue. Secret: The hook is curved like the old knife through the arm. It is switched for the genuine hook under cover of cleaning the same. The fake hoop loops around the tongue and the teeth hold the brace. The vase has a small capacity because of a false partition, hence holds much less water than supposed. It is made of light hammered brass and though appearing heavy is really light.

The Hindu extends his tongue and proceeds to shove a long needle right through. In some cases a button is even sewed on! Secret: A false tongue is made of flesh-colored rubber, and don’t think that this cannot be most convincing. Someday you will be fooled by this! This extra tongue is concealed between cheek and teeth, then mouth may be opened and shown “empty.” Mouth is closed and then the tongue is apparently stuck out and the demonstration proceeds. The rest is easy. Of course, with all these demonstrations, suitable costuming and patter helps “sell” the trick.

Anyone who wants his or her body parts pierced for weight lifting should use an experienced piercer. Those who pierce their tongue discover that it thickens, making eating or talking difficult for weeks. Nipples are pretty normal; ears are fine. Practitioners must keep an object inserted so the holes don’t close. They add large gauged jewelry to widen the holes in the same way that Africans do. The holes are gradually stretched larger and larger. Once the holes are a size that can take hooks, they attach the hooks to a light chain and to objects they want to lift. The weightlifter’s goal is to callous the areas that take the weight. So they start with something small and work their way up to heavier objects. As all pierced weightlifters can tell you, they put up with large amounts of discomfort for many years to perfect their act.

Of the many means for performing this, the following is the best. A grave is dug and a box placed in. The performer gets in and places a rubber hood over his head and the box is covered. Just before this, a long cane pole with a flag on the upper end is stuck in the box. This can be announced as a mark of identification or a means of signaling. The entire grave and box is now covered. The secret of the entire thing rests in the cane pole. This is hollow and the performer, getting his mouth into the bottom end, breathes the air freely. Not one in a thousand will suspect the pole as it is too tall for a spectator to see the end and is seemingly serving a useful purpose. One can stay underground by this method quite indefinitely. This is much less dangerous than other methods.

Another novelty seen was Mantado. He stands in a night club with streams of water spurting from the palms of his hands and from his feet. He is billed as the “Human Fountain.” You can look at his hands and feet and actually see the water shooting forth. Mantado has had operations performed to accomplish this. Doctors have pierced his palms and feet and inserted silver tubes. To these, rubber tubes are attached and strapped to his arms and legs where they are hidden. They run to a hidden water supply. This is quite an astonishing effect since the water is permitted to run for hours. Another freak, named Jo-Gods, has created considerable comment among doctors. He does the usual fakir stuff, then takes out his eye for examination! The eye is really blind and still connected to the optic nerves, etc. A most nauseating performance, and as one has remarked, “What won’t a person do to keep from working?”

Be sure to read more of "Jim Rose Circus Scam, Fraud, Rip Off, and Con Artists Beware" in next month's Punk Globe Magazine...

Copyright 2005 by Jim Rose
www.JimRoseCircus.com