FUN, FIGURES, AND "FISIC."

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 39, 14 January 1884, Page 2

FUN, FIGURES, AND "FISIC."

The free entertainment, previously announced under the above peculiar and suggestive title, took place in McFarlane’s Hall on Saturday evening and proved most amusing and somewhat instructive. Although the sparseness of his audience at the commencement of the evening’s proceedings caused Mr. Moulton to remark that he had only once lectured to a smaller gathering, and that was in Salt Lake City, where the arithmetical total of his hearers could be faithfully expressed by the monasyllable nil, yet as the entertainment proceeded, and its amusing and laughable nature became apparent, numbers began to flock in until the house became crowded. Mr. Moulton got over his Salt Lake difficulty by going out on the following day and giving away four tickets to well-known Mormon Elders who, “ with their families on the following evening filled the house to overflowing.” On the rising of the curtain Mr. Moulton, in a most humourous manner, proceeded to explain the object of giving a free eutertainment of this description, which he informed his audience was for the purpose of advertising the “ Pain Paint,” and “ Fruit Pills.” Whether or not these wonderful concoctions are efficacious in remedying all the ills of life which their proprietor accredits them with, we cannot for one moment venture an opinion, and will only remark that, should their ulterior effects prove commensurate with the pleasurable sensation experienced by our risible faculties, together with the beneficial results derived to our gastronomic organs reresulting from a continuous succession of irrepressible and hilarious paroxsyms of laughter whilst listening to the “ advertisers,” their merits cannot fail to be somewhat analagous to that wonderous and delusive fluid so long and ardently sought after through ages past by the infatuated and devoted alchemists, who truly spent the substance of life in a vain search for its shadow—viz., the elixir of life. Mr. Moulton also fully demonstrated his right to the distinguished title of “ The Lightening Calculator ” by showing some methods of performing arithmetical calculations with such lightening speed as to leave a number of his audience in a perfect state of bewildement and wonder. Mr. Moulton, taking compassion on them, referred his audience to the sequel to this mystery contained in a small pamphlet, the price of which was 2s. fld.; but, in order that his readers might be in proper health and in

a fit state of mind to avail themselves of the full benefits to be derived from a studioue perusal of this little book, he presented each purchaser with a bottle of “ Pain Paint,” box of “ Fruit Pills,” a “ Lightning Calculator,” and a most enjoyable evening’s amusement for the sum of 2s. fld. Mr. Moulton was followed by Mr. T. W, Millie, whose impersonation of “ The Young Scapegrace,” and the song, “ You grow more like your Dad every day,” was received with roars of laughter, only to be excelled when, in response to a vociferous encore, he appeared as “ Mr. Poopenoordial, the Henpecked Husband,” and sang the song “ Rock the Cradle; John.” : In the second part, Mr. Millis introduced his celebrated talking figures, consisting of Terence O’Reilly, the irrepresible Irishman ; Miss Sarah Walker, the prime old maid ; Fritz Von Vanderblinking Stofelheimer, from Germany; Johnny Ah Chow, from the Flowery Land ; Brother Zaohariah,a Shaker; and Sambo Snowflake, the nigger page. Mr. Millis is a ventriloquist of no mean ability, and the manner in which he succeeds in working his mechanical puppets, and the distinct and characteristic modes of speech which he succeeds in making them appear to speak in, is no less wonderful than amusing. The sallies of Irish wit and humor, given in the broadest brogue, and issuing from Terence O’Reilly, caused ceaseless roars of laughter. Altogether, the performance is the best of its kind we have ever witnessed, and will well repay a visit. Another performance of a varied description will be given to-night.