Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

It is obvious that the caddy above described is only available for appearances and disappearances, and not for transformations. To obviate this defect, the majority of caddies are now made with three compartments (see Fig. 181), with a sliding drawer occupying two of them. The caddy in this form may be used to “change” objects in manner following:--The sliding drawer being as shown in Fig. 181, the article to be ultimately produced (say an orange) is placed in b. The three compartments are now shown empty, beginning with c, and allowing the sliding drawer to assume the position shown in Fig. 182, before in turn uncovering a and b. The article to be changed (say a watch) is now placed openly in compartment b. The performer closes the lid, and, after a moment’s interval, reopens it, but in that interval slopes the caddy so as to again bring the sliding drawer into the position shown in Fig. 181, when the orange is again brought under b, and, on removing the lid, is disclosed. To show that the watch has really disappeared, the caddy may again be shown (apparently) empty, in the same manner as at first. There are a good many varieties of caddies made. One is known as the “skeleton” caddy, from the fact that the bottom is made to take out, so that the company can look through all three compartments. The sliding drawer in this case is bottomless, and is so arranged as only to slide when the performer releases it by pressing upon a particular spot in the ornamental moulding round the bottom of the caddy. This pressure withdraws a little pin, which normally rests in a little hole in the side of the sliding drawer, and thus renders it for the time being a fixture. In some caddies, again, the sliding drawer does not run up and down by its own weight, but is moved backwards and forwards from below by means of a projecting pin passing through a slit in the bottom of the caddy. The caddy in this case does not require to be inclined one way or the other, and is on this account preferred by many to the other make.