Can anyone (except Clay Shevlin, who has my book!) tell me what the first trick to appear in print was that used a paddle shaped device in basically the same way we use a paddle these days.

I need the name of the trick, the author, the book, if known and the characteristic that separates this trick from all of the paddle tricks that followed.

Wow pretty tall order for me at least, sorry I couldn't help much. I always thought the first paddle was black with a white spot on one side etc.
don't mean to add to the confusion but would someone kindly add how far the first paddle move is from the hot rod?
Thanks
RogerJ

Something like a paddle move appears in Prevost's Clever and Pleasant Inventions, but it isn't done with a paddle. It is done with a knife, the old knife and papers trick. But the explanation is not very clear. There is also something hinting at a paddle move in Scot, but one would have to know how a paddle move worked to "suss it out." The description in Scot could be presumed to be similar to the jumping peg stick, such as the one Porper makes. However, the paddle move is so cryptic and obscure in this description that it doesn't show up in a good description in English for a couple of centuries.

But my question has nothing to do with the paddle move.

Bill: do you have a copy of Fanch Guillemin's The Illustrated History of White Magic before Robert-Houdin? This book is rich with illustrations and text from some very obscure books and manuscripts. I was stunned at the material that Guillemin came up with. Can't say for sure that the contents would be helpful to you, but it's very fun reading at any rate AND, believe it or not, is a force book to boot! The only magic history title I know of that doubles as a force book. I distributed this book for Mr. Guillemin some time ago, and think I may have one copy left. Clay

No I don't. If you have a copy left, please let me know. I am interested.

Bill: I'll send you an e-mail now. If you don't hear from me, try a PM to me here. Clay

Okay. Here's the answer. The earliest reference to a paddle-shaped object that I have found in the English language was in 1901, it was called "The Chinese Bat," and it was invented by P.T. Selbit.

It was a jumping peg paddle.

It appeared in The Magical Entertainer which was written by Selbit.

The interesting part about this was that the routine used NO paddle move.

How did it fool anyone? Mightily. I have done it for magicians, and they have said, "What? How does that work? I don't understand." And it's all because they are looking for a paddle move that never takes place.