Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-08
A struggle in the Skies.
HOW A KENTUCKY BOY MATCHED PIGEON AND
KITE.

HOW KENTUCKY BOY MATCHED PIGEON AND A
Little Johnny Green was the happy young
owner of very strong-fying kite, made by his
father, and a very Strong-tiy1ng pigeon, both
white as snow. A few days ago Johnny began
to speculate as to which of the two was the
question in his mind, he yesterday afternoon
pitted them against each other In test of
strength. Arriving at the commons near by
hands, he soon sailed the latter, before north
easterly breeze, to the limit of his two hundred
yards OF cord. He then tied the end OF the string
to one of the legs Of the bird, and turning him
loose the contest began.
The pigeon feeling half free, flew toward home,
which was directly against the wind. The re-
s1stence Of the kite caused his flight to tend up
ward, and, in turn, the efforts Of his wings
caused the kite to sail higher in the air. For
While the bird seemed to have the best of the
square, but, In Spite of all efforts to make d.
rect course, flying higher and higher.
After the bird had reached an altitude of per-
haps four hundred feet, the kite being about one
hundred feet higher stll, it was plain that the
latter had greatly the advantage. 1t was flesh,
blood and feathers against the untiring winds.
Unable to continue the strain the pigeon changed
his course to one side, thus, Stacking the string
and causing the kite to fall slanting from side to
side in helpless sort Of way. But, feeling free
again, the pigeon once more made break for
home, when, the string being pulled taut, the
kite rose rapidly and gracefully to its former
level. These movements were repeated again
and again, the bird and kite In the mean time
drifting before the breeze more and more rap
idly to the southwest. The boy watched it all
with intense eagerneSS.
When the snowy contestants were above the
Eclipse Park where the shooting tournament
was in progress, gentleman who looked up
after wild pigeon that had escaped the gun,
espied the kite, which, as such, was barely dis
cernible. The pigeon had then quite vanished
into the blue. The attention of several persons
was drawn to the curious spectacle, and some
doubt was expressed as to whether kite could
be flown so nigh. "The other end Of the string, !"
suggested an observer, "must be two miles Off"
But the wonder grew as the kite gradually rose
higher and higher and sailed further and further
to the southwest, until it finally vanished into
the sky over the lower bend of the Ohio, or high
above the blue line of Indiana hills.
In the mean time little Johnny Green stood
gazing after his vanishing property. He stared
at the empty skies long after both bird and kite
had darkened into specks and then into nothing
1t was after shutdown before he fully realized not
only that his kite and favOrite pigeon had car
ried each other away forever, but that the mo-
mentOuS question that he put them together to
settle would reach solution far beyond his OBJ
servation. Only half-satisfed with his expert
ment he started home. AS he entered the house
he turned his eyes sadly toward his pigeon
boxes, when what should he behold but that
same strong-fying he-p1geon, quietly resting In
front Of his hole, with piece of the string still
hanging to his leg.-[LOuiSUile (Ky.) Post.