Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-08
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OUR YOUNG FOLKS.
ESKIMO BOYS.
Their Plays and Sports-Hunting and Fish
inr-Spearing Ducks.

GSNtMO SOISs
Their Plays and Sports-Hunting and Fish
Incorporating Ducks.
1t might seem at first sight that the DESC
late Arctic regions would not be a favor
able place in which 10 enjoy the sports CON-
mon among boys in lower ATTITUDES, but my
experience in all the zones shows me that
the Eskimo boys have about as many plays
rs do the children of the temperate chimes,
and more than those of the tropics.
The bright, keen cold of the Polar regions
produces something of the same quality in
its children, and although the popular be-
lief is that Eskimo children are stupid and
sluggish, found them as bright and active
as those of more favored chimes. ANY diff
ference in the nature Of their sports is
easily accounted for by the different advan-
tages they enjoy.
Even the smallest of the little "tots" may
often be seen driving team of puppies
harnessed to musk-ox horn ladle or a wal
rus tusk, which represents sledge. and be-
la6oring the infantile animals with toy
whip until they certainly do not enjoy the
play, however much it may please the small
boy.
In this early play both boys and puppies
receive lessons that assist them il later
hfein matters that are any thing but play.
The toy harnesses used on the puppies are
usually made by the little girls, with some
assistance from their mothers now and
then, and thus all the work may be consid-
cred sort of cold-weather kindergarten,
where the small are taught something USE
full for after life.
In a little while the ladle or the walrus
tusk is replaced by miniature sledge, and
before long the young Eskimo is able TO
take a sledge-ride on his own account; but,
like other boys the world over, the northern
juvenile finds less pleasure in sledging as
soon as it becomes useful work. Still,
whether man or boz, the Eskimo never
loses his love for a swift ride over the
frozen SHOWS behind fine team of dashing
dogs.
Oftentimes the boys play with the dogs,
but seldom IN the manner that youngsters
an the United States romp around with
favorite Carlo or Prince The Eskimo dogs
do not enter into the spirit of that kind of
game, so much does the hard work they are
called on 10 perform exhaust their energies
and destroy the playful tendencies in them
In not commendabie spirit the Eskimo
boy takes advantage Of the dogs ravenous
sppetites to get little fun out Of them.
These animals are only fed every second or
third day, and as a consequence the express
sion hungry ss hound" is quite applica-
BILE to them most of the time. The boy picks
up stone or other small object and holds it
aloft, and the dogs, thinking he has some
thing to eat, eagerly press around him in
dense mass, with heads and ears erect,
awaiting his disposal of it, He then hurls
ii as far as he can, and much enjoys the
swift race as they tly like arrows after the
supposed piece OF food.
It is really singular how very many times
these poor hungry hrutes will allow them
selves to be duped in this way for the pleas
ure of some mischievous urchins. l think
/ have seen them repeat this performance
over and over again a score of times before
a single dog ceased TO take the deepest in
terest in the proceedings, and to run like
mad every time the chipor stone was hurled
far out on the snow.
During the season when the snow is on
the ground, and especially if a light snow
is falling, some person who has been out of
doors near the snow-houses may re-
port that a flock of ptarmigan or snow
white Arctic grouse is near by. During
such weather these birds are not likely, if
alarmed, TO take TO the wing to escape, but
trust to running, and SO the boys of the
bows and arrows.
Before white men brought firearms
among these Northern nomads all of them
used bows and arrows, the natural hunting
implement of savages nearly all over the
world. Now the use OF bow and arrow is
confined almost altogether 70 the children in
their sports and plays, and in ptarmigan
hunt they employ these simple weapons.
The Youngsters can often get within
twenty or thirty feet of the birds, which run
along on the ground in front of them with a
waddling gait that suggests so many over-fed
farm ducks, and from time to time some boy
with a good bow and well directed shot
brings down one of the ptarmigan amidst
much rejoicing among the juvenile MINI
rods.
After awhile the ptarmigan get shy under
this constant shower of arrows shot at
them, and If the boys press them too hard
they take to flying, and, once on the wing,
the boys fun is finished. On favorable days
l have known two or three boys to be led
mile or two away from the village in this
sport. and TO secure two or three birds
apiece. This was in the late autumn or
early winter, when the birds were very fat
and exceedingly averse to flying.
OF other hunting sports IN which theboys
sometimes indulge, l know of none which
they enjoy so much as spearing ducks in
the summer; and this, too, they have almost
TO themselves, as the men do not care to
waste time and ammunition on such small
game, unless they have absolutely nothing
else TO do.
The duCk-spear is a curious weapon, with
three barbed prongs radiatIng at equal
angles from the shaft ot the spear. These
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