Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-13
KITES OF THE FAR EAST.
At Once the Envy and Despair Of Civilized
Western Youth

At Once the Envy and Despair Of Civilized
Western Youth.
|nNE MIGHT WANDER ABOUT THE Ma
" tional Museum for half year without
taking notice of a collection Of extraordinary
Chinese kites, which are suspended overhead in
the middle of the west wing. Nevertheless, they
are well worth looking at, exhibiting as they do
versatile ingenuity of device in flying appa-
ratus undreamed Of by Europeans or Ameri-
cans. The small boy Of the United States. born
an inventor because he is a Yankee thinks he is
performing feat if he succeeds in causing to
soar simple pentagon of sticks and paper, Of
mos. primitive shape, with a tail of rags Such
q continuance. in comparison with the scientific
kites OF China and Japan. is the merest crudity,
unworthy of civilization that vaunts itself
superior to a hoary and effete east. Can the
youth OF this continent afford to confess a me-
chanical iaferiority to Chinese and japanese of
equal age? Assuredly not. And vet it must be
admitted that the adolescent intelligence of
those races would regard the kites one sees in
this country with an utter and superior con-
tempt.
The Caucasian kite bears the same relation to
the Chinese flyer as is borne by the flint hatchet
to the modernax 1t represents the acknowl-
edgment OF primary principle improved upon
by thought. In the collection spoken of are
kites In the shape of frogs. lizards. cranes, owls
speaking
of locusts, one is reminded of u certain novel,
translated from the English into French, in one
chapter OF which there was mention Of the
hero tying his horse to q locust tree in front
OF the heroine's door when about to make her
visit. Unfortunately, the translator thought
that the word locust referred to the insect Of
that name and explained the matter in an off,
hand foot note, which said that in the United
States iocusts frequently grew to such gigantic
size that they were stuffed and utilized at the
curbstone for fastening horses to. However,
that has nothing to do with kites
Among those described at the museum are
human figures of all sorts, as well as MANY
queer animals of paper and sticks, besides the
ones already mentioned; but by far the most
extraordinary of all is kite thirty feet or more
long. IN the shape Of a snake-like dragon. No
one but Chlnaman Japanese would
suppose that such thing could be flown. and
yet 1t Is known that they float them with aston
ishing effectiveness. Such a kite does not in
the least resemble any plaything of the sort
known In this part of the world. 1t is COM
posed OF number of pasteboard disks each
foot IN diameter, fastened together with spaces
between by cord running the length of the
dragon, with ferocious-looking paper head.
me string held by the manipulation OF this ex-
traordlnary toy Is attached at three or more
points in its length, that it may be controlled
IN the air. While afioat the long tail has an
undulating and serpentine motion, thus pro-
ducing a very realistic effect.
Rite flying has been reduced to o science in
gather upon hill on a holiday for the purpose
Of enjoying the sport Many of the kites are
cut loose and let so, because it is imagined that
they float away with misfortunes that are
threatening. The japanese are not less superior
to Europeans in the art Of top spinning than in
sport is at once the envy and despair Of civil
lied western youth.