The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-10-01
KirEs of TIE Fan EAST.


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One might wander about the national
Museum for half : year without taking
notice Of collection of extraordinary
Chinese kites, which are suspended
overhead in the middle Of the wesi
wing. Nevertheless thsy are well
worth looking 81. exhibiting as they de
a versatile ingenuity Of devics in flying
apparatus undreamed of by Europeans
or Americans.
The small boy Of the United States.
born an inventor because be Is q Yam
kee, thinks he is performing feat II he
succeeds In causing TO soar q simp.e
pentagon of sticks and paper. Of most
primitive shape, with tail of rags.
Such continuance, in comparison with
the scientific kites Of China and Japan,
is the merest crudity unworthy Of a
civilization that vaunts itself superior
to hoary and effete east
Can the youth OK this continent afford
to confess a mechanical inferiority to
Chinese and Japanese Of equal age? As
surcdIy not And yet it must be admit
ted that the adoIesccnt intelligence Of
those races would regard the kites one
sees in this country with an inter and
superior contempt.
The Caucasian kite bears the same
relation to the Chinese Aver as is borne
by the fint Ratchet to the modern ak.
1t represents the acknowledgment of a
primary principle improved upon by
thought In the collection spoken Of
are kites in the shape of frogs, lizards,
cranes, owls, gigantic flies and enor-
nous locusts.
Speaking OF locusts, ,one is reminded
Of a certain novel, translated from the
English into French, in one chapter Of
which there was mention of the hero's
tying his horse to locust tree in front
1 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 1ocusts
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
rites.
Among those described at the mu-
scum are human figures of all sorts, as
we'll as many queer animals of paper
and sticks, beside the ones ready mem
toned; but by far the most cxtraor-
binary of all is kite thirty feet or
more long. in the shape of snake-like
dragon. No.one but Chinaman or a
Japanese would suppose that such a
thing Could be flown. and yet it is known
that they float them with astonishing
effectiveness.
Such kite does not in the least re-
semble any plaything of the sort known
in this part of the world. It is com
posed Of number of pasteboard disks,
each foot in diameter, fastened to-
gether with spaces between by a. cord
running the length Of the dragon, with
Notwithstanding paper head.
The string held by the manipulation
Of this extraordinary toy is attached at
three or more points in its length, SO
that it may be controlled in the air,
While afioat the long tail has an undu-
lating and serpentine motion, thus pro-
ducing very realistic effect
Kite flying has been. reduced to a
science in China. where many thou
sands of people will gather upon hill
on holiday for the purpose of enjoy
ing the sport Many of the kites are
cut loose and let go, because it is i'm
agined that they float away with mis-
fortunes that are threatening.
The Japanese are not less superior to
Europeans in the art of top spinning
than in that of flying kites. Their
skill in this latter sport is at once the
envr and despair of civilized western
youth. Washington Star.