Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-22

a Remarkable Manner VI Amusement
That supersedes Kite frying.
Inc Corcan correspondent Of ia.
pan paper gives nn account Of u curl.
Gus popular practice in Corea Kit,
iiying. which is universal in that
country cglsu suddenly on the 18th
Of the first Curuu month. and tile
next day Stone fights take it, place
ny the chief public anu mcnt. In
the eastern parto Of Seoul. the capital.
there are large open spaces that
have not been built upon. and hero
occur tho most serious and interest
ing fights.
Ono section Of the city is pitted
against another, but any ono can take
u hand on either side at pleasure.
There arc no recognized leaders. but
the mass Of fighters readily follows
the lead ot any one who shows him
self to be- a lIttlc moro reckless than
the rest Two mubs. consisting Of
fifty, seventy or q hundred mon each,
nrc drawn upngunst each other with
an interval Of perhaps fifty yards be-
tween them. Thcip is IN incc-sant
shower Of stones. and each mans
business is 90 hit ns many mon us he
can and especially 20 avoid all tho
stones directed az him.
From ten TO twenty mon on each
side ure armed with stout clubs and
wear thick wadded helmets. Those
form the skimihing line. 1hry
sally ont from their respective adps
and. meeting in mid career, strike
out viciously at each others heads.
each man holding up his cloak with
his loft hand ~ IL shicld to ward Of
the blows Of his adversary. Aflor
tho club fight has lasted uhout thirty
seconds one side or the other begins
90 give way, which is the signal for
n rush Of tho others Almost invaIi.
ably the other side breaks aud runs,
and sometimes arc chased into thor
houses, but generally some Of tho
pursuing party press too closely upon
tho fugitivos. Then the latter sud.
denly turn and deal few staggering
blows which check the pursucrs, aud
In u second the tables arc turned and
those whoa moment ago were flushed
with victory nrc now in full flight
from their enemies
Thus the battle goes back and forth
across the fields, while the ueighbor.
ing embellishments are crowded with
spectators The effect Of the thun.
dering cheers of the spectators upon
the combatants is marvellous They
charge upon each other as If in actual
battle, and show what would be-
bravery II eXerted IN some useful
cause. Near the river are numerous
villages, numbering from 100 TO 900
houses each. They ARE situated
along tho banks at intervals of about
half u mile. These keep up u con.
tinunl series Of fights among thom'
solves during the season, one village
being aIrnycd against another.
The defeated party fly across the
marshy fields to their own village,
followed by their enemies, who On.
ter after them, scizing anything on
which they can lay their hands
iron, files, doors-to mark their vic
tory. Then the whole village riscs
against tho invaders and they tly
glad II they can get back without
brokon heads. The first stone fight
Of tho season was rather moro disas
trous than usual. II is reported that
six men were killed, but this Is
probably an exaggcration. A com
pany of soldiers was ordered out tc
stop it, which they found some diff
Guilty in doing, oven with fixed bayo
nets.