Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26
MAGAZINE
Sport of
boomerang
FHpping
TO THE Australian native 'he sport

/ TO Tfib Australian natlyo tho sport
I of dipping boomoans is no
novoltt fncc fhe weapon Sc
accredited to bic Invention. and
ssfn n rs hurting is 2 rsr' ~
his sducstion rt is when it IS
taken to ENGLISH country homs-
7 however and made use Of as fash
/ lonabie amusement Mat its rank among
Things quite new mounts hirh tude
ing also from The sUcross the booni-
arane is there having as psrior pa
{ time # is ~ he prs5umsd that shortly
II vii be ainped in Drawing rooms ~
this country s- well - On the lawns
of oyt-of-town places during fne
weather
IT Is under tho leadership NJ two
popular Young isnslshmcu hpt recent
/ ly returned after several wears Of offi
cisl colonial life. that the boomerang
attained its present day prestige
among fashionable folk These veap-
ons they have asserted. held ever for
them peculiar fascination during
their Australian residence which from
time to time was renewed ais tliov
watched the natives prowsss iii
throwing them For ss through expe
rience they learned, IT is very diAicIiit
TO throw hoomeraugs we'll Fen whites
ever acquire the art 90 perfection, and
many Of the blacks are still inskiiied
in their use Nevertheless. it occurred
to them that modified booperanRs
might be iippad oil civilized lawns or
even in drawing rooms. and prove auifs
as exciting a sport as toasting marsh
mallovs before an open tire or even
playing cards
The sport under these circumstances
would naturally have It's limitations.
Weapons Of hard acacia wood, such ss
the natives USE. could hardly be hurled
amid parlor hric-a-brac, nor would /
there always he chance Of throwing
them with killing effect into noaks Of
pigeons and ducks trsverslng the lawn.
Cardboard weapons, therefore, stir
enough to carry well through the air.
and vet not formidable as china smash
ers. and a bird Of cotton batting sus-
pended from some central point are
substituted to crafty the dssire FOR
practice Of this sort.
In this psrlor sDusenieut Of dipping
boomerangs each contestant rpts his
!. own weapon. having II wise IS gene
GRAFTON, formerly scauaintsa aiasslsl
with Que or more desirable eliassH I1
i deed, even this cutting af 8gba8f4
boomerangs 1s. interesti shd hs
shostesss ,l,upsss's univ . FssF -..s,
providing shears >Rp9 f'tS@
rial, II is poysTble ri eansiaera
diversity ~ the apcf shapes. As
lit Is, otrTSurse. owing 4 hsY outlines
that Inherent aehievernenfs are accom-
piished.
The we'll known popularity Of the
boomerang is the fact that Of itself
litfreturus to the tbrower that is, this
is true of the warped boomerang. used
as q toy by the Australian natives
Those which are thrown in war or for
hunting purposes are quite differeut in
outline and do not return Long
slender ones. broadened at one end,
win take the longest distances. and are
therefore desirable y cut when thrown
at some distant object on the lawn
When Of this shape, however. they mev-
or retrace their distances and the
thrower must necessarily either pro
vide himself with numerous ones or
else ssarch for and reclaim those ha
has buried TO the native who Per
chance has expended the greater part
Of his intelligence in the fashioning
Of his boomerang, this fact of tss not
returning would mean grave loss.
especially if it had been thrown not
for game but amusement. He there
fore fashions his practice or toy
weapons in a curve, occasionalIy sp-
preaching right angle and this must
be natural characteristics in the wood.
Its ends arc pointed, and while ono
side is perfectly fiat the other is slight
| ly rounded The twist or warp which
the native puts IN his returning boom-
erang is accomplished by first soaking
it in water and then heating IL in
ashes, and is the feature really re-
sponsble for its returning. The card
board ones should be- similarly cut.
pairing them as thin as possible along
ono edge. that they may slip through
the air swiftly. II is, in fact, quito
possible to nip them SO that they curve
and recurve in rings and finally return
10 their thrower's feet the delight OF
which is keen indeed Such as these
are undoubtedly the best for models
in parlor practice.
Young girls and women IN civilized
life are now carrying on quite as many
honors IN 1ipping hoomerangs as are
men, Indeed il is deSteiity rather
than strength, which is needed to nip
them with SUCCESS The practice
moreover. is exceedingly graceful and
to those who watch It for the first
time It appears truly astonishing 70
see how far and how swiftly the
weapon can be made 70 whrl through
fho air