Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27
QUEER LITTLE MEN"
BoyhOod Customs in Three
Parkway Lands.
ESKIMO LADS TRAINING
He is Good Hunter at Six Years
of Age,
THE IL0NGOTE Y0UNGsTER.
Important Part That the Hindu Bow
Plays at His Brahmin Fathers
obsequies.
THE noNGoTE Y0UNGsTER
Written for The Star by H. f. Clayton

Written for The Star by II. E. Clayton.
Truly 1t fares strangely with the little
man, far beyond the boundaries of Uncle
Sans own land, in the four corners of the
earth. SO strangely indeed, does 1t fare
that he is really a little man years before
the American mothers little man has de-
veioped into her big boy
Just as soon the first son of west
coast Of Greenland Eskimo had been wean-
ed, In his fourth year his father had placed
in his hands toy bird darts and harpoons
Play with them long little one" the
provident father cautioned wisely. Life
is hard in the land of the eternal SHOWS.
and ii will be only short time before thou
wilt be called on TO do thy full share in
lighting for the sustenance of the family"
For the next five years the child. with a
cunning bred in him through no one knows
how many generations, crept noiselessIy
upon small birds even bringing them down
with stones when he tired OF plying his
darts. His skill in this direction grew so
wonderfully that his little hands soon
learned 10 throw unerringly his diminutive
harpoOn at birds swimming in the iulets or
into the black bodies of seals, lows of his
father, coming home in his kaiak from the
hunting fields of the sea.
The Little Eskimo Man.
The boy is now eleven years old. For two
years he has spent a large part of his time
playing kaiak-man in his fathers kaiak.
Now his father, having proudly watched his
son gradually gain good working knowI-
edge OF the boat, has decided to have a
kaiak built for the boy.
To this end the father takes his son to the
shore ana they walk along il for a distance
oil several miles. gathering drift wood. the
boy meanwhile being instructed in the art
OF selecting the proper kind of material for
the frame or a kaiak.
That afternoon, with the little man lend
ing "A helping hand now and then the big
man puts together the ribs OF the boat
BTlght and early the following morning the
boys mother and her friends all chattering
gally, stretch over the ribs fine seal skin
made pliable by much diligent chewing ON
the mother s part. AS they stretch ii they
sew II in place. so that when the last stitch
- t5heh the SKIN Is taut everywhere: the
katak perfect in every detail
The father is nightly pleased and he
shows II by passing around hot coffee TO
al who have worked on the kaiak While
this Is being drunk the child struts into
Iheir midst a Veritable bundle of skins
lie has on diminutive wholejacket. with
hood over his head. the sleeves have nit
tens, his boots reach to his hips over skin
trousers The only part of his body ey-
posed is his eyes and rounda bout
By this time the father has placed in
their respective positions on the kaiak lance
harpoon bladder, Coiled harpOon line kafak
knife. bladder-dart. bird-dart. throwing
sticking, harpoou. The boy laws hold of t6a
kaiak, and with a lusty shout hauIs :, ~
the waters edge. He thrusts his legs into
the round hole in the middle meant for the
purpose. He finds, as should be the case,
that the opening IS lust the circum Serorca
of his thighs. In jiffy he fastens the hot
tom OF his wholejacket to the kafak ring
around the rim of the hole and raised
slightly above it. He makes quick move
ment with his two-bladed paddle and is or
Tor his initial voyage in his very ovn Iafal,
Value of His Training.
Rough is the sea. Stiu the little man
battles successfully with the waves for the
better part or hve minutes. riding them like
a ptarmigan. Then he unexpectedly hnds
himself In the trough of the sea-apa ,ho
next instant the kaiak Is bottom side nm
and the boy is hanging head downward in
the water Al
But the little man has not played ebopt
ms fathers kaiak in vain. As he feels the
boat capsizing he seizes one end OF his ra5
die in his right hand and with the Ieft he
Srasps the shaft near the middle nv bis
short arms will let him. AS he holds his
along the kaiak's side with the paddles
free end pointing toward the bow Pushing
this end sharply out to the side and bend
ing his body Well forward toward the in
Nerteu deck. he makes a strong, circular
sweep OF the paddle-and presto here he is
again right side UP and with not drop OF
water In his kaiak or beneath his skin
clothing. For this dry condition he has 10
thank the chap who long ago conceived the
idea OF fastening the bottom of the whole
Jacket TO a kaiak ring and to his mother
waterproof
Twice more. before he points his craft,
puilt somewhat like a sculI, not a whit
broader, and even more difficult to keep
ahoat In the rough water. toward the
watchers on the shore. he goes under but
rights himself each time in jiny. He
lands expertly. unfastens his wholejacket,
ufts himself proudly out Of the boat. and.