Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1910-08-21

nl UNHt lUt hluAlnk hhulnulOoOlno hliut
pcrched ulolt on the wahwah tree;
Then dense forest depths below,
through which the shaggy savage,
with boomerang poised, creeps stealth
lly upon his enemy. The dying death
hurilcs through the air and the black
hushm0u springs forward upon the
foe stretched litelcss from the blow OF
that strange weapon
That's the boomerang on It's native
heath, around Wuomoonloosoo and
Walla- Walla and other polysyllabic
Australian parts one never associates
these uncanny missiles with any place
else, least OF all the civilized capital Of
the United states, and nowhere In
Washington less than the White Lot,
that beautiful stretch OF grcensward
between the white House and the
monument, spot devoted solely to
very modern paslImes of the fashion
able world
Yet recently there was seen ON this
White Lot an exhibition Of boone
rang casting that would have made the
most stolld Of Central Australians sit
mp and ibnk in wonder nor was the
caster wooly-haircd aboriginc Of
the bush, lln was-and is highly
scientific work in the coast and geo
delic survey of the United States Ills
specially les making peculiarly fine and
delicate instruments for the service,
but In this boomerang throwing he
doesn't take back seat for the black
est shaggicst bushman that ever ate
a kangaroo. George Carvoc. the gentle
man In question, has for six or seven
years made boomorangs study
My interest was FIRST excited sew
orW years ago" he said, when an
Englishmau who had spent several
years among the natives of Australia.
came Ia Nashinptun He was quite an
expert In throwing the boomerang and
had a number of them along with him
] carefully watched him making the
throw ana then studied the construc-
uon of the odd weapon as closely as
possible
AS my work consisted largely in
l1shloning wood into instruments OF
mathematical accuracy / addressed
myself 10 the construction Of a boom
erlng The thing ytself. merely a
curved wooden stick appeared go eN-
trcmeN simple that ] anticipated no
difficulty
That's where ] was fooled; the
very simplicity made IL difficult /
made boomcrangs that to an ap-
poarancc were the exact replicas of
those the Englshman had, made by
the Australian natives. But when os-
saycd 10 cast them. instead of soar
ing they came Pumping fOolishlv to
the ground.
- examined them carefully hut
there was little 10 examine; nothing
but piece OF curved wood Undls-
couragcd tried again and again, un-
I'll | had gradually worked ont the
exact proportions of weight, size cur
vature, canting, and - dozen other
factors you would never think com
hined IN the simple piece of wood.
After got one 10 ny no difficulty in
making others. though in each one |
had TO be absolutely correct in every
detail
Then after | had learned to make
them It took an infinite amount Of
practice to master the art Of casting
them. once learned however. it is
like swimming, never forgotten. In
cidcntalN II Is the most fascinating
pastimc ! know"
Recently Mr. Clarvoe and Cassius
Coolidge, who is no dun pupil of Clar-
woes in the art of casting the boone
rang, put their missiles in their bags
and betoOk themselves to the White
Lot for an afternoons amusement
with the wooden birds
"Phwat's thin things" queried
frowning policeman. striding up across
the grccnsward and casting suspic-
ous glance on the armful of curved
sticks.
"Boomerangs" promptly answered
Coolidge.
This struck the policeman ms bad II
sounded too much like dynamite"
and smelt Of vague danger
"Ye cant play no games on tn
White Lot without permit" was the
official decree Take yerselves and
thin things off here"
But this isn't a game" he was told
"Wc merely want 10 try sailing these
sra" pieces of wood There's no dan
ger to anything In them"
Sailing this hits nv wood, It is?"
exclaimed in the minon, curiously get
ting the better Of him, Sailing them
Well We en- have half an hour, and
thin We must go all av We; and thin
things too" with that he retired to
u park bench and susplclouslv watch
ed the little party. ready 10 run them
In at the first breath of treason. For
they were under the very windows Of
the White House
ClarNoe picked up boomerang,
'heftcd" II a moment Ia adjust his
to its weight ana build, as one
balances n ten pin ball. seized il by
one end flung his hand far hack over
his shoulder and, stepping briskly for
Il Tts... e.. a -