Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1875 — Musical Kites. [ARTICLE]

Musical Kites.

In Central Asia the amusement of flying kites is as popular as in Europe or America, but it is made to yield a double gratification. It delights the ear by an emission of soft, melodious murmurings at the same time that it pleases the eye with its graceful, bird-like motions. Each kite is so constructed as to produce the effect of a floating ASolian harp, and thus the flight and the song of winged warblers are both imitated in the ingenious plaything. Maj. Abbott gives a description of these musical kites in his “ Narrative of a Journey from Herat to Khiva”: “ Each kite is a square formed upon two diagonals of light wood, whose extremities are connected by a tight string, forming the sides of the square. Over the whole paper is pasted. A loose string upon the upright diagonal receives the string by which the kite is to be held, and a tail is fastened to its lower extremity. The transverse diagonal or cross-stick is then bent back like a strong bow and fastened by a thread of catgut. Of course every breeze that passes the kite vibrates this tight cord, and the vibrations are communicated to the highly-sonorous frame of the kite. And, as numbers of these kites are left floating in the air all night, the effect is that of serial music, monotonous, but full of melancholy interest.” We suggest to some of the experimentative youths of Chicago that they, equip their kites with an ASolian attachment and test the effect on a quiet evening. The wild, wayward music of kEolus is far more enchanting than any that can be drawn from instruments played upon by human fingers. —Chicago Tribune.