Throwing the Boomerang.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 2, 11 June 1887, Page 4

Throwing the Boomerang.

THE EXPERIENCE OF MR. POGGLES.

The late clever exhibitions in Canada of boomerang throwing by Australian natives remind us of the experience of Mr I’oggles He had witnessed the

dexterity - with which the peculiar weapon coiiid be manipulated, and, fired with a desire to become skilled in the art purchased one, and taking it home, said to his wife, "There, Meria, what do youthihk of that?“ls it alive— What is it" said Mrs P., surveying the boomerangwith curiosity, slightly mixed

With fear. Poggles explained the weapon and its uses, adding “Now, to show you how easily it can be done, I will

just throw it in your direction, but you will observe before reaching you it will make a graceful cum and return to my hand” Saying this he whirled the boomerang two or three times round his head aitd threw it in the direction of his wife. True to its aim it flew across the roo.n and hit Mrs Poggles full on the nose. It then glanced off

and broke two patkss of glass in the bay window, and, returning, dashed violently against the mirror and danced along the mantelpiece, shattering all in its road. Toggles, who until the.i had stood aghast at the miset that was being done, regained his presenc e of mind, and ran to the fireplace to try Utd capture the apparently bewitched inst rument. But the devil was certainly in It, forit suddenly made alungeatits owntT, giving him a black eye, and, eluding his grasp, followed by knocking out halt his front teeth. The domestic, alarmed

bv the noise that was going on, ran up from the kitchen, but had hardly pm her head in at the parlour door when I the boomerang gave her a heavy rap on Jj the head and flew out into the hall, f where it knocked a large hole in a life- > size oil painting of Poggles’s mother-in-law, and then rattled off up-stairs, whe’re it could be heard knocking over every breakable thing on that floor. By this time a crowd had assembled outside, alarmed by the screams of the women, and a few seconds later a policeman knocked at the door and asked P, who admitted him, the cause of the disturbance. The frantic P. could only point and gasp, “It went upstairs.” The officer ran up, but those below soon heard a yell, and saw the constable quickly re-appear, followed by the boomerang, which, giving him a parting blow, passed out at the front door "and commenced knocking at every house door in the street. When last seen it was hammering away at a door down the road. Mrs Poggles was confined to her room with a severe attack of nervous prostration ; the servant girl and the policeman contemplate bringing actions for damages, while the damage to the house furniture was something appalling. This was Poggles’s first and last experience with that remarkable weapon, the boomerang.