The Republican journal., 1877-03-22
Toy Land.

one of those rushing streams that dash
| through nearly every valley, and are fed
by the melting of the snow ON the lofty
mountain ranges of the neighborhood. 1t
contains several good and comfortable
| inns. and boasts OF two churches, one of
which is old and small, the other new and
large. and handsomely carved and deco
rated outside, while in the interior. besides
some richly painted pictures and good
altar piece, there is a great variety of
statues and small figures, all of wood,
most Of them very delicately carved and
many of them, as well as much OF the IN
ternal enumeration Of the church, taste
| fully gilt and colored This wood carving
is indeed the staple manufacture of the
place, and has raised it to its present con-
diton OF evident prosperity, There are
no signs of poverty anywhere visible; the
people look healthy, happy, well-fed and
well clad, and their houses roomv and
clean. Let us see how this pleasant state
of matters has been brought about.
Wood carving is the chief occupation Of
many mountain village, both in the Ty
rol and in Switzerland; but in no place
| has it been carried to greater perfection
or been entered into more thoroughly by
! the inhabitants than at st. Clrich. One
| branch of it, indeed, the manufacture Of
wooden toys, particularly dolls, may he
considered almost speciality OF the
| districts for the little town OF St lrich is
the great Storehouse from which the chief
| toy traders of Europe, we might almost
say OF the world, draw those rich and in
| eXhaustible supplies which brighten 50
many nurseries and gladden. the hearts Of
SO many little ones. The art IS said to
/ have been introduced into the valley about
the beginning of the last century. since
which time it has been the principal en-
| ployment Of the inhabitants, male anC ie-
male, young and old alike, for ancient
! grandfathers and grandmothers may be
| seen steadily pursuing the vocation that
| has been theirs from their earliest Years
and as soon as the little boys and girls
can he safely trusted with knives they
| begin their rude endeayOrS to carve the
| form of some animal OF toy which is the
| peculiar line OF the family. This is one
/ of the odd things in connection with the
trade, that. as a general rule, each family
or group OF families has lis own special
| department., from which they do not de-
| viate Some carve. some paint. some
| gid, the painters often working only in
one particular color, while the carycrS
constantly stick to the manufacture OF one
or two or at the most of half dozen
animals. of certain toys or certain por-
tions OF toys and dolls. and So on through
all the endless qualifications 81 their l.illi-
putian industry.
1t is n most curious sight Is watch them
| at work They use no models and work
| entirely by rule OF thumb; long practice
having made them so perfect that they
turn out the tiny articles without the
slightest hesitation, all OF them precisely
alike as if they had been cast in 4 mould
In this way are manufactured the varied
| collection of animals found in Noah ark,
Some families will cut out lions. tigers.
camels and elephants; others. sheep, oxen
and deer; others. chiefly birds; while
another group will produce the wonder
fully dressed little men and women popu-
larly supposed to represent Noah and
his seven human companions The color
ing of these productions is quite another
branch Of the trade and while the cary
ing goes on at all times with undated
regularity, the painting ot the various
articles is only added as they are required
that is, when orders come from the toy
dealers and this frequently varies accord
ing to circumstances SO that the colorng
and gliding business is not Oh the whole
so steady and profitable As the carving.
There are several shops and warehouses
whore the articles thus manufactured are
sold but there are two leading merchants
who act as wholesale exporters, buying
the carved work either from the people
themselves or from minor agents, who
realize 4 small profit by acting as middle
men. Permission can readily be obtained
to visit those establishments; and it is Il
curious and amusing sight TO wall, through
their vast repositories and inspect the eN-
traordinary collection OF dolls and toys
gathered together under one root The
dolls are in themselves very wonderful
exhibition There are rooms upon rooms
quite filled with them, OF every Siza and
style, small and large, painted and un-
painted; their size VARYING from TINY
atoms scarcely an inch long to huge fig
ures OF nearly d yard in length. most Of
them iointed, and the greater part uncol.
ored and Just as they came from the hands
of the carver They are carefully sorted
according to theiryar;ous sizes, and Great
shelves and cases in every direction are
crammed with them. Some sizes are
more popular than others. Il very lavorite
length being about two inches; of this |
size one OF the great doll merchants of ST. !
llrich buys 10000 every week during the
whole year The makers Of this kind can
turn cut about twenty dozen day, each
skillul worker; the painting being quite
an after concern, with which the carvers
have nothing to do. Here also are bins
filled with wooden animals. also Of differ
ent sizes and different degrees Of excel
lencej for while some are merely roughly
shaped and the production often OF very
young children, others are carved with |
very great care and deXterity and are
faithful representations Of the creatures
they are intended to initiate All the nu- |
merous toys with which we are familiar
in the shops, or which we have PLAYED |
with In childhood here first spring into
being. Noah's Arks, empty and full ar
mics of wooden soldiers on horseback and |
on foot tarmyardS OF various dimensions. |
stored with every article needful for the |
juvenile agrlculturlst; dolls furniture OF
every shape and pattern; sets Of tea-cups |
and saucers, and all kinds of domestic |
utensils; little wooden horses little wood !
en- carts. In short it is toys, TOYS every |
where; and even with all our experience
OF the capacity of children for acquiring
such possessions, it is really difficult to |
credit the fact that this enormous manu- |
tactu1e and unceasing distribution 90 on,
like The poets brook, "torevern
Quitting the premises, the visitor is still
pursued by the prey ailing occupation.
Carts are coming and going, all carrying
the one universal load-toys; while at
every cottage door are seated some of the |
inmates, busily engaged with their own
special branch of the trade; mothers
singing to the children on their knee |
while they yet deity carve 4 cow or a |
goat; old men and women whiting
away, the ground at their feet strewed |
with the chips and shayings; and quiet
little boys and girls grayely cutting the
portions intrusted to them, and soon ac-
curing skill which enables them to add |