Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-23
GBeDeru'ont 9Banit,
BRATTLEBORO
FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH %, 1877.


TOy.Land.
Wood carving IL the chief occupation of
many a mountain village both in the Tyrol
and in Switzerland; but in no place has 1t
been carried TO greater perfection or been
entered into more thoroughly By the in
habitants than at ST. Ulrich. One branch
of it., indeed, the manufacture of wooden
toys, particularly dolls, may be considered
almost a specially of the district for the
little town Of st. Ulrich is the great store
house from which the chief toy-traders of
Europe, we might almost say of the world,
draw those rich and mex haustible supplies
which brighten so many nurseries and
gladden. the hearts of so many little ones.
The art is said 10 have been introduced in
TO the valley about The beginning of the
last century, since which time II has been
the principal employment OF the inhabi-
tants, male and female, young and old
alike; for ancient grandfathers and grand
mothers may be seen steadily pursuing the
vocation that has been theirs from their
earliest years and as soon as the little boys
or girls can be safely trusted with knives,
they begin their rude endeavors TO carve
the form of some animal or toy which is
the peculiar line of their family. This is
one of the odd things in connection with
the trade, that, as general rule, each fam
lily or group of families has its own special
department, from which they do not devil
ate. Some carve, some paint some gild
the painters often working only in one par
ticular color; while tue carvers constantly
stick 10 the manufacture of one or two, or
at the most half dozen animals, of certain
toys or certain portions of toys aud dolls,
and so on through all the endless ramifica-
lions OF their Lilliputian industry. 1t is
most curious sight 10 watch them at work.
They use no models, and work entirely by
the rule of thumb; long practice having
made them so perfect that they turn out the
tiny articles without the slightest hesta-
ton, every one as precisely alike as if they
had been cast in a mould. In this way are
manufactured the varied collection of ami
mails found in Noah's ark. Some families
will cut out lions, tigers, camels, and ele-
plants; others, sheep, oxen, aud deer;
others, chiefly birds; while another group
will produce the wonderfully dressed little
men and women popularity supposed TO
panions. The coloring of these produce
tons is quite another branch of the trade;
and while the carving goes on at all times
with undated regularity, the painting Of
the various articles is only added as they
are required; that is, when orders come
from the toy-dealers; and this frequently
varies according TO circumstances so that
the coloring and gliding business is not on
the whole so steady and profitable as the
carving. There are several shops and ware
houses where the articles thus manufactur-
cd 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 small profit by acting as mid
die men. Permission can be readily
obtained TO visit those establishments and
it is curious and amusing sight to walk
through the extraordinary collection of
dolls and toys gathered together under one
roof. The dolls are in themselves a very
wonderful exhibition. There are rooms
upon rooms quite filled with them, of ey-
cry size and style, small and large, painted
and implanted TIER size varying from
tiny atoms scarcely an inch long, to huge
figures Of nearly yard in length, most of
them jonted, and the greater part uncolor-
ed, and just as they came from the hands
of the carver. They are carefully sorted,
according TO their various sizes and great
shelves and cases in every direction are
crammed with them. Some sizes are more
popular than others, very favoriIe length
being about two inches; of this size one of
lsII. O. Ia.
thirty thousand every week during the
whole year. The makers of this kind can
turn out about twenty dozen day, each
sklllful 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
lence; for while some are merely roughly
shaped and the production often of very
young children, others are carved with
great care and dexterity, and are faithful
representations of tho creatures they are
intended TO initiate. All the numerous
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 aud full; armies of
wooden soldiers on horseback and on foot
iarnyards of various dimensions, stored
with every article needful for the juvenile
agriculturist; dolls furniture of every
shape and pattern; sets OF tea-cups and
saucers, and all kinds of domestic utensils
little wooden horses, little wooden carts.
In short, it is toys, toys everywhere and
even with all our experience Of the capacity
ofchildren for acquiring such possessions,
1t is really difficult to credit the fact that
this enormous manufacture and unceasing
distribution go on, like the poets brook,
"forever."- Chambers Journal.
Under the Southern Cross.
1t has become a stock notion among