Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-02-22
The Toy.Land or one TyroI.

tnat ne had been Suf1erlng ana SINK
ing sinces about the goth ult.
The Toy-Laod OF the TyrOi.
Chambers Journal
In romantic and beautiful dis
trict of the Southern Tyrol, at no
great distance from the town of
Botzen, stands the fourishing vii
lage of st. Ulrich. 1t is indeed
more small town than a village,
and extends widely along the right
bankof 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 comforta.
bic inns, aud boasts of two churches,
one of which is old and small, the
other new and large and handsomely
decorated outside, while in the in
terror, besides some richly painted
windows and a good altar-piece,
there is a great variety of statues
and small figures, all of wood, most
of them delicately carved, and many
of them, as well as much Of the in
ternal ornamentation of the church,
tastefully gilt and colored. This
wood carving is indeed the staple
manufacture of the place, and has
raised it to its present condition Of
evident prosperity. There are no
signs Of poverty anywhere visible ;
the people look healthy, happy,
we'll fed and well clad, and their
houses roomy and clean. Wood
carving is the chief occupation of
many a village both in the Tyrol
aud in Switzerland; but in no place
has it been carried to greater per-
fection or been entered into more
thoroughly by the inhabitants,
than at st. Ulrich. One branch
of it, indeed-the manufacture
of wooden toys, particularly dolls,
may be considered almost a
speciality of the district; for the
little town of st. Ulrich is the great
storehouse from which the chief
toy-traders of Europe we might
almost say the world = draw those
rich and inexhaustible supplies
which brighten SO many nurseries
aud 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 ha;
been the principal employment Of
the inhabitants, male and female,
old and young 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 be safe,
" trusted with knives they begin
their rude endeavors to carve the
form of some animal or toy which
is the peculiar line of the family.
This is one of the odd things in
connection with the trade, that, as
the general rule, each family OF
group of families has its own
special department, from which
they do not deviate. Some carve,
some paint, some gild; the paint.
ers often working only in ore
particular color; while the carvers
constantly stick to the manufac-
ture Of one or two, or at the most
of half-a-dozen animals, of certain
toys or certain portions of tops and
dolls, and so on through all the
endless ramifcations of their Lii.
putian industry. 1t is most
curious sight to watch them at
work. They use no models, and
work entirely by rule of thumb,
long practice having made them SC
perfect that they turn out the tiny
articles without the slightest hest
tation, every one as precisely alike
as if they had been cast in a mold