Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-24
CHRISTMAS TOYS.

CHRISTMAS TOYS.
\ Doll That Cries so Naturally rs tn
Start Any Father for the Nursing Bot
tle-Rubber GoOds-HOw to Play Sol
dier-Play Houses, NOah's Arlxs, and
a thousand More.
Chicago Tribune.
When the father of young family
thinks Of Christmas presents he invariably
steers for the toy store, and his usual
plan Is to escort his Otfsprings through
| the largest establishment he can find, in
order 10 get an idea from the preferences
| they express as to what they desire Santa
| Claus 10 bring them. He is certain to
hold mp the Santa Claus idol, as he would
not have that shattered for ANYTHING.
I But when he withdraws his reluctant
| children from the glamour of the toy store
/ his quandary as to what he shall buy is
worse than ever, as a Vanderbilt could
not purchase the articles the young ones
wanted the most.
And the toy store of to-day is more de-
| liant Of such an expedition than was the
I toy stores Of our fathers, because the dis
/ play Is so much grander and more varied.
/ The other day reporter dropped into one
/ OF the immense retail toy establishments
/ down town and looked over the wonders
I exhibited for the benefit of the rising gen
| GRAFTON and for the depletion of the peck
I elpOOks OF the rising generatlOnS parents.
MECHANICAL TOYS.
american mechanical toys" said the
/ polite gentleman who volunteered to
/ chaperOne the reporter safely through the
/ nock Of pretty girl clerks, ''are sold at
/ prices ranging from 81 TO So. You see
l there is the Puuch-and-Jndy show i'm all
/ sizes, by means of which the story of this
misshapen wag and his lOng-sutlering
l ife-partner may be retOld in the DarlOr by
I the little ones; the Humpty-Dumpty pam
/ tomime, showing the haps and mishaps
I of the jolly quartette, and many other me-
/ chanical cOntrivances for the amusement
/ Of the little folks.
"NOw, here we have the Viennese TOYS.
| which are the most costly and best made
/ There are sheep, goats, dogs, camels,
| monkeys, bears, cats, rabbits, mechanical
! riding jockeys. These toys" con-
\ tinued the gentleman, ''cost from So 30 to
/ so. They are much better than the Ger
man or French mechanical toys, as they
are perfect, strong and durable, but only
/ a limited quantity of them is sold. as the
I prices are too high for the ordinary buy
/ er.
Here we have the mechanical water
/ pieces. You pour pint of water in at
/ the top and it sets the little village on the
mountain side below in motion. The or
I binary country village is frequently set in
motion in the same manner, but there is
| always something else in the pint of
/ water.
CURIOUS THINGS.
! ssThese are the amateur cOnjurers' cabi-
/ nets,'' said the gentleman, passing on to
/ the next case. ''With one of them every
/ boy can be his own Hermann and mysti-
/ ~ company. The cabinets contain from
I six to fifty different tricks.
/ I'm steam TOYS we have fully sixty va
rieties, from the plain, cheap engine at 80
] 1
l model of a steam engine. Then You see
I there are steam fountains, upright en-
| gines, trains of real steam cars drawn by
/ miniature AmOskeag locomotives. hOri-
| ZOntal steam workshops with saws, lathes,
etc, and many other steam toys. Then
/ here are the electric tOys-sOmething new.
/ Each one Is run by an electric motor, all
/ complete with the toy, and child can set
/ them up from the directions. Here are
/ electric windmills, prOpellers, and work
I ing model of the electric railway seen re-
/ Gently at the Railway Exposition here.
/ These toys are perfectly harmless. and
I sell from So to $50. These steam and cleo
I trio toys are better this year than ever be-
/ fore. as they are less complicated and
| more durable.
"The maglc-lantern appears to be in
great demand this year, and they sell for
/ from 30 cents to as many dollars. They
are much improved, and are furnished
views with each. Pewter sets represent
| ing military are being made larger and
finer every year, and they sell very well.
! Magnetic TOYS, fishes, turtles, etc, still
| hold their own, and the sets are larger
I than ever before. They are sold every
month in the year, and run as high as $50
I per set. Toy furniture is made very per-
/ feet now. You see these sets have gen.
uine handicapped tables, handsomely
upholstered chairs, and fine mirrors-in
| fact they represent In miniature perfect
sets Of furniture.
'sHere are the skin covered toys, from
the little horse and wagon at 81 to the per-
| feet counterpart of landau, with Ian
terms, plated trappinss, harnessed horses,
etc. at $40. These musical mariOnettes
are the latest things" said the gentleman,
/ taking from the show case the body of a
doll fixed upon a stick, around which was
draped the dress. BY whirling the stick
| in his hand the body revOlved, and the
music box which formed the intestines of
/ the doll gave forth tinkling tunes. These,
I he said, sold for from 81 to so each, ac-
cOrding TO the dress of the doll.
A DOLL THAT COSTS.
"HeTe we come to the largest item in
| the toy business" said the gentleman as