Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-24
COYS OF TIE DAY.
How Santa Claus and the Toy Maker
Have Progressed with the Age.

A VISIT TO MODERN TOY ESTABLISHMENT
PLAY THINGS THAT CARRY INSTRUCTIVE LES
| SONS WITH THEN-How PRESENT PRICES COM
| PARE WITH THOSE OF FORMER TINES &C.
1.-The day of toys and balls. monkeys on
pole and supple-jac that have to be pulled
with string has passed" said 9Th street toy
| dealer to STAR reporter, as he led the way to
the back of the store. where toys, ingenious
and rare, were piled up on the counters and
strung up along the ceiling rs thick as clothes
on a wash day. The store looked like an ex-
aggerated Christmas tree or Santa Claus,
heaven. "The simple toys you and used to
play WITH continued the dealer would have
no attraction for children to-day The toy
making art has reached perfection You would
| scarcely think possible. They are making SEN
sible toys-toys that have some meaning and
teach something. That is the feature Of the
toys this season. Instead of the trinkets that
children ued to pull apart to see
what's inside to make 'cm squeak. they
are making toys that children have to
| put together themselves and learn the phil
osophy OF their construction. Instead of the
Shapeless block structures they used to have,
| there are block houses, which, when put together
! represent some simple form of architecture aud
| give the children some idea of beauty and pro-
| priety in construction. Then there are desks
! school desks and black boards ard commercial
| desks-things,that give them practical instruc-
tion and make them like to play school and bus
| mess. These are in great demand. There are
| great many new toys Of American make. and
| they are almost driving the imported toys out
| OF the market. They are more ingenious and
| have more meaning.
| A TOY CAPITOL.
"Now here's great novelty and he pointed
out miniature of the Capitol. "That is an inf
| mensely popular toy. 1t is a good representa-
ton Of the Capitol and at the main door is pre-
sented a movable panorama of the interior oe
the building. representing the rotunda, Senat
chamber, Hall of Representatives. PRESIDENT
| room and committee rooms. together with the
White House and portraits of the Presidents
| from Washington to Arthur. A brief history Of
the building and illustrations and the politics of
| the Presidents Is given also. The panorama is
moved by means OF the balls on the smaller
! domes.
Then the blown up fort is another novelty
| 1t represents a fort made of small blocks fash
Toned so as to have the points of strength an
engineer would require. armed with guns and
guarded by soldiers. That heavily barred door
is the entrance to the powder magazine
| Here is cannon to shoot at the fort with
| Take shot at that door," And he handed
the scribe little wooden cannon, which shot
a rubber ball by means of spring.
Then he touched the gun Off after taking good
aim. the ball entered the magazine door and the
fort was blown into fragments. The soldiers
were blown up into the air and the fort taken
| with great slaughter See" he said, .'the
| ball strikes spring there, which does the rest
| The magazine is blown up and the manglcd
| limbs OF the soldiers have to be gathered up and
! pnt together again. This is great thing for
children They can go around with their amou-
| lance wagon and pick up the dead and wounded
] and take them TO the hospital to have their
nanged bodies reconstructed. They use the
| same cannon to shoot at wooden soldiers when
! stood up in line OF battle. Then there is q
| mortar-gun with flying DART which is an anus
ing toy for play soldiers.
| SHIPS AND DOLL HOUSES.
"Anothcr novelty is the ocean wave sailing
vessel, which is fully rugged and equipped 1t
| is on wheels, manned with wooden sailors that
| can be. moved about, and a cargo of barrels
! bales and boxes. marked with the names of
business houses, which may be moved about
| loaded and unloaded. The rigging may be
manipulated, and the sailors made to appear to
| be at work.
| Then for little girls there is handsome doll
| house, beautifully finished In colors and fur
nlshed throughout with reception chairs center
| table, carpet and rugs, and also dolls ham,
! mock. There are also handsome doll bedroom
sets, bedsteads tables. chairs bureau with glass
/ and drawers. towel rack and everything COM
! plete. There is also a complete dolls side
| board. with complete outfit Of plates, cups and
saucers goblets and tea service.
! THE TELEPHONE.
| One of the greatest novelties is the Bell tele-
| phone, the sale of which is immense 1t is con-
structed with rubber tubes and mouth pieces go
as to carry sound, and children can talk through
! 1t, having central office, exchange and every
thing complete. At the bottom here are little
tags to pull, so as to call up Jack Kate Susan,
| Bill John or Dinah, and comical figure re-
spends to each call, popping up out uf the top
| of the instrument.
| Block architecture is very popular. They are
| getting up some very handsome designs in this
| There is the modern Gothic church to be con-
| structed ont OF blocks houses of different
! styles. cottages, depots and stores. The depot
| and train Ofcars IS great favOrte. The depot
| has the tracks laid through it so the cars
| can pass through. and the cars are wound up so
| they will run and the bell ring as they come
| into the station. Then there's the seaside cot
| tage and horse-cars, sawmill and village store.
| Some OF the stations are very elaborate with
| high towers and clocks.
The gun-boats with spring cannon that shoot
| rubber balls are popular.
| OTHER NOVELTIES.
The block tower and elevator are other novel;
ties this year. The idea of the elevator is to
give children some knowledge of machinery and
! to instruct them as to the elevation of high
| mountains. monuments and large buildings
| The tower is about four feet eleven inches high
When erected, and resembles an iron light
| house. 1t is furnished with a perfect model of
| passenger elevator. which can be raised and
| lowered by simple continuance. At the top Of
the tower is light, in four coors, to which
| is attached two arms. on each of which is a
| Windmill. and the whole revolves BY means of
| the continuance which raises and lowers the ele-
| vator Tablets giving elevation OF buildings,
mountains. &c, are attached to the sides of the
! tower.
| There are all sorts of toy guns and pistols.
| all working with rubber springs: and steam
cars, boats, boys on bicycles, circus riders and
| dancers, which are wound up and run like they
| had life In them. One novelty is the football
| player-a wooden boy about two feet high, who
| kicks rubber ball high up in the air. so that it
may be batted by the children playing with it.
| The ball is placed on little wire stand in front
| OF the autOmatOn, whose foot is held back on O
| spring. and when released flies out with great
| force, kicking the ball high in the air.
| "Are there any new games? Well, YES:
| there's one very novel one, which Is all the
| rage now. That's parlor base ball No, 1t does
not effect the windows and parlor ornaments.
1t is played on q board like checkers See here
| the bases are laid out and these pins represent
the base ball players. Now you handle these
| as the men would handle themselves in a game
OF base ball-Only not quite so roughly, maybe
It's becoming very popular game and will
| probably take the place of the field sport with
| those who have an aversion for black eyes and
| broken noses.
BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES.
The parlor billiards is very popular too; and
! fhon fhar 10 a S,ro bt