Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-01-13
W@DERFUL NEW TOYS.
The Mechanical Marveis That Rich
Papas May Buy for Christmas.


.'Oh, mammal look at the funny
sear,n said a SiX-year-old child recently
IS she stood in front of one of the
Chestnut street toy stores, and watched
the life-like antics of a mechanical bear
In the show window. The animal, clad
in his natural skin, had been provided
with unnatural, but fierce-looking teeth,
which queer works in his inside caused
him to display TO their utmost advantage
from time to time. He bowed to the
floor. turning his head from side to side,
swapping his Jaws, and all the time kept
up a thorough realistic growing. He
was one of the many novelties in
children's toys that each Christmas time
calls forth from the secret places of
clever manufacturers establishments.
''The ingenuity displayed upon toys Is
wonderful - said a prominent dealer III
answer TO an inquirer. Every lnven-
ton of the age that can be utilized for
the purpose is applied TO toys. Just
step back with me TO the other end of
the store and will show you the newest
things.
.'Now. here is a railroad train, with
each car arranged with proper coupl-
ings and the locomotive is really steam
engine. This lamp filled with alcohol
takes the place of the charged fire box
on a locomotive. SO''-going through
the operation Of lighting the lamp
''now, in a few minutes steam VIII be
generated. and with that one charge of
alcohol the train will run for half an
hour. You can see there are regular
rails for it TO run on, which | have
placed in a circle 50 that 1t may go
round and round Just then there
was a Shrill little whistle and off went
the train at great pace, the small
piston rods of the engine working like
mad and a cloud of steam issuing from
the small smokeStack. The tiny boiler
holds about two gills of water, quite
enough for a long journey on the
miniature road. \ sound of metal
striking metal caused the investigator
TO turn quickly and there was little
steam trip hammer hard at work,
crowd of much interested children
watching il.
In a big tank was IA toy steamboat,
going round and round, putting little
puffs of steam, with its tiny propeller
doing splendid work. There was a
collision in the tank later on, when a
small mechanical rOwbOat with a crew
of two and a coXswain was wound up
and set in the water. The OarSmen
rOWed as if in a race on the Schuylklll,
and the coNSwain, evidently losing his
head, got in the way of tina small steamer.
There was a crash and the steamer
went on. but the rOwbOat sunk with all
hands. Down at the bottom of the
tank the oaTsmen could be seen working
at their oars. their motions getting
slower and slower till they ceased
altogether, and they and the cOXswain,
who still gTaSped the tiller ropes, lay
quite still, done for.
The bleating of sheep was next heard
from behind, and the visitor turned to
see 4 gOod-Sized mechanical sheep walk
ing toward him and ''baaing" with an
apparent desire for close intimacy. The
toy-dealer was in the mood for enjoy
ing himself. SO he went around winding
every toy up and setting them all going.
Smiley would have envied the possession
OF the jumping frog that the toy-dealeI
owned. which never seemed discouraged
When he had jumped acposS the table
and came up solid against the wooden
railing, he didn't seem 10 care, but went
on jumping with just as much spirit
when he was turned around and had
clear space before Inn.
Little mechanical chickens, wearing
the feathers and exact appearance of
newly-hatched fledglings. were running
aIor.+ a +,lra nth rfttfa G,,.b li,,o,, .I,...
waddled Just like their cOunterparts
There were all manner of the wilder
animals, lions jumping fiercely at space,
wolves running away with chickens and
elephants walking about waving their
trunks. There were elephants, harle-
quins and jockeys made Of some light
material and inflated These toys were
capable of giving much pleasure, since
they were 50 large and made such
capital punching bags. There was a
mechanical '-puss in boots" which
came up out Of the boots, mewed, and
un lWu again. Then there was
squirrel that did all manner OF queer
things; there were bears that walked.
bears that gIOwled. bears that PLAYED
the drum and bears that drew music
from the banjo Al the animals wore
coats Of hair like the same animals IL
the Zoo.
There seemed 10 be very little new iu
the matter Of mechanical savings banks.
with one notable exception. and that
was called the bulldog hank. ON the
top was "a bulldog which Snapved
sayagely at the Outstretchcd hand Of
the figure Of a man. This toy is reali~-
tic.
- The prices paid ar some TOYS are
large enough u frighten a man into
lifelong hachelOrhO0d. - said q customer
recently al one Of the TOY stores. lie
had just paid so for a toy cooking
range. al complete, with Kettle, ami
pans. Tie range was 4 very large one.
and was provided with q gdspip- COLI
necti0u: whereby very excellent cooking
could ie done on IL. II was evidently
made with al eye to Use. and. after ALL
perhaps the customer VIII have hi, sum
mer breakfast cooked on il when the
children are away from town. There
were plenty Of dolls. beautifully dies
ed, WHICH ranged in price from So 90
SO. Among them We're some mecliaui-
cal dolls which turned their heads and
Winked their eyelids and played musical
instruments. some Of them. black.
and dressed as MOors, bore tTays IN
front Of them. On the trays were WAY
81 fruit az rUs,s. When the machinery
Was 81 going the fruit and r1>.s Opened
and displayed little figures u men and
women and animals going through
remarkable eyOlufi0ns.