New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-22
TO AMUSE YOUNG AMERICA
BRAINS AND CAPITAL COMBINED.
INGENIOUS TOYS AND ARTISTIC PICTUREs--
MAINE FORESTS RANsAcKED FOR GRACE
FTrI. CuprcTM TRrFg

Full CHRISTMAS TREES.
While the boys and girls who are 1atteDing
their noses against the wonderful toy shop windows
were trying keep themselves cool In sultry summer
days busy brains ard active fingers schomlnz
ard working 10 turn out the pretty, Ingenious or
grotesque things that viii hll Christmas stockings
and empty parents purses. Inventors give the
thought OF months and manufacturers risk thousands
OF dollars yearly ih turning out new and startling
toys to amuse tho youth Of this land feeling confident
that they can but catch the fancy OF young America,
old America must part with It's shckes, and the
question Of expense will be little considered In the
line of mechanical toys and also in tin and iron toys
OF all kinds American producers seem 10 DO running
ahead OF the the world and whereas, not long
ago, Germany held the lead In the worlds toy marks,
and nearly all these goods imported TO this
country the tables turned. and constantly
increasing exports OF American toys find ready sales
In Europe and there tho rising generation OF the
Old World.
Some Of the new toys are astonishing for their
intricacy and for their simplicity IL Is hafd
latter to tell Just will suit this years average
child but II the maker succeeds in catching on
he reaps = golden harvest. The patentee OF mo
simple little return-bal' ordinary ball with long
rubber string attached, popular few seasons ago
is said to have reaped fabulous sums from his happy
idea OF patenting device that had probably been tre
before by many a weary mother to amuse her BABY
10 WnOM inc tnOukbb VI q to''N~ 49, y. ~
simple a trick never suggested itself One that
bids fair to be popular this year Is dog with nicely
adjusted weight inside him When placed on all
fours he remains for Instant Just long enough
for one 10 snap the fingers and order him TO beg
Then he stands up his hind quarters with spring
that seldom fails to Produce laugh from the little
OLD FRIENDS WITH NEW FACES.
Picture blocks are an old standby that have been
varied by making It possible 10 put animals nead' on
mems bodies beggars' rags under fops hat, mules
ears on sages' heads and similar incongrutes. For
boys who like workmanship there are cheap cards,
showing hunters in numerous dangerous positions
bringing down game Of many ferce kinds match'
lighted and touched to the muzzle OF the gun, gne'
a streak of nhammable matter concealed under the
prepared paper which runs nom the gun to the game.
The streak OF fire quickly extends across the cara
and the head OF the ravenous brute is neatly burned
Of leaving his body TO reward the shooters accuracy
As for walking horses, kicking mules. creeping babies
dancing bears, running steamboats,. fro engines ana
cars mice that crawl, frogs that leap. SNAKES thai
twist lizards that wriggle, alligaors that snap ana
Instruments of noises loud. long and e1cruciauns'
their Is legion
Christmas cards this year are taking the shape OIL
tiny and dainty little books, elaborately ornamented
and illustrated having poetry choice selections In
prose inside, also blank space the leaflets for corr
respondence and the inditing Of Christmas greet
lngs. American manufacturers engage designers AZ
regular salaries think out designs for these holiday
cards, and some Of them produce work that Is reay
credit to the country. Much Of It, however. Is con-
ventonal running In grooves being largely repcu-
tons of their own groupings Of parts OF the crea
lions Of other minds designer nearly Always
plays out" as they say, in time, and eNhauSS Ms
originality but q man to Ill his place Is more ui'
cult 10 find here than IN Europe. There the pun
fishers have a wider field TO draw upon in the great
opedf
Agents these schools Systematically loohine over
the work Of the pupils and picking up the pest OF 10
al trfing cost The ideas Of young artls@ are ne
auently unique and originality is there iosicreu WIN
great care For this reason most of the new designs
In Christmas cards come from abroad
ARTISANS EXCELLING ARTISTS.
American workmen, however, distance all the word
IN printing these designs. Engraving ana especially
lthography have reached high pitch here ana many
quaint designs. picked up In European ART "
sent here directly for reproduction The American
artisan said publisher recently far exceeds tho
American artist in an approach toward PERFECTION
Thousands Of these people, too, were pusuing ana
working under midsummer the world over
to supply the great quantities of dainty holiday trlne'
in color that now nood the shops The number OF
different cards must be from to two thos and
designs being the carried by each mousse
The tendency lately has toward expensive AFFAIRS
Of plush and perfume, decidedly more suggestive Ok
ostentaton than good taste, and the natural reaction
from all this perhaps, is the exqusely pretty booklet
of this season. How the dainty toys will be OK
banded and improved az into costly affair as thick
as a dictionary and as ford album 1t is Diff
cult to tell.
CHRISTMAS TREES AND HOLLY.
AWAY up In the forests of Maine all tho
sun and the rain and the earth have been making
thousands of little trees tor the boys ana girls
of New-Yor to hang their gifts upon IN the merry
holiday time. Hundreds OF men are now engaged cut
ting the sapngs down, trimming them ana sendlhS
them to this city by rail and boat, and hundreds moro
are selling them to stOekeepers and dealers Tor dis
tribution. Cords upon cords of them lie piled high
upon the pier-heads. making the air around them
fragrant for rods away with the woody, resIous odor
OF their balsam. Holly. too. IS coming IN In guam
titles for church decoration. and much OF THIS green
goods is taken Out to The suburbs lof EN-
Ielishing churches and sunday school rooms. luis
work left 10 the sexton III inc oyihs districts,
bur the young people Oh the consesal!on generally
unde take 1t with great zeal decor alioH paIlies arc
formed amid great fun and Laughter, wieaths ana
estoons are begun the church is finely Uttered up,
and then the young girls find that the resin IS sshly
staining their little white hands the young men hnd
IL more pleasant talk in the pew corners 10 tnelr
pretty work-fel TVS than scale stepladders and bag
trousers knees and the completion OF the work IS gen.
orally left 10 the old maids aud heh'peched marfiea
man two. 81,
in the suburbs His wife taking al active part
in decorating the church and told LA one mornins
that be must soon As he reached the CITY, senu net
out an evergreen from the horls TO hang on the
church wall. She would telegraph 10 him the size az
soon she got down 10 the church and could measure
the wall. She would also send him tho text OF
Scripture that tho committee should decide upon as
sion. 81 coarsc, and was ldcraby startled abo,
noon by receiving the following telegram over his
wlfe's name Unto child Is born. unto a son
Is given, seven feot long by two wide.'
CHARACTER OF RECONSTRUCTION TIMES.
nh.