The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-19
AND DOGS.
An Odd Little Toy Maker tW the French
Quarter of New York,

~"
Quarter of New York.
A sign "Dog~ and Monkeys" catches
ones eye i'm u quiet by-strcet of the French
quarter az New York. south of Washing
ton square, says the star al that city. The.
words arr. painted upon each end of n
little hanging showcase. affixed to the
c;lst-iron balcony of the house. The show
case contains "a dozen bright colored little
figures in chenille, and upon the frame il
pasted "a biilhcad which proclaims that the
proprietor il a. manufacturers Of Partisan
novelties Inv chenille. wool and silk, and
that his specially is dogs and monkeys.
The manufactures of these odd. bright,
little toys occupies ~ single. small room
opening on the balcony. IL appearances
are to he trusted the. ~toy-nakcr and his
wife both sleep and work in this one apart
ment, for i'm the rear * IA bed and in front
are the various tools and materials that
ART. used in the trade. Neither of the pair
speaks English. Only IA year ago they
came to this country to practice their
pretty trade. after working at il for three
years in Paris.
Chenille is n most accommodating mate
rial. for def fingers can work il mp into
almost innurncrablc forms. 1t is simply
u slender wire covered with u shaggy
growth of wool or silk, and looking like IL
long and extremely fuzzy caterpillar. IL
is dyed into all sorts Of gay color. s." thai
makers floor looked like the wreck OF n
most gorgeous ~rainbow.
Dogs and monkeys are truly the little
mans specialtics. He has them i'm all col
ors of the rainbow. There are white mon
keys, blue legs and rcd arms: blue
monkeys. with crimson arms and legs:
red. white. and blue dogs; white mother
monkeys. clasping to- their breasts. tiny
little reel, blue. and green monkeys: I'arti-
colorcd monkeys. standing on their heads
or hangin 10y their tails; monkeys per-
forming all sorts of gymnastic fcat- upon
delicate wire frames; monkeys riding on
dogs: monkeys drawing baby carriages,
ia which rcuo.c other monkeys.
The tools of the toy-maker's trade are of
tn. simple sort. Besides the chenille in
every imaginable color he has gold and
silver thread. tiny wires. nippcrs. scissors.
needles. and mticilaSe; tie ran make you
is II mere. matter of a snap here. "a pinch
there. and II twist else. and
you have the mnnk"y; grinning and life,
seeing il how much expression II single
snip or pinch will put into the face of am
unfinished monkey.
II is Just the same with dogs. The toy
maker turns them out by. the hundred.
They are mostly white, and of that odd,
long-haired variety which people with n
loneliness of improving OH nature like to
trim into the semblaIce Of lions. The toy
maker turns them out singly and i'm
groups. Sometimes he make "a fOlIr-iu-
hand dog team driven 10y n monkey. IL is
easy to- see. though. that he is fnnde of
boxes fun of impish IittI.. monkeys and il
is his special delight to make up groups
of half "a dozen simiaus, big and little.
When "a group seems finished he will sud
denly dip down into his box. fish out n
particularly impossible little monkey. and
hook il on somewhere by u pinch of one
of its wiry arms.
The little Frcuchmnn does not pretend
tn have IA large trade. hut his billhead il
printed i'm two languages, and he expects
to have his monkeys and dogs trcUend-
ously popular with young folks at Christ
mas time. Meantime he picks up AN odd
dollar or so now and then when he goes
out peddling. If only there were, some
such small coins i'm this country as the
French have he would do very well. for IA
little monkey could br made for next tai
nothing and sold for half a cent, IL only
half-Ceuts were current.
But life i'm the French quarter is not ex-
pensive. There are breakfasts at Is cents
ar less, and dinners at ~, and there are
"a region like that. and swarminG with
children. too. a man who can make
chenille monkeys that look as il they had
just come out of n .'zoo." al a South
American forest. has no need To go hungry
Or thirsty.