Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30

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q simple toy or puzzle
profiting its inventor a generous fortune
are not wanting. So Uncle Sam Is kept
busy in the patent office puzziing over
the toys. granting patents rather indiscrimi-
nately, and piling up a goodly collection OF
toy models, plans and drawings. Old Santa
Claus passes judgment on the lot sorts out
the best for his appreciative children and
leaves the rest to the dusty oblivion of the
patent office shelves.
Some toys and games work their way
slowly into favor, eventually becoming
standard amusements. Others spring into
Immediate, all-pervading popularity, daz-
cling others out of sight and mind for few
weeks or months, then dying out as COM
pletely. Ten years ago the blocks of the
'14-15" puzzle were shifted around by the
trembling palsied fingers Of grandfathers,
by the slender digits of young ladies who
were neglecting their piano practice; the
small boy forsook shooting his marbles to
compete with his father. the mother laid
aside her needle and the puzzle was tri-
umphant. Now it is forgotten.
Four years ago. or whereabouts. Pigs in
Clover absorbed public attention and "frit-
tered away the precious American mo-
ments. Newspapers were as full of accounts
Of 1t as Of the summer girl during three
months reign. Senators and editors had as
much difficulty In conducting the elusive
pigs around their circular paths as did
plain people. Then 1t too was dropped. Mr..
Crandall. the inventor. is said to have profit
ed to the extent Of million dollars or more
from the little toy.
Crandan must have made a good deal Of
money out Of his toys. His building blocks
brought him in a permanent fortune. He
began planning toys when he was twelve
years old. Over twenty years ago he got
the idea for his blocks. He was making
croquet sets and sending them away. He
had contrived boxes for them held together
with groove and tongue fastenings instead
of with nails One night, after he had fin
ished his work. he took home a lot of waste
blocks and gave them to his SEX child to
play with. The child had SO much fun with
them that ne worked up the idea and the
elaborate building blocks was the result
The Skating Rink Craze.
A man invented the roller skate. Kinks
were built for the skaters, the craze became
universal and the man made a half million
out Of it. The day of the roller skates is
not yet over. either. Anyone who has been
much about Washington's smooth streets
has seen eight or ten little darkies having
q blissful afternoon with one, and only one
old roller skate. The one skate may have
lost a roller, invariably a strap is gone and
an apron string or hair ribbon takes its
place; but Ii Is passed from one to the other
and by dint of much showing and hopping
and pulling the exhilarating sport is kept
up They do errands, go for clos" and
tend the baby much more cheerfully when
there is skate to make the time and dis
lance seem shorter.
The little wooden returning ball. fastened
to rubber string, with ring for over the
finger, costs only penny, delights the chill
dren and makes life luxurious for the in
ventor. Edison has turned his attention to
ing dogs and singing birds-all with phono-
graphic interfors-have been produced. But
these toys are too expensive for the ordin-
airy purchaser, and the cry of ten-cent
rubber baby, although 1t may resemble
closely the bleating of a ten-cent rubber
lamb, yet contents the anxious. small moth
ers who hasten to hush and sooth.
But, in the patent office. besides the sue
cessful ideas. there is the record of many
laboriousiy planned devices that probably
are destined to remain on file. "in due
order" unknown to children; unfortunately
for the inventors. fortunately for the chill
dren, perhaps. There are some that deserve
only childish scorn and rejection: an "imita-
ton Christmas tree" for instance, to be
made with detachable branches covered
with green chenille to give pine-like color
and softness. a child who has had such a
tree perpetrated on him at Christmas time
would be excusable in having a blighted
future. To be the victim of the sort of
economy that another inventor practices
is another most horrible fate. His title
reads "A combined jelly-glass and money
box" This glass. with it's twofold duty is
nodded with deep notch in one end. over
the other fits an ordinary metal top. The
glass must first be used for Jelly When
this is consumed the tin bottom is to be
fastened on and the little thin glass strip
at the other end broken through. This forms
slot where the coin may enter. A thrifty
nfrd mid h.
could be reseaied. Then it could be used
indefinitely. When ''jelr' time comes round.
1t only need be sealed and used again. The
money saved during its existence bank
might be used for the further production of
jelly, the scheme elaborated and a perma-
nent Jelly fund established.
The Habit of Regular Saving.
To instill into the youthful mind and
heart the habit of Laying by" there are
many attractive Inducements Banks and
boxes OF every possible description, repre-
senting nearly every phase of life, have
been thought of and patented. There is
one that might convey rather dangerous
ideas to a fresh and initiative young mind
1t has two figures, n nurse who receives
the coin on spoon and u tender infant
in her charge who is forced to swallow the
money. Beside this there is a phenomenal
elephant that, as far as my knowledge OF
elephants go, gives an incorrect lesson
in natural history. He takes the coin up
in his trunk and feeds himself in the fore
head In manner most remarkable. The
laughing negro, who swallows the coin, the
man shooting at tree. the old-time little
house, painted in brightest coiors and Offer
ing admittance for the pennies through the
chimney, all have been through the patent
office routine before they became so famil-
lar to us. With them are more elaborate
ones that look as though they never could
be persuaded to work after the first one
or two coins have been deposited. One has
two clerks, who come out to receive the
moneys, carry them back to the desk and
drop them into the bank. There is a.