The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-28
DOLL DooToRINa HIS TRADE.
A Germans Peculiar Business on the
East Side in New York.
From the New York World.


In front of a queer little shop in East
Fourth street. New York, is this sign
"Hier Ist der Puppe-Arzt." In English
this means, Here is the doll doctor.''
Inside, on bench near one of the win
dows, sat kindly faced little German,
whose sparse beard was almost as white
as snow. He is the doll doctor. He was
surrounded by boxes containing paints
wax, plaster, glue and a large assort-
ment of knives, scissors, bodkins, needles
and other implements of his trade. There
were tiny wigs of every conceivable
shade and shape, dolls heads galore and
busts, bodies, arms, legs and feet with
out number In fact, IL was a dolls hos
pital and morgue combined, and there
seemed to be no lack of
patients and subjects. The livelihood
of the doctor, who is German,
depends upon how closely his country folk
live up to their customs in their native
land. These. when a dolls arm or leg is
broken and lost or its little wig is so
badly matted and derAnged that it is be-
yond the control of a comb, 1t is not given
away or even laid aside, TO be loved Just
as much as ever in spite Of its deformity,
as is it's fate in every American family.
The little German mothers dearest wish
is that her little cripple be taken to the
uOll uOCbOF anu completely feSJOfcus III
families where money is very scarce and
brand-new dolls are a great luxury, "das
kleine maedchenn considers herself very
much favored if Kriss Kringle will send
one of his messengers for her broken doll
and bring it back TO her on Christmas
morning nicely repaired. She writes a
note expressing this, and thus IL happens
that the doll finds its way into the hands
Of the doll doctor.
The doctor took up more dilapidated
specimen of the doll family. Tied TO the
doll was little note wherein the writer
stated in quaint German that besides the
new red lips and other repairs for her
doll she would like TO have new shoes, a
pair of earrings and a dress .'if IL don't
cost too much The doctor dived into a
box near by and began replacing the
missing eye. Then he found one of the
glass disks of the proper size and color.
Then with the aid of his nippers and some
glue he set it in its proper place Then
he found new leg and whitfield IL and
adjusted it in its place With pink wax
he worked away until both cheeks and
lips were good as new. The repairs he
covered deity with coating of pink, and
on the lips he painted bright red smile
He bored holes in the ears and inserted a
little pair Of plated earrings, each with a
little green stone, then turned the doll
over TO his wife, who was to make new
dress for it and fit on new pair of shoes.
Then, when she was done, the girl would
comb out the hair, braid it anew and
maybe put on a ribbon or two The price
for all this was 80 cents 'If | had
plenty Of work like that, >" the doll doctor
said to a reporter, ~ could make pretty
good living. But every year the German
children forget about their old home aud
doll doctors, and become like American
children, and want new dolls as soon as
the old ones get hurt. Guten tag, mein
herr"