Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-14
ing engine; It coms] tnl various sizes; and

ten feet across the floor, and then ring a
bell and retrace the Journey. This is re-
peated eight or ten times before the motor
power is exhausted, Another unique de-
vice is the pile drivel. 8hich operates like
the real thing itself, with great deal of
clatter and noise: Is ,iC. - ,,u,
gus sizes, with numerous cars containing
life-like occupants, who make the giddy
round with more or ,less apparent satisfac-
ton and enjoymentA The inevitable race
track Is also to be had, notwithstanding
the bad lessons 1t may ineulcate. There are
tricycles, with riders arranged to run for
ten or fifteen minu1es at a high rate OF
speed, the rider regularly turning his
wheel sharply and tipping his head as II
bowling to some passGr-by.
There are ballet dancers galore, with real
old down south fiddlers, the combination
producing certain amount of melody ana
mechanical grace. Another thing of JOY is
the performing animals, where horses and
tigers disport themselves on the enchant-
ing "teeter board and perform feats thrill
ing to behold.
New Top.
The gyrograph, new thing in tops, is one
Of the wonders of the season. Is a peculiar
ly shaped contrivance with pencil to stand
upon. and when 1t is spun describes its
whirling and circuitous path upon sheet
Of paper, making most ingenious AMI beau
tlful design. The unique thing about it is
that. like Shakespeare. it never repeats it
self, but always produces new design.
Some of the elaborate toys are marvellous
For instance, it is possible to buy for S. a
complete little sewing machine which Will
actually sew. There is a gas engine as
perfect as any made, with about a TWEEN
t1eth or horse power. Among the animal
toys there are splendid collections, with
tents, circus rings, acrobats, riders, and
all that sort of thing embraced under the
general name of the Midway Plaisance, so
fn lie a r. a
whole Midway" Menageries and German
villages abound endlessiy. Pretty and in
teresting are the grist mills, whose wheels
are turned by sand
The animal toys are this year more than
ever ingeniously wonderful. There is
kangaroo that leaps about in lifelike man
ner. pug dog that waddles and shakes
his head, a bear that opens his cleaning
red mouth and shufties about on his bind
legs, French duck iridescent in green and
blue and quacking with startling resem-
blante to the real thing. There is also a
brown leghorn rooster that initiates his
live cousins with remarkable skill.
OF new games there is an endless variety
this year. Among them is "Reversi," which
Is played something like Go Bang" There
are the"Yacht Race" and the Horse Race"
Foot BALI and Strategy" There are also
Pilgrims Progress and the Mansion of
Happiness" which, they say, can be played
Commerce" and the Race Around the
World" Others are Cat and Mouse"
Hide and Seek" the Horse Show" the
Fox Hunt" "Tally-Ho,'' and many others
too numerous and too complicated to de-
scribe.
The Old Toys.
Besides all these new things. there are to
be found in the stores vast numbers OF
things which are come over from year to
year, and. like classics, are forever good.
There are railroad trains, fire engines,
Noah's arks, horses, donkeys, express wa
CONS, all manner of animals, dolls and fig
ures which always have been and always
Will be enjoyed by little folks 1t is said
that all of these things are this year con-
structed much more carefully and more ar
tiStically than heretofore.
The animal goods are9modeled more cor
reetly, and the lions,s elephants. tigers.
horses. dogs and CATS, as well as being
cheaper, are more lifeike. The magnetic
goods are still to be seen. Among them are
the yachts and the locomotives. Perhaps
where fish with little bits of iron in their
heads may be caught on magnetic hooks
ana additional sport be had from the In
certainty as to which fish shall be caught
toy.
The merchants say that this year the
general trend of trade is toward practical
and useful things. The prolonged period
or hard times has made people economical
and saving. They are now showing a
tendency to buy for themselves and their
little ones the neceSSarieS of life, and
whenever they pass over the palpable line
of necessity into the domain of the orna-
mental and the pleasing, they are eX-
tremely conservative and cautious in their
selections.
OF course this year. as always there will
be found in all the stores a large line of
fine art goods, including very choice and
artistic examples of bronZes, marbles stat
uary. groups and figures in bisque.r deco
rated porcelains, India decorations, Moor
ish. Poona. India, Turkish and Damascene
goods of every description. There are
placques. vases delft ware and teakwool
articles not to mention all manner of
leather goods, jewelry, toilet ware and
countless other things.
How 1t is Handled.
Holiday trade works a wonderful change
in the management of large department
store. The clerical force is nearly doubled
from four to six weeks before Christmas
shopping sets in, so as to train the new
hands. Advertising space is largely in
creased. The display of stock within the
store has to be planned for months ahead,
requiring the skill of tactician to pro-
vide room for. everything, and every floor
is usually diagramed for this purpose
For months the manager is on the look
out for new and striking window displays
appropriate to the season, and oftentimes
pays large sums to the man who can in
vent these spectacular attractions For
three months before the LIST of December
fmportationS are being received almost
daily through the custom house, and the
subterranean store rooms and receiving
rooms of the store are clogged and Uttered
with boxes and bales of goods being opened
and distributed to their various appropriate
counters.
At Christmas time. also, the manage
ment seeks to provide a more perfect dis
cfpline of his entire force than al any
other time of the year. The crowds of Gus
toners are at that time up to the full ca
pacity of every floor. Ventilation must be
secured, and extra efforts are made to con-
troll and direct the tremendous currents of
humanity that ebb and flow from floor to
floor, so that there may be as little fric-
ton as possible and every patron may
The aisles are cleared of unnecessary
tables. Every article that is not required
to be displayed is packed away as COM
pactly and as Systematically as possible
The wrapping and package checking rooms
are subjected to the most rigid scrutiny
and discipline. The employees in the tel
egraph office, telephone station the re-
firing rooms. the restaurant and the writ
ing room are cautioned to be more than
ever attentive to duty and careful of every
customers comfort and convenience
1t is the glad month of the twelve, when
old and young, rich and poor, claim their
share of joy and hope and love. The mer-
chant provides for it, and, great as is his
task. he meets it like a public benefactor,
and to him the public owes no small dent