The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-11

1t is worth the while Of any grown
person with heart stlll young to visit
the toy shops OF these fin de steele days
and compare what is there offered with
the things that used to delight him
when he looked anxiously for the an
nual visit OF old Kris. The toys IN
these days show the same progress, the
same inventive genius as everything
else. There are certain standard old
fashioned toys which Will probably
never lose theF popularity. Among
these the dolls and the noIse-p producers,
drums and trumpets, are still In cyl,
dence, But such dolls! Why, some OF
those displayed in the Wheeling shops
to-day are costumed from hat to sacque
and gown, like Parlsian belle. \
little more art goes into the making OF
the bisque head, and the styles Of hair
dressing and lingerie must, OF course,
keep up with the procession, but other
wise they are pretty much the same old
dolls our mamas had.
Then the drums are better made and
more musical, and many Of the horns
have keys and will make music. one
new trumpet has an automatic bar
which makes II possible to play any
tune, each tune having bar with tile
proper notes.
Mechanical toys seem to be the fash
Ion. Toy engines and machinery run
by clock-work are not new, but some
Of the engines made now are superb lit
tie pieces OF mechanism. Then they
make dynnmos, saw mills that really
saw wood. threshing machines that
seem TO operate, boats actually run by
steam and real miniature steam loco
motives with trains of well made cars.
Then there are wind-mills that run,
dancing bears and jumping frogs.
There was the old Months ark. What
magazine OF enjoyment that was!
Now the Idea Is menngeric, complete.
wheeled vans and cages and all, and
the animals have increased in size
wonderfully In q generation,
Musical toys are also In much de-
mand. Dolls are made now with tiny
monographs In their interior, and they
reclte very plainly, Twinkle, twinkle,
little star" and Now | lay me"
Think OF this compared with the Won
derful doll that used TO shut It's glass
eyes when II was laid down.
There IRE beautiful dolls, gaily dress
cd. standing ON pedestal, and when
revolved they play tune. There are
ostriches and ducks and rabbits and
turtles that move about like the real
thing, and some play music. Their ed
ucation has been completed since they
used to come on little white. squire
bellows with a squeaEer In II, so that
when pressed down they made faint
sound.
A mechanical fountain. variation
Of the old "horsefddle," which plays a
pretty tune, cannon which shoots nj
n castle land requires some skin on the
part OF the operator to do execution, a
real Ferris wheel that revOlvcs, II
horse race which furnishes Its own
musIc,-bOrrOwed from the Midway
PlnIsance airs at that-Chimes on
wheels, and the Goddess Of Liberty
standing on globe which revolyes and
runs about the floor at the same time,
are some OF the things the children OF
even ten years ago could not have,
could not even dream OF.
Perhaps the finest toy ever seen In
Wheeling Is In the window OF Nick
Plume's store. Just above the postolticc
He makes n specially Of the newest
things. and got this hlg doll mainly for
an advertisement. Cor the price IL most
too steep for Wheeling. II Is Il large
little lady. Il such thing can be, gally
anu ElNlle hl fNN'A tllNA tA'N'A lNNhl W w.
garlands OF flowers. In her hand she
has butterfly net, and about her tlit
gay Coiored butterflies She has caugh;
one but goes on eagerly throwing her
net mt another and noddng her pretty
head. Al the time music ls made In
the pedestal on which she stands.
One fact about toys nowadays which
Is comforting to parents IN that one can
now find in the and 10 cent storrs and
on the cheap counters toys which used
20 cost from q quarter to Il dollar.
OF course the express wagon and the
sled will always hold their own, but
even these are improved Express
wagons are made -brcakahle and 50
they can be used In coastinE and be-
stored. and slcda are made flexible. so
That the feet push the front 20 the
rIGht or left and never touch the track.
These flexible niers" are worth their
weight In shoe leather
II boy OF the year OF grace iSIj had
been transplantrd into Wheeling toy
store OF 1895. he could not have been
persuaded he was not In fairy land ana
II such toys as those OF to-day had
been produced In the old colonial days
their maker would have been burned
ma "a wizard 'Thp world do move"