The Anaconda standard., 1898-12-11
Toys Which GLADDEN. the Hearts
of the Children.
SANTA CLAUS is ON DECK
The Good Old Soul Has All Sorts of De-
nshtsul Surprises In His Sled.
Dolls for the Girls and En-
ginss for the Boys.

wear. Every store window in Anacon-
da Is filled with the most unique and
novel toys the city has ever seen. Some
of the toys are marvels Of mechanical
ingenuity. Many of them are not only
amusing but are highly instructive and
afford profitable study for the child.
No one will have cause to complain
that no suitable toys are to be had this
year. There are acres and acres of
toys and playthings of every descrip-
ton. Their price ranges from a nickel
up 10 $1,000 and 5000. A writer in the
New York Sun has devoted a couple or
columns TO the great variety of toys
offered for sale this year. This writer
makes mention of only a few. but his
descriptions are interesting. He says:
santa Claus Is in a scientific mood
this year as well as in an unusually
folly humor for him. Last Christmas
he saw how things were going when he
came down from his big factories up In
the snow clouds. and heard a great deal
about this child study business and the
scientific training of children.
Gee whiz! he said to himself. laying
his finger on his nose. do these parents
and schooiteachers think that they
know more about the needs of child
hood than old Santa Claus? Well.
guess not I'll just get a move
on me next year and show that
I'm not a whit behind the times. I'll
set my fairy factory operatives
bring down a layout of toys for
good little boys and girls that viii make
the eyes of their scientific papas and
mamas pop out Of their heads.
Santa Claus never breaks his word,
and. sure enough. he landed here on the
,Fah 90 hsa with "a finer
lot of toys than ne had ever brought
before Traffic wasn't blocked up his
way He consigned very large share
of his finest wares TO a certain shop
uptown. and thither the good little boys
and girls are fiocking by the hundred
and so are just as many bad ones TO
see them and 20 select what they want.
CITY children have this great advantage
over those living in the country. Coun-
try children. no matter II they are ever
SO good. are Obliged take just what
Santa Claus brings down the chimney
and leaves for them. And Santa Claus
Judgment Is not always infallible, even
IL his intentions are forever good. Not
so with city children. Santa Claus has
shops and agencies and warerooms es-
tablished all over the city. and they can
go there, from the poorest to the rich
Z est lock at the beautiful toys. and say
what they want.
Fathers and mothers and teachers
can make children eat and drink and
sleep and learn their lessons scientl-
fcally. but. after all. Santa Claus Is
the fellow who directs their amuse-
.rnent He might have said science he
banged and gone ahead and turned
out a lot of toys that merely made fun
for the little folks and taught them
nothing. but he didn't. As result al
the new toys this Christmas teach the
children who play with them very val
liable things.
wherein do the toys of 1898 differ
from other toys? asked a sun reporter
of the manager Of the big toy shop
Toys this year he answered. are
designed 20 bring cut the natural bent
Of a child TO develop his best talent
What little girl could play with this
completely furnished doll house and
not acquire taste for housekeeping,
home furnishing. and decoration
"The house i'm question had drawing
room hall with winding stairway. din
ing room and kitchen on the first floor;
music room. bedroom. and nursery on
the second. and two bedrooms on the
third. all completely furnished and
lighted by electricity. There wasn't one
thing lacking in thnt home, not even a
baby boy. who smilingly allowed him
self TO be fed from bottle In the
nurses arms while she sat In a rock
ing chair in the nursery.
Presumably the happy father was
banging away on mechanical toy
piano in the music room. while his wife.
radiant in evening dress. apparently
awaited some guests for dinner in the
drawing room below. A colored butler
watched over the dining table, which
was set with fine linen. glass. china.
silver and flowers. and the cook was in
the kitchen. hanging over her pots end
pans. There was an air Of serenity
about the place that one doesn't fnd in
many homes on the eve Of a big dinner
marty. Such a doll house costs Sl25.
and not every little girl can have one
hut there are dozens of other things
out Of which just as much fun can be
had.
what women lives who in her child
hood days. has not longed for a tiny
cooking stove? Once only tin stoves
were 20 be had Later iron stoves were
nut on the market. and this year Santa
Claus has provided some very fine min
iature gas ranges on which little girls
can cook One OF these ranges costs
s25. but there Is no wear out to II. and
many a child. II allowed TO do practical
cooking on IL. would perhaps save the
cost OF a course in a cooking school
some day or be spared the reproaches
OF a husband-who knows? Every lit
tie girl at some time I'm her life also has
the tea set fever when her grand
mother had ~ and wrote to Santa
Claus to bring her a teaaset. she cot 2
little boy Of dishes r-ade of pewter Her
little girl didn't play with PEWTER tea
set but he'd one of china. ard l't'le girls
this Christmas don't care for tea sets al
all. but are hegFinr for dinner sets
some Of which have 1it nieres Dinner
sets and tea sets would he of NJ earthly
good without tables ard table linen
. and these things have. therefore heen
provided. snd any smart CHILD can soon
learn 70 set q table 50 wep rs TO give
her mother visions OF dismissing the
waitress.
'NTechanical TOYS ALWAYS intereS' IT
tie folks. and fhrv are now more com
. pIex than heretofore. A clown magician
who cuts his own head or ana vanks
II on again and at the same time gives
a Jack-in-the-hox show throws the
youngsters into fits Of laughter. A
Japanese juggler IL no less funny. and
ballet girl who dances by steam gy-
rates in an astonishing manner. a