The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-17
"A ROOM IN MILITARY TOYS.
English Makers Unable to Supply the
Demand.
From the London News.

From the London News.
Among other incidental effects of the
war in South Africa the influence on the
toy trade must surely be one of the most
remarkable. Judging by the result of in
quiries made at several important centers
it would seem safe to affirm that the en-
tire trade has become an unofficial de-
partment of the war office, and almost
every nursery in the land has caught the
fever of militarism, which only this time
last year some among us-to the great
amusement of the cynies-were simple
enough to believe was on a fair way to
gradual extinction.
I'VE are doing very little business in the
toy department" said one big house, "for
we can't get military toys for love or
money. and there is no demand for any
thing else selling"
Any public excitement arising out of
events of general interest is apt to be re-
Elected in the nursery toys. of course, and
this is especially the case with military
excitement. Any war, wherever it may
be- is sure to create demand for nina
ture cannons, for swords and guns, and
tents and soldiers but it seems to be gen.
orally allowed that the demand this time
is quite unprecedented
I'VE could sell out Fl 900 worth of metal
soldiers to-day" said the representative
of one large wholesale house, IF we
could get them. But if we give an order
for 500 gross, we get perhaps five and
twenty gross delivered"
Something like that seems to be the ex-
perience all around. Neither at home nor
abroad are the makers of martial toys at
all equal to the demand upon them. This
demand began soon after the outbreak of
hostilities and seems to have been stead
lily on the increase since it became ap
parent that the struggle was likely to be
more protracted than was at first thought
probable Inventors of novelties have
been hard at it, and the amount of capt.
tai that must have been invested in the
making of entirely new things must be
something very large The inventions
turned out have it need hardly be said
special bearing on the South African
war. Not only have the forces engaged
on both sides been reproduced in metal
and color-horse and foot and artillery
Dutch and Irish, Scotch and English,
with Long Toms and Hotchkiss guns
pontoons and baggage wagons, with bell
tents and officers marquees-but very
elaborate pieces of mechanism have been
turned out to illustrate some features Of
this particular war. There are in the
market, for instance, miniature armored
trains, ranging in value from sixpence
or shilling up to three, four and five
guineaS. These last consist of an engine
and three wagons, running on metal
rails. The engine plated all over as COM
pactly as the back of a turtle, runs by
cockwork, either backward or forward
and as the strongly fortified train rushes
round under the whitening smoke of bull
lets and bombshells the enemy are pour
ing down upon it, projecting cam on one
side of it is caught in a similar projec-
ton on the rail beneath, and bang! boOm
bang! go the gallant defenders inside.
The gallant young generals VINO are in
command of opera lions may have the sat
isfaction of logging themselves in the most
martial of military uniforms, half a gut
nea or hess being sufficient to buy the
| most Respondent helmet and brea tsplate,
sword and gun, and many little odds and
ends of equipment, the uniforms being for
the most part of the now familiar khaki
color The troops, horses and an, are
pretty nearly all of this hue, though some
of the generals-presumab bly, turned out in
the earlier stages of the war-sItill wear
their distinctive uniforms and ride dash
ing black chargers. All the more promi-