Evening star., 1901-03-02
THE WORLDS TOYS.
of the Products of the
Various Nations.

|
! From the Pail Mall Gazette
| NJ. Leo Claretie's report on the toys OF
| the world, as represented at the late Paris
exhibition, is topical reading. M. Claretie
is naturally most concerned with the toy
products of his own country. This repre-
sents some 5OOOO,OOO Of francs per annum
Germany's output is % per cent better. 1t
is claimed, however, for the French-that is
to say, for the Paris-toy that it surpasses
all others Sin grace, in light and lively as
pect and in a workmanship which at once
proclaims its family and origin
The Paris product is classed under no
less than dozen categories. AT the head,
as might expect stands the toy mill
tary-the sword, the Lebel, the miltrail-
leuse, the pistol, the trumpet and the drum
Included also in this category is the mill
tary uniform, and the kept of the general
officer, which is the only wear of youthful
France.
Next in order, but probably superior to all
in Importance. comes the doll. The doll
manufacture is entirely in the hands of the
Societe Anonyme de Fabrication Francaise
des Bebes, with a capital of 100000 francs,
or f160, 600 This company has the monopoly
OF the article. 1t runs several gigantic fac
tories, employs a small army Of workmen,
and turns out about five million dolls every
year.
dustry. He is of three sorts-of course from
the makers, and not from the biologists
point of view. He is either painted or skin
clad or "draped." To ''drape" an animal
you first anoint him all over with glue, and
then sprinkle him with finely powdered
cloth. This operation is performed by wo-
men, and materially enhances the death
rate among female workers In Paris. The
powdered cloth affects the respiratory
organs that no drapeuse can hope to retain
them for much longer than twelve
month. When an animal Is to be Skinned"
he is, of course, if a horse. fitted into calf
neat. If an elephant he gets chamois
leather, and, if camel, must resign him
self to goat skin.
Next in Importance to that of dolls is the
category of toys in metal The tin soldier.
the railway, the tramway and the watch of
infancy employ some five thousand of the
Paris population; while the musical instru-
ment, the bgophone, the phonograph and
other devices for the production of cheap
noise enable a further section Of the work
ing classes to support life in reasonable
comfort.
The cardboard boxes, with the more or
less elegant decorations, in which the TOYS
and the confectionery of childhood are in
closed for presentation, fall into yet an
other category. The uses of cardboard,
however, are by no means exhausted There
remain the pleasing accessories of the
factured, 1t appears, out of the waste pack
ing paper swept off the packing room floors
or the big shops. The material Is first
stepped in tubs full of glue, and then ram
med into steel mouds. 1t comes out in |
sections. The sections are gummed to-
sether, and passed on to the decorative !
artist, and from him to the driving room |
and from there to the drawing room.
Then there is the mechanical toy-some- |
thing angular and spasmodic, and strikingly |
garbed He laughs, he reads, he blows |
soap bubbles; he is conversational or aero |
batic, may be desired. Science has i'm |
proved upon him Of late. Then there is the |
scientific toy. If enfant du steele. aged |
ten, does not know more than the author |
Of his being ever knew about electrostatics |
and the Rhumkorf bobbin, and the Glis-
5ier tube, it is not the scientific toy's fauJt
The india rubber doll with the yentriIo-
luial squeak appears to be going out of
favor and no wonder. The childish child
former has gone before him.
The sporting toy, we learn Is entirely the
product of this country and of America
1t would seem to be- Just as much a thing
apart as the Japanese doll Another ex-
elusive product is the Russian TOW The |
alliance notwithstanding. French TOYS are
barred admission to the empire of the car
Germany, likewise, has taken protective
measures against the Introduction of the
French article. The French market. on the
Is flooded with the work of |
Nuremberg and Sonneberg. In vain have
French manufacturers registered trade
mark. While the "Feutonic'' line pays best,
here will, 1t seems, always be retailers nm. |
enough to push it. Still. that
gives the toy an Importance 1t
lid not previously possess and in fact /
levates it to the region of political