New-York tribune., 1901-01-27
THE WORLDS TOYS.
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PRODUCTS
OF DIFFERENT NATIONS.
From The Pail Mall Gazette.

from Ihe Pall Mall Gazette
NJ Leo Claretie's report on .he toys of the
world. as represented at the late Paris Exhibit
ion is topical reading. Nj. Claretie is naturally
most concerned with the toy products of his own
country. This represents 50.OOOO0O of
francs per annum. Germany's output is -
per cent better 1t is claimed however. for the
trench-that is to say for the Paris-toy that
1T surpasses all others in grace. in light and
lively aspect and in workmanship which at
once proclams its family and origin"
The Paris product is classed under no less than
dozen catesores At the head. might
expect. stands the toy military-the sword. the
Lebel. the mitraeuse. the pistol. the trumpet
and the drum. Included also in this category
the military 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 manufact-
ure is entirely in the hands of the Societ':
Anonyme de Fabrication FRANCHISE des B6bes.
with capital of 4.OOO,OO0 francs. f160.0o0-
This company has the monopoly of the article.
1t runs several gigantic factories, employs i
small army of workmen, and turns out about
five million dolls every year.
The toy animal is another branch of industry.
He is of three sorts-of course. from the makers.
and not the ZooloSist's point of view lie IS
either painted or skin clad or "draped- To
"drape" an animal you first anOnt him all over
with glue, and then sprinkle him with finely
by women and materially enhances the death
rate among female workers in Paris The pow
dered cloth affects the respiratory organs
that no drapeuse can hope to retain them for
| much longer than twelvemOnth. When an
amman Is 10 be Skinned he Is, l Morse III [ 81
into calf neat. IL elephant. he gets chamei3
leather. and, if a camel, must resign himself u
goat skin.
Next in Importance to that of dolls is the cate
CORY of toys in metal. The tin soldier. the rail-
way, the tramway and the watch If infancy en-
ploy some five thousand of the Paris population;
while the musical instrument the biSOphon",
the phOnOgraph and other devices for the pro-
| duction of cheap noise enable further section
of the working classes 10 support life in reason
able comfort.
The cardboard boxes. with the more less
elegant decorations In which the TOYS and the
presentation fall into yet another category. The
uses OF cardboard. however by means
exhausted There remain the pleasing aces
sOres Of the child's cotillOn party. These are
manufactured. 1t appears out or the wa@te
packing paper swept off the packing room hocs5
in tubs full OF glue and then ramned into steel
mOuds. II comes out in sections. The sections
are gummed together. and passed on 10 ;h,
decorative artist. and from him To the drying
roOm and from there to the drawing room
Then there is the mechanical toy-somethiES
angular and spasmodic and strikingly garhei
He laughs. he reads. he blows soap bubbles; he
is conversational. or acrObatic. may be de-
sired. Science has improved upon him Of late
Then there is the scientific toy. If an enfart
du steele. aged ten. does not know more than
the author OF his being ever knew about eec-
trostatcs and the Rhumkorf bobbin and th'
Glsser tube. IL is not the scientific toys fault.
The india rubber doll with the ventriloIuial
squeak appears to he going out of favor and
no wonder. The childish child that was once
pleased With this crude performer has gone out
before him.
The sporting toy. learn. is entirely the prod
uct Of this country and OF America. IL would
| seem To- be just much a thing apart as me
Japanese doll. Another exclusive product Is the
| Russian toy. The Alliance Notwithstanding.
| French toys are barred admission To the empire
Of the Gar. Germany. likewise. has taken
protective measures against the introduction on
the French article. The French market ON the
| contrary is flooded with the work of Nurem-
| berp. and Sonnenberg. In vain have French man
ufaCturers registered trademark While the
/ ''Teutonic' line pays best. there WILL II seems
always be retailers unpatriotic enough TO push
/ it, still that trademark gives the toy an i'm
portance il did not previously possess. ana. IN
fact elevates il no The region Of pOltlCal con-