The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-13
TOY MAKERS IN THE FYROL
st. Ulrich a Town Where Everyorc
Can Carve Wood.
Many of the Ornaments and Gcw-
Gnws In America Made in That
Region - Shipments for Christmas
Made in Advance of the Holidays.

No village in the picturesque Tyrol is
more delightfully."- situated than st. Ulrich.
1t is in the heart OF the Grodner Valley, a
district whence comes a large proporti, n
II the wooden saints, crucifixes, and toys
found in the American markets. The peo-
pie who dwell there are Industrious to a
fault. and their wares are reported to be
the best produced in all Europe. Besides
the 2.100 carvers who find employment
there, there is a regiment of painters and
gilders. There is no doubt about much of
the carving being excellent. but If one ex-
poets to find 1t superlatively cheap he Will
be much mistaken No special display CT
their work is made by the Grodner folk,
for most of them are employed by whole
sale dealers. But there Is no difficulty in
getting to see the carvers and gtlders, and
there are annually many tourists who
come to the locality largely for this pur-
pose The larger ateliers are well worth
a visit, and time passes quickly in wach-
ing rough blocks of wood grow into state
ly St Christophers or benign st. Josephs.
In some of the workshops carving. paint
ing. and gliding are all done; in others
only the decorative part of the work is at
tended to. The toys are mostly made IN
the little white cottages that dot the
mountain sides, and even the children of
the family take a hand in the mandfac-
ture. Villages are devoted to specialties.
At St. Jacob and Wolkenstein. near st.
Ulrich. nearly all the inhabitants are toy
makers; on the other hand, at st. Chris
tina the people devote their time almost
entirely to lay figures and dummy horses.
st. Ulrich is reached by stage (called
diIigence) from Waidbruck. the latter
place being in railway communication
with Innsbruck. The road is, of course,
surprisingly beautiful and as it is nearly
all the way uphill many travellers walk
from Waldbruck. arriving almost as soon
as the wagon. Travelling in the Tyroi is
expensive only as regard the baggage, and
hence most tourists go lightly equipped as
to their accessories. The railroad cars are
not upholstered. and are in SO many re-
spects inferior to American equipment
that frequent and uncomplimentary com
parsons are often drawn.
Watching the woodcarvers is not the
only occupation of tourists in the Grodner
Valley. The air is fine and bracing and
the scenery wonderful and never tire
some. The tall pines which surround the
villages, creeping close to the outskirts.
and which furnish the material that the
villagers turn into salable articles. are
spicy and ever green and graceful. There
are tobogganing and shedding, driving and
walking, and everywhere the quaint peo
pie and their interesting work.
1t is hard to tell what would become OF
St. Ulrich and the neighboring villages
without the toymaking industry. The
shipments for Christmas are usually made
in the early spring-the output. one might
say. OF the winter The popularity
of the occupation makes 1t possible to pre-
serve it without special equipment and
often the caryers kit can be easily car
ried in one pocket. The pine is soft and
easily worked-quite different from GER
tain species of the American pine, that
coming from the south and known tech
nically as Georgia pine" or yellow
pine" being very hard and capable only
of machine working.
The wood caryers' education Is begun
at the early age OF six or seven. and con-
se1uently by the time they are grown up
they are experts. The figures are first
hewn out OF the rough pine log. daring
cut here and there gives a suggestion OF
what the finished work is to be. and then
patiently and skiilfully the delicate
touches are added until the features OF
the face. the hands the folds OF the dress.
the lace and all the ornaments are carved
and finished This is. of course. in the
better work that takes days before 1t Is
brought to a conclusion; having then some
claim to artistic merit The pieces done
by dozens-the dolls and animals. for in
stance-are turned out at the rate OF
twenty or thirty q day, ungraceful, gro