Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06

as elusively puzzling az "pigs-in-clover''
and thereby make record breaking sales.
Indeed. this hope has given way largely to
feeling Of certainty, based on the I'M
usual rapidity with which the few hum
dreds Of samples of these various novel;
ties sent out through the country to test
their selling powers were gobbled up.
On the strength Of this 'feeler," which
is made with extreme care every year, a
half million copies of the teaser called
"Columbus-stand-up -t he-egg will be placed
on the market Outwardfy 1t is small
duplicate of the glass case once so popu-
lar for covering artificial flowers. 1t can
be held in the hollow of the hand. Inclosed
by the glass covering is small wooden
egg, and the object is to turn and twist
the whole affair about until the egg is
made to stand on it's smaller end in a
shallow hole in the center of the wooden
bottom of the case 1t seems easy, but a
few minutes trial dispels the delusion.
The "Four Blind Mice Trick
Another novelty somewhat on the same
order is -Four Blind Mice" The mice
are gunshot inclosed in glass tube half
an inch in diameter and two inches long.
This is divided in half by piece Of wood
pierced by four holes just large enough to
pass the shot. The hole in the middle Of
the wood leads into tube whose circum-
ference is that Of the opening, and which
runs half the length of the large tube in
closing it. You catch the mice" If you can
induce all four to drop into the inner tube.
It's mighty hard to get even one M nous mouse
through the three holes that do not lead
into the inner tube.
A novelty that is bound to cause much
laughter and some surprise bears the name
OF shooting Flowers There is paper tube
nine inches long and nearly an inch in d.
ameter dozen paper flowers, small roses
and carnations built on prickly burrs, ac-
company tube. If you want to present
your sweetheart with bouquet or your
chum with a boutonniere, stuff a flower,
burr end first. into an end OF the tube; aim
the tube at the person you lntend honorlnS;
blow on the end into which you stuffed the
token. and 10 and behold! it will make its
appearance in all it's glory on corsage or
lapel, where the burr will hold it fast
Then there is the magic tobacco box 1t
Is box within box. One box is empty
The other box is divided in half, length
wise. one-half containing loose tobacco
sprinkled over a glued surface. the other,
imitation cigarettes. BY cleverly manipu-
lating the box a smoker can have amuse-
ment at the expense of his acQualntances
who find delight in the weed
A Wonderful Performing Top.
A timely novelty for the children is the
coal yard, and they are expected to see TO
1t that the supply of 100000 is exhausted
before Christmas day. This wooden toy
represents a city coal yard, with Weigher,
horse, cart, driver and a load of COAL
Another up-to-date child's devise is the
Auto Marble Came" in which wooden
automobiles figure. Still another new thing
is popcorn wagon, an exact miniature OF
the wagons frequently seen in residential
sections of large cities.
But the toy that will capture the boy Is
a top that will spin in his pocket, IN ms
hand. on it's ends on its side, on a pedestal;
that will walk a wire or thread, jump up
off it's side and spin on still and defy gravi-
tatlon. This top is really top within a
top. The outer top merely acts as cas-
ing for the inner top, or fly wheel, which,
when set in motion by pulling off a string
wound once around the spindle, causes the
toy to do all sorts of tricks.
An observatory tower, THE Goney Island
Dolls" patterned after "Kuock-the-ba bies-
down" Of amusement resorts, and pistol
that shoots paper darts thereby avoiding
broken mirrors and bric-a-brac. about COM
plete the list of children's novelties.
The handlest novelty is a combination tool
that can be used as a stove cover litter,
hot pail litter, a hot pot Upper, pipe tongs,
pliers staple puller, nut crackers, hog ring
ers, and what not.
The most ambitious thing that the fakirs
will handle is a talking machine, rendered
somewhat out of date by more recent in
ventions, but for which they hope to realize
81 80.