The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23

upon a dining table or some other smooth
surface at one side OF the oval is a
switch track, and when the trip begins
one OF the ears Is stationed at this switch.
The other car starts from the ''interurban
station" and as it passes the switch its
weight. bearing down over the rails.
touches a spring. which releases the second
car and starts its machinery going. AS If
it had actually been started by the little
iron motorman who. standing on duty at
the helm" the second car hustles from
the switch on TO the main track and speeds
along after its predecessor. The unjnitiat-
ed customer in the tsy shop, unacquainted
with the ingenious mechanism of the thing.
is sure to gasp with astonishment A clerk
in one OF the big establishments is telling
a story on a well-known indianapolis man
who purchased one of these interurban
roads the other day. AS the toy seller took
down his customers name and address, in
order TO deliver the outfit at the latter's
residence. he remarked, by way of making
conversation: I'm sure your little boy will
he tickled with that plaything." Little
boy" said the man. 81 haven't any little
boy. I'm buying that thing for myself"
This is the first year of the submarine
boat-dont forget that! She is also Of
American make and is almost as remark
able in her workings the railroads She
is built exactly like one of Uncle Sans
torpedo vessels and she goes about her
business in much the same way. If you
want 10 command the respect OF the clerk
who waits on you you must speak of the
toy as ~'she" or 'her''-never lit" The
boat is wound up with key and placed in
a bathtub filled with water she promptly
dives to the bottom and after taking
circular journey underneath the waves"
for a moment or two she comes to the sur
face OF the water and floats about peace
fully as If she had not been on some mys-
terious business that BODIED i'll for her
country's enemies. And this is the first year
Of the complete miniature toy store-a
three-story building about two feet high,
which contains in the tiniest dimensions
all OF the favorite toys of childhood. There
are wagons and hobby horses, guns and
swords, tin soldiers and ''choo-choos," and
doll babies all stacked up on the Lillipu-
tian counters or hanging on the gaily-col-
ored walls, and there are lots of little
toy sellers busy as can be selling the
toys TO lots of little customers. This play
thing is as complete in it's way as the rail-
road outfit.
NO SUCH DOLLS BEFORE.
And dolls. Were there ever such dolls
before? The employees of the big stores in
charge of these popular departments say
that there have been just as beautiful
dolls in previous holiday seasons, but new
er such beautiful doll costumes. 1--WE
have been trying for many years to secure
somebody who thoroughly understood the
dressing of dolls" said one of the man
ayers at e big local toy store, "but not
until this season have we ever been salts
fed with the results obtained. The Ger
mans manufacture the best dolls, but they
don't know how to dress them properly
We have all of our fine dolls dressed right
here in Indianapolis and we have at last
ing doll costumes. We are keeping her
awfully busy these days" The same toy
man went TO say that this is to be a
great season for rag babies, which have
increased in popularity during the last
three years. Americans make the best rag
dolls, and one big manufacturing concern
in Massachusetts, has devoted four months
during this year to the making of a GER
tain kind of rag doll so as TO be able TO
supply the tremendous demand through
out the country. On the whole, the toys
for this Christmas are unusually novel and
delightful and there are good times ahead
for scores of little Indianapolitans.