Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-04
TOYS FOR CHRISTMAS.
Advance Showing Indicates that Nov.
~ elites Will Prevail.


already made. Novelty is the keynote
of them, and a more attractive line it
would be hard to imagine. When Santa
Claus outfits, he certainly can find al
most anything he may desire for good
little youngsters of either sex, if he
takes the trouble to look for (which,
of course, he will.
Germany sends the real novelties in
toys to this country. The skill in the
United States is just as great as it is in
Germany, but the infinite painstaking
is absent here The American mechan-
ic wants to make everything by ma
chinery, while the German does the
same work vastly better by hand, and
the result is an individuality about
German toys that is wonderful. Also,
the imported goods have a finish and
an attention to details which makes
them real works of art. In the toy
making villages of Germany a whole
family will work at this fascinating vo-
cation, and perhaps the good man and
his frau and half a score of kinder will
have had a hand in turning out the
beautiful articles which American chill
dren cry for at this season of the year.
With Christmas only matter of four
weeks or so away, it behooves the little
ones now to get wise in anticipation of
hints to be delivered to father and
mother as to what may be especially
desired, and this is to help them to
gather ideas.
The best toys from Germany shown
this year, are the miniatures of real
life. There is the toy butcher shop,
for instance, about 6x12x15 inches. In
it, one may find almost perfect repro
auctions of launches of meat, with
scales to weigh them on, together with
sides of beef, mutton and hogs, and all
of most lifelike sort. The cashier is at
the window to take pay for them, also.
Another shop in similar detail, is
that of the fishmonger, with the fish in
the window boxes and the bins of SUI
gar, coffee, and the like, and whole
rows of shelf goods" And so on, till
one could buy enough of these shops to
set up miniature town.
The Noah's arks that come from Ger
many are another series, just as fine
In them one may find every animal
mentioned in natural history, and rep
resentatives of all the peoples under
the sun. Some of these arks provide
for the animals on one floor and the
people on another, and the animal por-
lions open UP, to permit the beasts to
get in and out.
From the same country come boxes
of toys from which one may construct
a village. The trees, houses, shops and
people are all there, in miniature. An
other set shows a logging camp, with
Tho 1nerc nhinocx will
and all. Another shows chicken yard,
with fowls of all sorts, coops and other
details. There is an infinite variety of
these all worked out in fine shape, and
any one of them is an education to an
observing child.
In lead toys one finds these same
things. One may purchase q whole
circus, with menagerie attachment, in
these almost indestructable toys. There
are blacksmith shops, with lead horses
and FORCES and all. 1t would be i'm
possible merely to enumerate what one
may buy in these.
Mechanical toys run this year 20
autos and airships, with a loop-the-
loop as the newest of all. This loop |
the-loop has a car which runs down a |
long track and makes the loop cleverly |
as does that at Helms park. There is |
q small auto, with real rubber tires |
which runs about over the floor when !
wound up, and the front wheels turn
just like those on a real one. There is |
an airship which revolves about ali
Elffel tower at a great rate, Tapping its |
wings, and another sort runs an indefi- |
mite distance on a wire. There is Lou |
Dillon hitched to a rubber-tired sulky |
with jocky aboard. and she will oper- |
ate by the mere winding of key. And |
these toys are so cheap-thinls Of Lou
Dillon for SO cents.
And there is the doll that waltzes: |
she really does. Wind up the spring
and Dolly will careen about the room
in most realistic fashion. There is the
elephant which rolls ball, the fiddler
that plays for the dance, an Irish piper.
a Paderewski, who plays a real piano
and makes music, all controlled by a
key and a spring. One can find toys
in this collection that will do nearly |
everything that human being does,
for Salvation Army lass is among the
rest.
A fine series of toys is that devoted
10 ten pins. These are for parlor use
and the balls are all rubber, with felt
covering, The pins in one case come in
l dog house, with an almost real dog
sticking his nose out at the door, Open
he roof and the pins all represent DIFF
,erent sorts of pups, sitting OH their
launches. Another set comes in a |
wicker cage, and represents varieties II
If birds. Another is warship, with
he soldiers for pins, and still another
s the old oaken bucket" with frogs
IS pins. These are high-priced novel;
les, as they cost IS set. But they
ire worth it,
For educational toys, one may pick
tut whole army of lead soldiers, with
orts, generals, horses and banners
complete. One may get hunting par
v with deer, hounds. horsemen and
III. Again, there is flower parade,
With vans decorated, bands and the
est. Another set shows a circus. with
he clowns, the riders and all. Really,
here seems no limit to these artistic !
nd useful toys. /,
NO smart boy this year will have one la
# the old fashioned rocking horses f.
dapple gray. He will insist on /
of the new ones. All the new ones L.
II