The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-25
SHOPPING SEASON
STARTED EARLY
ect Wonderland of Toys in
New York
MANY HOSPITAL PATIENTS
Winter Rush Has Already Begun and
VIII Be Greater in January and
February-Subway Starts
Building Boom.
MANY HOSPITAL PATIENTS
BY JOHN MARTHoL.

New York, December 23.-Early Christ
mas shopping was the rule this year and
the holiday business boom started early
in December, and the dealers were not
averse to the change. in the custom
There has been going on a steady move
ment to bring about a new rule in refer
ence to the Christmas trade and the
shopping public are now seeing that there
IS both reason and common sense in
what was said on the subject during the
past few years. Never before has there
been such an array of beautiful goods in
the show windows and the idea of prac-
ticability has has a material effect on
the class and quality of goods shown
The idea of making presents of dress
fabrics has almost become fad and the
variety and beauty of the designs Of
fered made their purchase a pleasure.
Much taste was displayed IN the boxes In
which presents of this class were packed
for delivery. Japanse novelties were also
an great demand and despite the fact
that New York Is the dumping ground
for an awful lot of bad japanese stuff,
the display offered this season was very
Unusual from every standpoint. In the
toy line the number Of innovations that
were offered were remarkable and the
ingenuity that toy manufacturers have
displayed in bringing toys up to date,
shows that the label made In Germany
Is no longer a necessary evidence of ex-
celience in the manufacture of toys
Probably the best of the new toys Of
fered Is a novelty called "Humpty Dump
ty." It is an American product and con-
sists OF a ring with many wooden figures
cleverly constructed and jointed, capa-
Bile of performing plenty of circus tricks.
There IS a clown or two, a trick ele-
plant, donkey. bears and all the familiar
animals and the numerous attitudes that
figures can be posed in offer no little in
terest even to the older members of the
family. The quantity and variety of
the toys to be found in the great city
toy shops makes a wonderland for the
little folks who are fortunate enough to
have the opportunity to look them over
The dolls houses offered were remarka-
bly, complete and in some of the larger
ones electric lights were installed, and in
a specially elaborate one there was a
miniature elevator that was worked by
a system of balancing weights. The nov
city that most appealed to the average
boy was the automobile, which was a
most gaudy toy, and close second was
the application of the velocipede idea
which appeared in a number of expensive
toys. Very large wooden battleships,
with guns and turrets complete, were so
constructed that very small boy could
operate them, and racing yachts with
sail had like attachments, while the more
pretentious automobile was fitted with
two leather seats, cushioned baskets.
outriders, searchlight and horn. The only
toy soldier that proved at all popular
were those in The uniform of Russians
and Japs. The trade has been unusually
large and there have been the usual de-
lays in shipments that cannot be avoided
Hospitals Are Crowded.
December is usually the beginning Of
crowded season in New York hospitals
and the congested condition is especial
ly noticeable in Bellevue and such of the
hnsnitals as r,aainta in larorn FREQ .1lz