New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-29
A PARIS TOY SHOW.
Some of the Interesting NoUeltles
To Be Seen There.
Paris, July 20.


There ia only one cool spot in Paris this week.
and that is the part of the Petit Palais. in the
| Champs Elysees, IN which the toy show has
been installed. Deep in the bowels Of the earth,
/ where a dim religious light prevails all through
the day. the long suite OF rooms beneath the
Dutuit art collection is thronged by a cos
mopolitan crowd of visitors. among whom the
foreign toy merchant is. naturally, an-pervad-
ing. For Paris maintains her reputation of
being second to none in fertility Of invention,
especially applied to small odds and ends in
which taste plays conspicuous role: and or all
articles de Paris her toys are perhaps the most
characteristic and representative. The annual
toy show brings the leading toy merchants Of
all the nations OF Europe to the capital, all
eager to pick up novelties for the next winter
season. and late in the summer though this, the
fourth toy show, undoubtedly is. a steady
stream of persons flows daily through the turn
stiles
Many of the novelties exhibited to-day in the
Petit Palais in reality merely happy
thoughts the part of some humble workmen,
executed with sklfuI hands in some Paris gar
ret. Several such are being shown by the in
ventor himself. who stands by the
tanning his work. ready to explain with much
tinid modesty and at the same time great con-
viction. the mechanism and action of the toy.
One man. an employee in a small arms factory
shows a small model of the Turks head of
the country fairs which can be sold at half a
dollar. and registers the force Of a blow with
the fingers On this he had spent his evenings,
after the days work. for fourteen weeks. Unfort-
unately. these small inventors get little profit
from their work. their inventions are pi-
rated as soon exhibited. and are produced in
other capitals No method has at present been
hit upon of protecting the rights of the inventors
in such articles. though the subjec- has been
under consideration for some time.
The Russo japanese war has suggested some
of the mechanical toys. fine man-of-war is
shown on a large table, a small torpedo boat Is
launched and flies through the water. striking
the ironclad. which IS at once shattered in
thousand pieces and disappears A champion"
manipulates his chess men, explaining that the
pieces represent all the constituent elements
OF modern offensive and defensive power"
But from all the scientific toys-the Santos
Dumont airships. the automobiles, the variations
or petits chevaux, polo for two the acrobat
on his trapeze-mOst children will turn to the
doll show. where every kind is represented
some OF the larger dressmaking houses have
contributed TO the success Of this section by
sending elegantly dressed models Of present day
clothes. Beside these up to date smart doIlies
are grouped a number OF little figures dressed in
all the different costumes OF France and else
where, making charming and interesting
ethnographcal study Here the Berrichonn Of
George Sand stands by the side of the little
Poyneslan OF Lott while the rudimentary Dutch
dol OF our grandmothers stares with fixed and
stony gaze on the realism Of both.
His excellency Soueng Pao III. the Chinese
Minister in Paris. made an official visit 10 the
toy show yesterday. accompanied by all the
members of the legation. and purchased the
Russo-Japanese war toys and also a new game
OF dominos called The Yellow Peril" which he
had carefully packed up and sent TO Picking.
c. I. r.