Evening journal., 1906-12-03
SOME THINGS
SEEN IN TOYLAND
Santa Claus has Many New
Novelties This Year
in His Pack

ually, events of the world are reflect
ed IN the toys built for Christmas, and
especially IN the matter of soldiers.
During the Chinese Korean war the
toy shops turned out pig-tailed SOL
/ ldiers, during the Russo Japanese corr
fiict there were peasant soldiers and
Acknowledged warriors, and when the
United States and Spain disputed over
matters I'm the Southern seas the pop
uldr thing was the sdrcssed
fighter. But this season the soldier
makers are turning their attention TO
local patriotism, and the soldiers in
the big toy shops are all Of Uncle
Sans crop. but wonderfully attired.
The American cavalry and infantry.
appear in red coats under the Stars
and Stripes. There are also cream
colored uniforms. and drab uniforms,
and gray uniforms, but the boy in blue
is forgotten. AS If to make amends
for the Inconsistency OF color scheme.
the toy people have turned out some
faithful field equipment, including a
Red Cross car, fully fitted with cots,
doctors and patients ready bandaged. z
The Humpty -Dumpty Circus.
One Of the novelties Of the season is
the Humpty- -Dumpty circus Of jointed
animals and clowns. The circus comes
in a box fitted with horizontal bars.
trapeze, spring board and all necessary
paraphernalia. and there is a book Of
instructions with It, showing how many
foolish things the outfit can be made
TO do. In the animal line there are the
usual boxes OF beasts for the Christi
mas garden, and all sorts and sizes OF
everything to go with them. A pure
white lamb that has never been to
Pittsburg is among the larger animal
novelties. For the boy who hopes
there Is a full stable outfit, with a
horse made Of dogs hide, jockey that
seems almost human. saddles, brides,
1 a harness that comes off, and various
rigs for the drive and track. In the
horse, by the way, the rocking horse
OF the old pattern has gone out Of ex-
istence, and is replaced by a horse
working on swing attachments to a
stationary frame. Baby viii have no
more painful bumps. for the new rock
ing horse can't tip over.
Speaking and squeal<ing Toys.
Speaking toys are plentiful. There
are the usual number OF squeaking
dolls and things that cry, but toy-mak-
ing as a science has advanced beyond
that. A set OF voice blocks, for in
stance, is formed into various animals
When the figure is completed the ami
NAL Is made 10 speak in his own Ian
guage by merely pulling string. The
donkey brays the goat bleats. the COW
moos, the rooster crows. the horse
neighs the hen cackles. The same
principle on a more elaborate scale is
applied to the speaking book. There
are several pages, each bearing a pic
lture Of the animal and more or less
descriptive verse setting forth his
traits and characteristics. As each
leaf is turned a corresponding button
is pushed. and the resulting sound is
a faithful reproduction Of that particu-
lar animals method Of conversation.
! Elaborate Railroads.
This year the toy maker has elabo-
rated his former efforts In the railroad
line. There are the usual real steam
locomotives trains and trolley cars
that run on track connected with the
incandescent fixtures, that wind up
and go by clockwork. that are pushed
and that don't go at all. There is an
up date signal station to prevent
accidents. worked by compressed air
and a. push button. There are tunnels
of all sorts, some fitted with tiny
lights; there are round houses, turn
tables. bridges, derricks, snow plows
wrecking trains, conductors, engi-
neers. firemen, track greasers and SUI
perintendents There are even passen-
J gers, who are presupposed to have paid
|, their fare, as the agreement Of the
trunk lines prohibits passes. There is
J Ia gravity railroad. with two tracks
I and cars that automatically receive
marbles from a loading station. dunn
them into a pit and return for an.
, other load.
/ In other lines OF locomotion the ad.
vance of science Is not so sharpl!
| marked. For instance, there are M
: alrships. excepting the kind attached
to flying swings In Luna Parks. Their,
! are no balloons that seek the Nortl
+ Pole. There are plenty Of automobiles
, but none that work by steam gasolin,
{ or electricity, the hest one being after
= fthe principle Of the velocipede. II
/ trolleys the foreign manufacturers
! idea is limited to this country's metro.
polls, as all the cars seems to be label
ed "Brandywine Springs Park" on,
OF the toy sellers is thinking OF havini
all his trolley cars relabeled after thl
local lines. He thinks II would maxi
, hit One Of the popular transporta,
tion vehicles shown is the prairii
wagon, going away back in history, anS
Indians to attack It may be bought Z
= complete the set
Firemen and Cops Galore.
, The average American boy start
|. out in life with the ambition TO b.
> either policeman or a fireman. II
, delight this youthful dream, there ar
q plenty Of policemen. although most o
them seem to have foreign cast o
countenance, and their uniforms ar
: mot strictly In accord with American
custom. There is patrol wagon whicl
reflects the foreign idea OF the Ameri
: can social question, as all the prisoner
. are negroes. In the fire engine lin
there are engines. hook and ladders
= reels, chemical engines, extension lad
b ders. water towers. etc. The firemei
all appear to be we'll paid, rat ant
= prosperous.
There are plenty OF games, and som
new ones. "The Devil Among the Tai
lors"t is a game OF FIVE pins. into tn
midst OF which a top is sent spinning
lby a notched pull-pin. the idea beinl
TO knock down as many as possible
and reckon the result by adding tn
numbers. There are heads OF tigers