The Washington times., 1907-12-22

"a
~ san Claus gives % children
n at Christmas time he gets IN
Germany, and many OF ths
things that ne brings At this sea.on
70 children IN homes were made thera
In homes, with children tal<inr part
10 the work OF producing them.
Among The toys thus home made
are for instance. the animals to be
found ia ihe Noah's arlzA many OF
which are made b. dweuers IN the
mountainous parts OF saxonv. II
might seem that even with their oo7n-
0ined efforts. with every member o.
the family doing something Al tbe
work, Il would still be impossible to
turn out great number, there IL q,
much cutting and carving TO be done
upon even the smallest and rnost
roughly finished Of these little wooden
animals that Il would take consld-
efaole time 70 begin with Just 70
rough them out from the wood IN
their first shape; but at this stars
the work Is By very simple ana vet
ingenious means greatly facilitated
Inc nome worker, the head Of the
family perhaps. and skilled By sx-
perlence IN that sort OF WORK, takes
a small squared block Of wood. cu4
out not lengthwise. but acroas ths
graint anG upon ono end OF this h,oor
ne draws the prodle outline of. sav
'forse- Then, with a scroll aeu- hs
saws away from the block Aovo
through its whole length, eli She
wood outside the lines as dr=vn on
the enc OF it for a ruide. So now
ne mas a block OF wood IN the rough
outlines OF a horse very thick bodied
men from this block he splits on
down through Il with the Erain. "A
many sections as the block viii per-
H4t' three or four. or maybe haIf a
dozen, each one OF these contain
ING the makings OF g horse. a little
morse In blank, end then these blanks
are taken in hand By the members
OF the family and each fashioned into
its final completed form In this
way much labor is saved AZ ,hs b.
ginning. but there Is another wav of
preparing the material that {. rar
more advanced.
IN thls part OF Germany there are
WOOD turner's who make q business
supplying 20 home toy makers
what are called animal riuEy tbesa
icing rings OF wood from each OF
Nnlch many animals can be cut. Tbe
Iils-maker cuts from the end oC a
suck OF round timber a disk Of wood
ol thickness equal to the hefzht OF
the animal TO De mado from Il. ana
then mounting the disk In 4 turning
lathe he begins work on tha BODY Of
wood at the disks outer part arouad
Us rim, turning away the material In
such shapes thai whan the r4pr I.
finally finished and cut apa-t II VIII
snow and Of course. tia sarns wher-
ever cut, the outline of The animal
thus fashioned IN Il
When family OF animal uasksrr
that uses this material is about %
start on itH winter woTsk Il by5r. It's
rings from tbs turner, .orde-inx 40
NANNY COW rings. 40 many stsr or
,amel rings, and 30 on down throurb
ne list OF animals Ehay ara 70 make
home the animals, which a-a rnnda
90 various sizeI ranging nruu haEs
an inch TO as much as hv~ inches IN
height. are chopped en from ths
rings and then ths work OF shap-
ing and finishing tbs animals zoe. on.
The most expert member OF sbe
family does the carving On the eri-
mails, all the rest including the chr-
dfen, doing what work upon than
they can Thus the whole family =
employed.
Some OF the cheapest animals ara
marketed In the natural color OF the
MOOd. and then many are DaI-fa-7
ulppeu lot a single color, or painted
more eiapOrately with a number OF
Goiors. one member OF the family do
ing one part OF this work and one 80
ING another. as one NAV paint The
stripes on the tigers and another ,ur
ne spots on the IeOpards: but AT som.
one part or another OF the n1alr{n- ~
ne animals the whole family works
lhe winter through. as X has been DO
hS through preceding generations. and
as perhaps is may do for genera tfons
70 come, the work being handed down
from father and mother to son and
daughter. II IS labor that brings but
small returns, but the home Industry
IS the custom OF the family, and II
brings some.
So. IN the families IN that part OF
Germany in which the toy production
IS largely these homemade wooden
animals for NOah's aTks they make
year after year these animals only.
found families that devote thelr tina
in Ike manner TO the ma king OF toy
wooden furniture. making year aftey
year toy furniture and nothing else,
Just as the animal-making families
make nothing but animals.
And there are homes IN which whole
families engage in the making OF ant
mals that are TO be covered IN some
way. perhaps with fur or with fleece:
as, for instance. sheep. Some such are
made IN factories. others IN homes:
and IN the homes where these are
made the whole family gathers around
the table. each doing some part OF
the work
Perhaps one may fashion on the head
part a plaster face and nose 20 give
the animal a more perfect finish: an
other may paint the eyes. one espe-
Cialy competent for such work may
cut out -he coverings that are to 20
on the bOiy. and stll another put on
some finishing touch. The sheep goes
around from hand 70 hand until Il Is
completed.