The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-11-26
All Aboard for ToYland.

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have been any suspicion that Santa
Claus was angry with all the children
in the Temperate Zone and wouldn't
come down here any more just be-
cause Mr.. Peary-Cook discovered the
north pole, that suspicion was dispell-
ed yesterday afternoon. There ap-
peared to be a good deal of interest
in the matter, too, because about ten
thousand children and a whole lot
more grown-ups accepted Kansas
City stores invitation to come down
and see about it.
And were they disappointed? And
did Santa look cross? Guess again.
On his first appearance since the ex-
ploration of his northern home, he was
the same belted, white whiskered, red
faced old fellow he was last Christ
mas and before-jollier, if possible,
than ever. After the children passed
through his little house on the fifth
floor-they could stay only minute
because there we're so many others
waiting-they had a chance to see
what made him happier than ever.
1t was on the Iioor above-a Won
derful toyland, twice as large as the
largest the store ever had before. The
place was crowded all afternoon, and,
although it was merely the opening
day of the department, there were
heavy sales So many new things
were on view to tempt the children.
A doll that recites Jack Horner"
and "Dickery, Dickery, Dock" and
sings "Fourand-twenty Blackbirds" is
rather a novelty. She does these won
derful things, of course, by means of
small photograph concealed in her
middle. Does any father remember
the magic lantern" that was so much
fun in his boyhood? This Christmas
he may buy his son a toy cinemato-
graph which produces motion pictures
for parlor diversion. Prices, $125 to
$125.
The Teddy Bear appears, but not to
so great an extent as formerly. In
stead, you may buy realistic tabby-
cat, sleek coated horse, or a fuzzy,
bald-headed "Billiken" wearing a
sweater.
With the wane of Teddy Bears, dolls
are expected to come back into their
own. You can get any kind of We
hicle from folding "p'ram," to big,
black coupe for the bisque femininity.
For the more intimate needs of the
dolls one finds porcelain bathtubs, tot
let sets, beds, trunks, dishes and all
kinds of furniture in any kind Of wood
up to mahogany and quarter-sawed
oak.
There are fully equipped gas stoves,
to be attached to the pipes in the
house, for the benefit of the inner
doll, and, it is suspected, her mistress,
as well. On the other hand, a Swiss
band of five pieces can be had to
furnish automatic music of an evening,
and for rapid transportation, railway
trains on tracks. motor cars and ocean
liners run by clock springs.
significant and timely develop
ment in the department of steam en-
gines is the steam roller. For other
temperaments there are ordinary
SIediH tHSlHeS VIII merry -SO-TOuHuS
and ferris wheels to which they may
be attached.
There are many finer things here
than we used to have when we were
children" said young mother who
had taken her small son through it all.
"But the best of 1t is that nowadays
you can get so much better things for
the same money that we used to pay
and the same things so much cheaper"
And | can't help thinking" said
Frederick Gremmels, who goes abroad
every February to buy for the toy de-
partment, that all these children
would be interested in knowing right
now that while they are enjoying these
things their little German half-brothers
and sisters, less fortunate than they,
are busy making the toys to send
over for next Christmas. A large part
of the detail work done on these toys
is done by German peasant children
in their own homes"
Yes-the stores that advertise sell
mora ahaonIv Thia Z. hooo,oo