The Detroit times., 1910-12-22
NEWS FROM TOYLAND
BY FREDERIC ! HASKIN
[.-MAKING PLAYTHINGS

King Edward died the watchful Ger
man toy makers have taken advant.
age OF the human interest story or
the kings pet dog, Caesar. and have
brought out many likenesses OF him.
One OF the most expensive toys
ever made was presented TO the child
Emperor OF China by the Car OF
Russia few years ago. II was
complete railroad system. and Is said
to have cost 100000. There are
number OF instances where toys cost.
ing 81, 900 have been presented to the
children OF the rich. King Edward
a year or two ago gave little Prince
Olaf $4,000 train outfit. Many
wealthy Americans present their
children with toys which cost almost
us much as the outfit they are made
10 represent.
Philadelphia is the toy manufacture
ing center Of the United States.
There are n number OF important es-
adjustments in that city, and they
produce almost every kind OF mechan'
ical toy to be found on the shelves
of any city in the country. Dayton,
Ohio, is another city noted for it's
toys. Some of the most unique and
attractive playthings on the Ameri-
can market are presented to Santa
Claus from this city. The present
day tendency toward better and moro
expensive toys has led the ingenious
Yankee to place separate parts on
the market, and if the piston rod OF
n toy locomotive should break, or
the runner of a coasting sled be split
beyond repair. the boy has a price
list of the interchangeable parts with
which he can substitute the broken
part.
Another innovation in toy making
that may be attributed to American
ingenuity is the idea OF manufacture
ing such things as an entire railroad
system. which Is complete either as
whole or in part. III Santa Claus
cannot afford to present a boy with
anything more than the train and
dozen feet Of track this year, per-
haps he will be able to- add a depot.
tunnel, and bridge next year. and
by the following Christmas he may
be able TO equip the boys railroad
with a full block signal system.
There are many boys who prefer that
Kris Kingel treat them in this way,
and the accumulation of new equip
ment through a period OF years final
/ ly gives the boy who possesses 1t
plant which is the admiration and
despair or every boy in the COM
munity.
While the foreign manufacturers
take advantage OF every opportunity
TO add new ideas TO their lists, II is
probable that the American manufac-
turer excels even the progressive
Frenchman and the hustling German
in this direction. Even the vacuum
cleaner has been made the subject Of
the toy-makers art. An American
genius has produced a toy cleaner
which will eat the dust as we'll as
any full-grown article on the market.
! The entire tendency is toward better
toys. and the average price OF toys
today is perhaps twice as much as the
average OF twenty years ago. While
the entire increase in price may not
be attributed to the better quality OF
the toy. 1t is fact that in no other
| line of trade has there been a greater
( Improvement in quality in compar.
! son 10 the advance in price.
| No other country in the world Ia
more particular about the toys which
reach its children than is Germany
/ There. before Santa Claus Is allowed
to distribute his toys, they are care
tully Inspected by government ex.
perts, and II any Of them are found
TO be injurious to the health of the
children or dangerous to life or limb,
they are promptly condemned. A
pencil sharpener with too much lead
In IT, likely to poison the delicate skin
OF child's hands, is promptly thrown
into the discard The same thing
happens to toy which is painted in
such way that the paint is likely
TO come off If the toy is put in a
child's mouth. A doll whose cloth.
ing is dyed with poisonous dyes
stands little chance ever to get into
Santa Claus bag
Tomorrow-New Wrinkles In TOYS.