Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-12-16

greater number of all the toys manufactured
come from Nuremberg
The ancient feudal city, around which cluster
che grim traditions of the inquisiton and the
thrilling epic of the times of Charles ", has for
-four hundred years or more been the center of
che chiIdren's faryland. 1t has been and is the
nucleus of Christmas happiness for the youth
bf every place In the Occident. and It's charm
Is the perpetual one of joyous creation which de-
lights I'm planning the amusement of little people.
In the factories they will tell you that 72000-
900 marks ($18000,000) worth of pleasure Is
sent out from Nuremberg every year, and that
s5,5o0.o00 of this export is for the benefit of
Young America Only few years ago all OF the
necessary labor for this immense production was
done by hand and much of the finishing and fine
last touches performed by special artists.
Even now in the factories the old spirit OF an
almost consecrated enthusiasm lives and is evil
dent in the interest of the village artisans for
their craft. Not merely the reason of bread and
butter goes toward the making of those marvel
GUS walking dolls. those phenomenal speaking
picture books those thousand and one games that
have called for all the imaginative as well as
practical genius of these honest German peasant
folk. Rather has their unique industry called for
and developed in them romance, constituencies
of perception which is remarkable.
Follow the lurching worn curves of the All
brechtDurerstFasse, and you come to one Of the
many homes of this Nuremberg spirit. In a min
aature redroofed house. wedged in among a hun
dred squat brown huts, live two old men-brpth,
ers. OF sixty-lve and seventy-whose white
heads are constantly bent over small circles of
7~ood-shaping, pairing, carving painting.
All day they sit there sometimes all night
7eoilfng the delicately ornamented dolls
dishes which perhaps you have bought as a small
ansignihcant thing, just this afternoon for your
small daughters tree
You looked at them carelessly: they were not
especially original attractive, and you sh@yed
them Into your bag with Misunderstanding accent
ance. thinking that maybe they would please ca
PRECIOUS Dorothy. How could you know that back
In the village of Always Christmas old hands had
fashioned those trivial plates and pitchers old
eyes had strained with loving anxiety over those
fac traceries OF columbine. and Old hearts had
warmed over those completed trhes with the
lsamO thrill of the master painter over his best?
But this was true. Indeed nearly all of the
simple wooden toys constructed by hand in
some humble voikshause which goes to make up
che aggregate creative force of Santa Claus
workshop. Take the tiny sets OF soldiers the
dolls chairs and tables the painted wooden ami
actual grown up. These are fashioned In
homes. sometimes by the efforts of whole fam
tiles, but most often by children themselves
Sixteen is the age limit for child labor in the
factories, but young person is prohibited from
assisting his parents at home. provided he spends
the required period Of time at school. SO that
nany of those playthings which give most hap
piness to the children of America lave been
made by the children of Nuremberg And il
babies must work. what work could one find for
chem more appropriate or more pleasurable thar