Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-12-17
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greater number of all the toys manufactured
come from Nuremberg
The ancient feudal city, around which cluster
the grim traditions of the inqu'sition and the
thrilling epic of the times of Charles ", has for
four hundred years more been the center of
the children's fairyland- 1t has been and is the
nucleus of Christmas happiness for the youth
of every place in the Occident, and its charm
is the perpetual of joyous creation which de-
lights in planning the amusement of little people
In the factories they will tell you that 10000.
900 marks (S1S,0oO, OOO) worth of pleasure is
sent out from Nuremberg every year, and that
$500. 900 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 in the factories the old spirit Nof 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 well as
practical genius of these honest German peasant
folk Rather has their unique industry called for
and developed in them a romance, sensitiveness
of perception which is remarkable
Follow the lurching, curves of the AL
brecht- Durerstrasse and you come to one of the
many homes of this Nuremberg spirit In min
iature red-roofed house, wedged in among hun
dred squat brown huts, live two old men-broth-
ers, of sixty-fve and seventy-whose white
heads constantly bent over small circles of
wood-shaping. pairing carving, painting.
All day they sit there, sometimes all night.
toiling the decately ornamented dolls
dishes which perhaps you have bought. small
Insignificant thing, just this afternoon for your
small daughters tree.
You looked at them carelessly; they were not
especially original attractive and you showed
them into your bag with Misunderstanding accept
ance. thinking that maybe they would please
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
fine traceries of coumbine, and old hearts had
warmed those completed trifies with the
thrill of the master painter over his best?
But this true Indeed. nearly all of the
simple wooden toys constructed by hand, In
some humble volkshause which goes to make UP
the aggregate creative force of Santa Claus
workshop Take the tiny sets of soldiers, the
dolls chairs and tables, the painted wooden ami
| actual Or grown up. These fashioned In
| homes, sometimes by the efforts of whole fam
lilies, but most often by children themselves
Sixteen the age limit for child labor in the
| factories but young person Is prohibited from
assisting his parents at home provided he spends
4 the required period of time at school So that
| many of those playthings which give most hap
piness to the children of America have been
/ made by the children of Nuremberg And If
babies work. what work could find for
| them more appropriate or more pleasurable than