davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22
TIE CAPTAIN OF The GUARD AND The ENTRANCE
70 The Toy SLOW OF The CAPTIVE. CA11RHS

It's not painted on the canvas)
Pushed by the crowd through a dark
some tunnel, We realize that 1t Ia just a
big aisle hung with black stuffs to be
ysterious. Now another big rotunda.
The Enchanted Castle. What a big
horse! Yes, the red-nosed military gent
is the chief of the kings guard. and yes
terday when he raised his sword he
knocked over a tower of the chateau.
Walk confidently under his steed's stom-
ach. It's the entrance to the toy show
of King Constantine Porphyrogenitus and
the captive caliphs.
The American boy who has 1900 toys
is somewhat Of a prince here. but there
are Others You can tell them by a
magic word they utter:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22


in comparison-but wait!
You have heard of the holiday booths?
They line the curb. from the Bastille TO
the Madeleine, thousands of booths, sell
ing every toy novelty from Germany.
America, England. Japan and the Saint
Antoine quarter. not to mention Project
of Police Lepine's toy competition to en-
courage the ingenuity of little people
and afford them capital to manufacture
in their homes.
The wise bug was Lepine success.
A big tin bug-painted like a cockroach.
lady bird or bad dream. at CHOICES
wound up and set crawling on a table.
When it comes to the edge it peeps over.
Nothin' dom. 1t turns on the brink.
crawls back to safety and zigzags. buzz
ling. sassy, till ii cutters to another edge,
peeps over wisely and scoOtS off from
danger. You can't make the wise bug
fall off Bar his turning and he'll turn
the other way. "a moral lesson" says
VI. Lepine.
At the Alma Bar L saw gilded youth
and elegant femininity gambling louis
dor on the scores of two mechanical bag
atele players. Wound up. they banged
the little ivory balls with their billiard
cue, crac, crac, shooting them along
a painted tin trough into numbered
holes ). 10, 20. 80 500. An Archimedean
screw continually turning. brings the
balls up and back. so that they roll down,
ever one by one in front of the cue tip.
And the tin sport only has to pull his
cue back and hit another clip. Again,
moral lesson says NJ. Lepine. There's
always an Archimedean screw for him
who saws wood and says nothing"
The Japanese catapult cost S4-like the
bagatelle and the farm shoot II comes
really from Japan. and looks it. elegantly
finished, wood, silk, steel. A cup on the
end of a spring throws ball over a
curved, rising trajectory into numbered
pockets in silk-covered wall.
Everybody's doin' it. Father CANDLES
with the circuit of the nations downtown,
before hiding it In the closet for Christ
mas morning. / know two French boys
who crept out of bed and found their
parents entertaining company with the
climbers" bought as surprise for little
Georges and Helene. 1t was. Ihey
sneaked back to bed, surprised
1t is a pneumatic trick. worked by the
finger on pushbuttons. each commanding
a little doll that climbs a pole. Evidently
the quickest pusher-like a swift tele-
graph operator-would get his doll to the
top first but for a subtle element or
chance here introdu ,ed-any doll may slip
or merely stop, little or much. while
slower dolls are kiting up; and no one can
Judge which or when. The circuit is an
aeroplane roulette. taking free flight
and descending n volplane, and you
can bet on any partition. Four dollars The
large model is a marvel of construction.
The farm shoot is a large landscape
yard wide and two feet high' Cnly tie
o.y goat sheep, dog, farmer, his wife
and the tourist all have a tender spot.
You shoot at them with pistols. If you
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

Mais. non, bota, we've seen only the be-
ginning.
The Enchanted Village Round another
light and air rotunda they have thrown
their stage carpentering and scene paint
ing three floors high Ancient stone tow
ers, chubby brick houses, fascinating
walled gardens and queer old shops with
rudy bald men sleeping in them, make
an unreal world of comic wonder. Look
at that windmill-it's a soup pot And
it's got a face. it grins! Mamma. mamma,
a house is winking at me! Oh. it's girl!
Yes, truly Each house and old ragged
tower appears to have a human face. See
those winding stone steps. just beside
the chateau chapel? They're the muffier
under the brick face which is a jolly,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

enraptured kids. In rocky caves an al
legged tiger yawns and growls. or winks
yellow eyes that glare; and all is black
again. What is that rustling noise?
Tic-tac. tic-tac. It's only a nice wood
pecker; him go up the tree. oh,
there's a big red bear, climbing for
honey.
Up. up. so high! in darksome greenery.
where nightingales break out in song
automatic nightingales in gilded cages,
$50, elegant gift for lady!-fairy land.
scapes dawn in rosy. golden glory. Swans
glide past a cleaning fountain; peacocks
spread jeweled tails on marble terraces:
and captive princesseS stroll sadly by the
waters edge. And all is dark.
Mauve glory. there, behind you. on the
third floor. The forest melts, below 1t.
We perceive a mystic scene Of crags and
gorges; and a frowning castle with black
turrets stands before blood red setting
sun. A boy-faced knight in shining ar
NOR fits past on a plumed white steed.
Lights dance that never were on sea or
land. And all is dark.
We wander in the Fairy Woods
Il mean, always, the Printemps ro-
tunda. the immense one)
IN us CENTER single vast tree runs up
eight floors. See. in that hollow!
Gnomes and kobolds. They have stolen
a human baby? No. just borrowed. whis-
pering charms in its ear while sleeping.
When that kid grows up. he won't be
like the others.
Flash How it scared me. A great
Christmas tree explodes into view, in
binding lights and colors. just under our
noses. We can run and touch it. But
we don't. fairy with transparent
wings, all pink and blonde and shining.
appears in the top of the Christmas tree.
And all is dark.
Wandering lights dance through the
forest Tink, tink. tink-a-link tink.
What is that silvery music? All, such a
crowd Move on. it's our turn! My. it's
hot! This way. madame, to the Garden
of Fairies! But haven't we been, aunty?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

"HROUGH ages of custom, through
out almost all the civilized world.
Christmas and gift-giving have be-
come practically synonymous without
The. making and exchanging OF little re-
membranes, no matter how inexpensive
Christmas wouldn't seem like Christmas
at all. There Is. of course. finer, more
noble significance to the day but 1or
all that. gift-giving plays most I'M
portant part With children, indeed. the
part it plays is all-important To the
average child Christmas. first and prl-
1nariIy. means Santa Claus.
Yet less than 2,OOo miles from wash
tugton. a distanos less than that which
must be travelled TO get TO San Francisco
lies a little island, the residents OF which
are 10 less civilized than we, and where
religion is almost q state affair, yet where
the making OF Christmas gifts Is almost
unknown, and never practiced. Inc lana
Is the Island OF Cuba.
Uals the pleasure Of Christmas to the
tots OF Washington lies in hanging up
their stockings the night before. and Won
dering what Kris Kringle will bring down
the chimney for them. over in Cuba the
children don't hang up their stockings
il SO happens that only the well-to-do
have stockings-the poorer classes go
barefoot But even those who have them
don't hang them up. II they have ever
heard of any such person as Santa Claus
at all the Information has come from some
stray tourist. And having heard OF him,
they regard him as some patron saint
who is the peculiar property OF the
"Americanos." OF the .Anglais,' or what
ever country happens to bob into their
heads. At any rate they know he has
nothing TO do with the Cubans The
Cuban child would regard the hanging
Up of his stocking as an absurdity. And
~ by any chance some one happened to
make him a present Christmas day, he
would be grateful. OF course. but he
wouldn't understand at all why the gift
should have been made.
II is not that the little brown cousins
for whom Uncle Sam battled to make
free are penurious or unaccustomed to
gift giving that this is so. On the con-
readily. and certainly far more fire.
quently, than the average American. But
they confine their gifts TO saints days
and religious holidays. All during the
year. throughout all Cuba, there is a
continual exchanging of gifts. There are
scores OF regularly recognized gift days
on their calendar, but Christmas is not
one of them. Ever since 1898. when
American troops frst landed on the
island, they have watched the custom
practiced by the "Americanos." They
have watched II with interest. but that is
all They have never taken il up. and
probably never will. Somehow IL doesn' I
seem to appeal to them.
Nevertheless. Cubans celebrate Christ
mas. They celebrate II enthusiastically.
evea wildly, but in way as incompre-
hensible to us as our own quiet ex-
change Of gifts and mutual expressions
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22
:l&S4E

hit them they rear up. kick back or make
the signal Of distress.
l know an American boy in Paris who
has all these toys and 1884 others.
On the average, they are as expensive.
The Panama dredge costs $14, the Ameri-
can fire engine SIS an electrical factory.
with dynamo turning machines. was
cheap at $32 and herd of artistic Ra-
bier animals sawed from thick wood aver
aged 50 the piece or pair. And SO on. The
often quite dear
This boy has no special Christmas.
Every day is Christmas.
His kind parents. OF course. make a
tree, and pile 1t round with gifts. There
is a party-for Partisan children to see
the tree. and each kid gets a present, and
considers this American boy lucky. But
the boy himself. how shall he thrill at
him all the year? Last Christmas his
good grandmother came with the automo-
bile and clothes-basket. pile this
basket full of toys you're tired Of. she
said. I'VE will take them to some chill
dren in the back street" And he did 1t,
for an adventure.
Grandma" he said. when the job was
done. and twenty poor kids happy, real
ly. grandma. I think it has given me
pleasure
But. as no boy can be blase all
through, he gets a thrill from the boule-
ward booths-and a bigger thrill in the
Garden Of Fairies.
Any one would thrill in the Enchanted
Village. There is no patent on these
names. Each of the Grands Magazins
may adopt them, and Guido all rivals.
But / think the Printemps beats the
record.
Imagine a Drury Lane pantomirne in
vading the big department store. stage
carpenters and scene painters of the
Opera Comique fling their magic glamour
seven floors high in the central rotunda!
1t is a dark fairy woods. Strange great
birds with shining red eyes leer on the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22
Our Discomfort.
brand wHITLoCK. the may,

D RAND WHITLOCk, the mayor OF
- Toledo, was talking about discomfort.
IT is our discomfort, our divine discon-
tent" he said, that will make a great
nation of us.
II believe in discomfort. ] can sym
pathize even with the Disconnected old
farmer who said:
'Contented? When'll | be contented?
Wall, III be contented when | own all
the land adjOinin mine-and not befur,
be gum" -
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

u dealt and bid a royal. A two dia-
monds and y two hearts. When all
passed r led the ace of his partner $
suit SO as to be out of his way and
then led the king of clubs. Upon this
4 dropped the jack, intending it as the
beginning of a down-and-Out echo. but Il
read it for the queen or no more, and
followed with the four OF clubs, dummy s
seven holding the trick second hand.
Dummy at once ran Off three top
spades. d!scardng all his diamonds and
a club. Then dummy led the trump and
the only trick Y lost was the club at the
end. SO he got game and rubber on the
hand.
Had A played his clubs properly b
would have gone on with the ace and
then small. A would have trumped. made
his king of diamonds and then given B a
ruff. and when led his last club \ would
have saved his jack of trumps; seven
tricks setting the contract for two In
stead Of losing the game ana rubber
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

drink it straight Instead, they pour
perhaps four tablespoonsful of claret
into a tumbler, and then fill the glass
with water.
The Cuban Christmas dinner is eaten,
almost invariably, sharply at IL o'clock
and is really a combination Of dinner and
breakfast. For the Cuban arising at =
o'clock in most instances will eat moth
ing but a very hard and very dry crust
of unsalted bread cooked in banana
leaves and peculiar to the island, washed
down with a cup of coffee that is at least
three-quarters milk. There is no butter,
save in exceptional instances. Such as
there is. comes in cans, shipped from
Denmark. The milk that goes in the cOf-
fee. too. comes either from goats or from
asses. driven through the streets in
droves and MIXED before each custom
erS door.
After dinner comes the usual siesta
which Is not to be overlooked even on
Christmas day. By / o'clock. however
the siesta period is ended and then comes
a general outpouring from houses to the
streets. Those who own carriages order
them out and ride about endlessly and
aimlessly. Others club in" and hire one
of the tiny victorias. which are every
where. at the rate of 81 per hour The
rest walk. But everybody. old and young
Is out. Everybody is dressed in his or
her best bib and tucker or in some freak
ish costume. and everybody has confetti
All through the long, hot afternoon-for
II Is hot there even in mid-December-
they ride and walk about. hurting con-
fetu at each other. using feather ticklers
just as is done here in Washington on
election nights, acting wildly, and glad Of
IT, On this one day the strict lines Of
class. usually so deeply drawn through
out the island. are obliterated. Every
one knows every one else. The Galician
servant hurls a jest at the daughter Of
the rich Cuban senator, and the latter
smiles, casts a quick retort over her
shoulder and hurries on.
While this carnival scene is going on
the air Is filled with continual explosions,
as If the place We're in a state of siege
The noise is caused by fireworks not
firecrackers, but strange skyrockets and
Roman candles, which go off with a bang
that can be heard mile distant. These
fireworks are also capable of making
display. The skyrockets might burst into
beautiful showers Of stars and other pyro-
technical glories, but no one eyer sees
them. For some strange, unaccountable
reason. the Cuban chooses to set off his
fireworks by day. By night always the
supply is practically exhausted. The
custom. in a way, is rather danger
Gus. One cannot see the sharp pointed
sticks flying through the air by day. and
so they are constantly dropping swiftly.
seemingly from nowhere. Nearly every
Christmas a number of people are hurt
this way. but nobody seems to care.
All through the island. on Christmas
day, and particularly in the cities, there
are scores upon scores Of parades. There
are almost tpnumerable secret societies
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

Of good wishes is to them. Whereas to
us Christmas is a day Of peace and
quiet, a day Of all days to stay at home
with ones own family. Christmas to
the Cuban is a day Of noise. hustle and
excitement a day when no one thinks
of staying at home save for meals. The
rest Of the time Is spent on the streets,
every resident turning out afoot or In
carriage. in day and night OF mad
carnival.
AS with us. Christmas is Cuban
feast day Poor and rich all gorge
themselves. But the Christmas dinner
to which the Cuban sits down Is totally
different from ours. With US the tur-
The Cuban wants none Of it. Save in
the larger cities, the seapOrts where
Americans resided during the days OF
the Intervention, probably huge ma
turkey And those who have seen it
and even tasted IT, don't want it. They
prefer roast pig.
In the Cuban cities no one ever
dreams Of cooking his own Christmas
pig 1t could hardly be done. for the
stoves in the Cuban residences are
merely followed out bits Of clay or
porcelain. probably one foot square
and perhaps three inches deep--just
large enough to hold few handfuls Of
charcoal. which the islanders use for
fuel exclusively. Thin sheets and grills
extend over these little charcoal pits
making them fully competent to serve
in the cooking of ordinary dishes. but
they are woefully inadequate for the
roasting of an entire pig.
So the Christmas pigs are roasted by
the countrymen out in the open. A huge
pit is dug, filled with charcoal. and per-
haps several porkers, ranging in size
CHI h,,,,I hoo
are roasted at the same time All this
is done the day before Christmas. and on
Christmas eve the countryman takes his
cooked meat to the market place. There
the citizens go and buy as much as
they wish. They may buy half a pig. a
quarter OF a pig, shoulder or side
any portion in any quantity, the price
depending not only on weight and quail
ity. but on the way the meat has been
cooked. Incidentally. the Cuban ideal is
TO have it cooked almost to a crisp.
The custom seems strange. yet IL has
It's advantages. obviously, every family
has meat cooked exactly to its taste.
Sometimes, unfortunately, on our own
Christmas table that meat may be too
we'll done. or not cooked enough. But
with the Cubans. this Is impossible. To
make assurance doubly sure indeed il is
the usual custom OF the Cuban woman
when she goes marketing for her Christ
mas pig. to taste before she buys
The remainder or the Cuban Christmas
dinner is cooked at home but il would
hardly seem like Yuletide meal to an
American. Briefly. the meal consists OF
fish. mangoes. vans rice, fried bananas
olives. French-fried Irish potatoes, dulces
little sweet cakes extremely rich, and
usually filled with cream or jelly-guava
paste. the standard Cuban preserves. and
a superabundancc of claret both red and
white. And every one. from father to the
youngest child. drinks as much wine al
he can hold: but no one ever gets In.
toxicated for the reason that they neve1
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

Mamma. I want that
Mamma also has a magic trick. She
calls salesman and just tells her name
and address. The toys come home on
the afternoon delivery.
Mind you. the poorest Kids or Paris
have an equal right of entrance to the
palace. They, too. pick up the magic
formula:
Mamma, 1 want that
Mamma answers: Yes dear, some
day So where is the difference? At
home. you say. in the evening. when
the delivery wagon don't come. OF course,
there is something lacking for the mo-
ment, but the kids can go back to the
palace on the morrow and to other pal
aces In other big department stores of
Paris. holding mammas hand. Their dis
coveries are endless and enchanting. This
is the real thing
The boy who has 5000 toys does just
the same thing Day by day he wanders
with his mamma or his papa. seeing all
kinds Of surprises. tricks and magic do
ings that he cannot see at home. because
there is no room and no stage carpen-
tiers to make them.
Once l went with him-an afternoon
He said the magic word formula ten
times. What for? Ill tell you.
A clown riding backward on a donkey.
pulling his tail. kicking him in the ribs
and gesticulating with the right hand.
big coach and horses
A lion tanning doll. who whips a growl-
ing, cr00CnmS DeaSt tnat CTdNiS upon Hio
belly.
Japanese torture toy-four tin prison
guards toss a criminal In q blanket until.
sick and dizzy he pleads for death.
CAN these were bought to complete
circus.)
French massacre game of grOtesque
dolls. hinged behind a counter In booth.
You knock them over with tennis balls.
multi-make, game OF constructions
and numerous combinations. which per-
NIT the building Of an aeroplane, a mo-
tor boat, bridge, mill, hangar. fences.
etc. developing taste for mechanics in
children"
Rotary butter maker, worked by dynamo,
which you can fix to any electric light
plug. This toy permits all kinds Of mix
ing and messing. being really an emulsion
maker, and costs $50.
Three new grotesque dolls-sailor with
chin whiskers German dueling student
with cut face, and London policeman
with black eye: 81 each.
Ten thousand poorer Paris children saw
these same toys working in the fairy
garden or the courts OF mystery All
agog. GREATNESS. bright-eyed. they hur-
ried from sight to sight. and outside, in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

almost deafening. But everybody seems
to like it, even the girls.
So the celebration goes on all through
the night, until long after midnight.
There is no formal Christmas supper.
On every block there is at least one
"bodega.' a small establishment which
is a combined grocery store and cafe, in
which one may purchase the strange
but altogether delightful little sandwiches
peculiar to the island. and glass Of claret.
So instead of going home. the paraders
dive into the bodega, buy few sand
wiches, gulp down their wine. and then
rejoin their own particular crowd,
munching as they go.
Outside Of all this there is a religious
celebration of the day, but this comes
early in the morning. either just before
or just after the coffee and dry bread
Every Cuban. be he Catholic or Pro-
testant. makes it point to attend these
religious services, but when they are
over he Immediately turns his mind to
parades, noise and confetti.
And SO everybody gorges. everybody
wishes every one else well, everybody
tries to make everybody else happy.
but nobody ever even so much as
dreams Of making a Christmas gift
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

VERY BODY'S doin'
il.
I refer to buying
toys in Paris - IN
particular, mechan-
ical.
From a week be-
fore Christmas until
the Day OF the
Three Kings, the
Paris boulevard Is
a vast toy show.
And that is nothing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22
AUCTION BRIDGE.
By R. F. Foster.

with an honor. take this hand, which
saw played not long ago:
= QSS3
Z Q les1
o SIS
= is = A K -
8 KJloS4e o A
. 1919 JSsss
q 10 3
8 oss
o QSl
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

rickety little squat house, patched on
the stone foundations of the ruined tower.
The windows are eyes The mouth Is
front door The white teeth are awnings!
Janet. did you ever? A window Is its
mouth and its teeth are flower pots
growing hYacinths!
Marcelle thinks something's happening
behind that garden wall There's Don
Quixote looking over. Also. Humpty-
Dumpty. Don't roll like that, Humpty.
O-o-o-h. he's smashed into a million
pieces. Have you seen the tree dog?
Very playful. great friend of the web
tailed bul-bul. Come away. quick, little
Lucie does not like the fairy horse that
rises stiff-legged and goes scooting across
the sky. (How do they work that, Henri?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

FABULOUS Shows of the
l Grands Magazins Among
the Rich Expatriates-The
Homesick American Boy
Bluffs Paris Children-He
Has 5000 Expensive Toys,
Yet His Comfort Is Cow
boy Suit and Pistol.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

Nevertheless. Cubans celebrate Christ
mas. They celebrate IT enthusiastically.
evea wildly, but in way as incompre
hensfble to US as our own quiet ex-
change Of gifts and mutual expressions
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
PARIS, December 10, 1912.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1912-05-23

the funeral of their little neice. They
returned on Saturday.
The Misses Mary Martin and Nina
Lanich spent from Saturday until
Sunday with the formers mother,
Mrs. A. Martin.
Mrs. Henry Mertzke went to Madi-
son last Thursday and Friday to at
tend the District convention of the
Woman's clubs.