The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-09
THIS CHRISTMAS
TO Be Different
Santa'S Pack Will Contain Most
Wonderful Toys Ever Seen.
IMPORTS OF S2O,OOO,OOO.
Quantity of PIaythingo Received From
Abroad Has Been Rapidly Increas-
ing, While Only About 100000
Worth Are Shipped From America.

Santa Claus has been very busy for
the past year in order that children in
the United States may have a happy
and merry Christmas, Never in the
history of the little old man with the
red, jovial face" has he made such
preparations for Christmas.
According to a report from the de-
partment of commerce, toys to the val
ue of more than $20,000,O0O were i'm
ported into the United States during
the last fiscal year. This is the lar
gest years importation of toys on rec
ord The value of the toys is set by
the wholesale in the lands from which
they were sent, which means that the
figure they will sell for in the United
States is far in excess of $20,O0O.OOO.
In 1893 the toys brought into this
country were valued at $3,OOO,OOO, and
the figure has been growing with each
succeeding year until it has reached
the great amount just announced. The
total value of dolls imported in the
fiscal year 1918 was $1,5OO,OOO.
Germany is by far the largest source
of supply for toys imported into this
country, the value during the fiscal
year being nearly $7,O0O,OOO.
Exports of toys from the United
States amount to less than $1,00O,0OO
year. Most of these are sent to
English speaking countries.
Toys will be no dearer this year than
formerly. With one exception the tar
iff admits them into this country at
their old figure. Dolls dishes may be
little bit more expensive.
santa's Pack Altogether Different.
Young America this year demands
everything up to date in toy line.
No more do girls care about the little
rag doll and the little wooden bed in
which to put it to sleep" This year
young milady demands don furniture
made of mahogany and in old colonial
and jacobean styles. Also she wants
doll house electrically lighted and
fitted up with everything that goes in
a well appointed house, even to front
doormat and an electric doorbell.
And the boys! No more do they find
pleasure in the old hook and ladder
and the drum. These things take a
back shelf in the toy store, while more
modern toys, such as locomotives in
the forms of pushmobiles, complete
railroad systems equipped with banjo
signals and blinking electric lights on
the tail end of the trains.
Observation cars, refrigerator cars in
which tiny pieces Of ice can be put,
dairy cars and giant mogul engines,
with real oil cups on the driving
wheels are to be found in Santa Claus
stock this year.
And the girl of nine or ten years,
who is the recognized boss in every
American household, is tired of her
last years doll with the flaxen curls,
the go to sleep eyes and the impassive
face. This year, if she is fortunate,
she will get a doll that can hardly
be told from real baby.
These dolls are made in Germany,
and before they find their way to the
counters of the American toy shops
they go through lengthy and expen-
sive process. To begin with, sculptOrs
are employed by the toymaking firms
in Germany to model children. These
sculptors go forth into the city and
country and get physically perfect chill
dren to pose for them. Holland, Ger
many, France, Denmark and Sweden
are ransacked for these little models.
1t is hard task to find the just right
model. But occasionally a sculptor
does find one, and then he models his
little subject even down to the dimple
in his or her chin. He goes back to, the
factory, and in short time models of
zeal live babies are being turned out
by the thousand.
These finished products look so life
like that one expects them to talk.
The coloring on the face is perfect, and
the rolls of fat on the chubby face are
not forgotten by the sculptor.
Recognition For Mexico.