Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-13
Uncle Sam Manufactures
Some Expensive Toys

TN the midst Of the ponderous national
duties which constantly beset him.
Uncle Sam finds time to indulge IN
the occupation of toymaker. an occupa-
ton which makes him beloved by children
and admired by grown-ups who may
never hope to see the mighty originals OF
the wonderful toys.
Three rooms in tiny brick building.
tucked away in a secluded corner Of the
Washington navy yard, where the thun-
der Of giant machinery making mighty
guns is shut out and the everlasting
crashing of metal is faint and dim, con-
stitute the toy shop for things marine.
Six Of Uncle Sans most able assistants,
all experts in their line, are employed
here steadily turning out the expensive
playthings. There is one workman labo-
riousIy threading wire into q long cage.
Here is another slowly carving with small
instruments many pieces of wood that
dovetail perfectly once the .ir jigsaw in
dividualities are united in a whole. There
is another with tiny brazier melting
small pigs Of metal with anxious care, and
far In shadowy corner another is ar
ranging his paints.
A room in the building of the Army
Signal Corps is the home of the army
toy. the tiny field gun. the mule team
with animals complete, all less than
three feet long: the miniature field hos
pital and horde of other things.
Children going through the War and
Navy departments cry out in delight
when they first learn what a wonderful
80
his hand to it. One millionaire gravely
offered Secretary of the Navy 1900 for
a single toy and was refused because Tn
Gle Sam desires that his playthings be
enjoyed by all alike.
Hardy plainsmen, visiting fairs In deS-
ert towns, stare open mouthed at Uncle
Sans toys and chuckle with pride at the
strength which he has shown them in
miniature.
Uncle Sans toyshop at the navy yard
is wonderful. Here exact modeis--on a
scale of one-Quarter of an inch to one
foot-of the mighty fighting craft OF the
nation are built. Tools no larger than a
surgeons lancet are used to cut and
shape the hull. for every line In the min
fature dreadnought is made according TO
the plans of the original. A mistake OF
one one-hundredth of an inch would be
fatal.
The finest oak timbers are pianed and
carved to form the hull. The keel of the
toy ship is about twelve feet long Many
weeks are required for even the most
expert model makers to work the wood
into the required flowing curves. Piece
by piece small fiat sticks are pinned and
glued. one upon another, until finally
the modern terror of the seas finds it's
hull depicted In miniature in the model.
The Whole is sandpapered and polished,
vanished and polished again until IL is
as smooth a ballroom floor. 1t re-
quires about fourteen weeks TO complete
the hull.
Then comes the superstructure with its
many perplexing problems. The intricate
cage mast, the tiny searchllgnrs, the
small brass guns and the portfolios, hard
ly Larger than a pinhead. each require
nearly as much care and involve as many
technical operations as similar parts
which go into the building Of the giant
sister.
The cage mast. not more than twenty
four inches in height, has in II more
than 100 yards Of very fine brass wire.
ing a mast for the model of the new
battleship PENNSYLVANIA. now building.
Every wire is placed according to scale.
F11nnels. guns, anchors, chains and even
the atomlike oar locks for the carved
wooden lifeboats are made In lilliputian
molds.
With infinite care and many failures
the toy shin is assembled. The guns are
glued in carefully drilled holes in the
wooden turrets; boats are hung on
threadlike davits, and thin brass wire
is strung for life lines. The whole Is
then painted with the regular war-color
paint, which is intended to assist Uncle