Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21

was Santa Claus. the other Uncle sam
They were having an important confer
ence-
IT'S this way" Santa was saying
Time was when | could not only make
all my own toys, but design them, too
Today 1 have all l can do just to make
enough to go round. And as for de-
signs, why the children are getting SO
they want new things all the time. Its
gotten so now that i must have help
That's why 7 asked You to come up here
When Uncle Sam heard this he began
70 think of some way in which he could
help poor old Santa.
You can always get plenty of work
men to make YOUR toys said Uncle Sam
after long, long time; suppose I help
you by finding the designs?:
That's Just what i would like best,
said Santa. IF you can do it,
That's easy enough laughed Uncle
Sam. Here's the idea Down at Wash
inston 1 have a patent office. From all
over the world people send me pictures
and directions for making things they
have designed. Now, every time l find
that one OF these is new l PUT my seal OF
approval upon it. That means that for
years and years nobody else can make
anything just like it.
Now. what / am going 20 do for YOU
is to get people to design toys. Every
time | find a brand-neW design l will put
my patent seal on it and send ii right up
10 you. Then you can furnish these kids
with new toys without working yourself
To death. You mustn't get sick, you
know. because nobody could ever quite
raLe MA
And So il was decided that Uncle Sam
would send Santa Claus designs for his
TOYS elch year. so that he could make
enough Christmas presents to go round
without being worked 10 death
This all happened, YOU know, great
many years ago.
Today. in a room full of books, sits
Santa Claus. His hair seems even
whittier than usua, while there is stoop
~ his shoulders and worried expression
on his usually jovial face
In front of him is a huge volume which
he is slowly going over. II is his list
of names; children's names. All the good
children, all the bad children Santa
Claus is finding out just which ones have
been good enough to receive presents He
finishes the vo ume in front OF him and
Is just beginning another when he Is in
terrupted by a cough
Eth. what?'' asks Santa. without look
ing up.
I wanted to ask about this" says
a small voice.
Santa glances up. to find standing in the
doorway a diminutive person. In brown.
wrinkled and white-haired as Santa him
self. Il his arms he holds a queer OBJ
;c, for
bless my heart, it's Noahs ark
The little brown man places his burden
ON Santa's desk. raises the top and takes
cut several tiny, red. wooden objects.
Some are hat, mountaineering animals
while two are supposed to be Mr.. and
Mrs. Noah. But how funny they look,
all painted red.
never do at all That kind of an ark
went out of fashion years and years ago.
Why. you couldn't find a single child
who wou play with it
I'm sorry" begins the little. old
man.
II know. I know says Santa kindly.
just throw Ii away and start another.
No Use to keep it. even. Here. Peter,
bring me design book No. So
When Peter, his messenger, places the
hook before Santa, that wise old man
turns right away to page near the end
Now. here's an ark" he says to tho
Little man. ut was patented this year
ncle Sam sent It up to me only a shor,
while ago. 1t looks more like a house
boat than that thing of yours. and it
windows and doors open. AS for the ami
mails and people, they've got to look like
what they're supposed to be. not like
Jumps of wood. And. besides. they mus
be constructed so they vii. walk in au(
out of the ark The child Of today wants
mechanical toys. Just ordinary play
things won't satisfy him any more"
~
While Santa has been talking the littl
brown man has been studying the draw
ings on the page before him. Their,
are several. showing just what the mod
ern ark should look like, how II shoule
lie made and how the figures that belonl
In 1t can be made to walk In and out
The little man shakes his head sadly
I've made many an ark Tor you. bu
never one like that before" he signs
still. 1 suppose the children know wha
they want"
THAT they dol" says Santa, laughing
Listen to this letter I got only yester
day: Dear Santa. l want some kind o
mechanical toy. a train or animal.
don't care much which. just so 1t Is lik
me really truly thing 1t is supposed +
pc Not much uncertainty there. eh
IS got to be modern. And It's the sam
til them ALL
plans for the new ark very carefull
picks up the other one and start
81; to the workshops. leaving SAINT
over his Christmas lists. On hi
&ay The little, o. d man passes the stable
III which come sounds of strenuou
ectivity. Inside. as he peeps through tn
door, he sees other little brown me-
working away merrtiy.
Some are giving the old sleigh a nev
coat of bright red paint, others are shin
ing up its brass trimmings. while Still
others are polishing the harness. . An
over In the stables Dunder and Blitze
are stomping In their Impotence to be
gin their long journey over the hous
tops
In the workshops all is noise and bus
tie. Scores upon scores of little men 1
brown are working away upon thousand
OF toys. Most OF them are much younge
than the little. old man with the ari
This is because Santa found that he ha
to employ more and more people to max
toys in order to keep up with the nun
Der Of presents to be made each yea
Then, too, with the increasing deman
for mechanical toys, he had to get e2
perienced workers, as none OF the oil
brown men knew how to make them. Blu