The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-21
(By Emily Elnnnet1

ia cSres af fha existence of which, but few of her fnhabitants know. and few en sti1h have any conception cf the work that IS done there. While the situation Of the factory is not so gem orally known, it's products are dear to the hearts Of small boys through out the greater part of the country, and hundreds of youngsters are all ready akixdOusly looking forward to- chrfstznas with the hope that a. ssstruktiron Set or an electric or mechanical train set will be included 1rf their gifts. This factory is the Ives. Misunderstanding Corporation where tovs are made. To the average mind tovS means something frivolous, something unsubstantia1, of little con- seduence put together in almost any fashion for it's certain to be broken in a short time.
 uuired to concedye a toy the lime nec- essary for sts perfection and the fhou-H sands Of dollars spent to make 1t q. success are realized only by those closely connected with the work
 During the fall until a few days asyd. fhis Mtxia factory has been r1i1l-s ning day and nj ght because of the ad-s ded impetus given it's business by the E.l1fobeam war.
 About 45 per cent of all the toys sold In this country arc of European make. the ether 55 per cent. being home prpd ducts. The very mo dolls all come from abroad
 There are between s3Os soe0,0 900 and S. .09 90, ,0p 0 worth of toys sold as re- tall dn this country In one year.
 War Had No Little Enect
 Hven the war did net make go great q hlMsrenee in fhe Christrnas stock for this year as considerable part Of 1t had all ready been delivered and what had not been sent WAS ready for shipping came through Hollatld = a- <-4- T~ srFV . shippgngn already have been made many or them having been sent as early as March. April and May. All summer long 1srge force has been busy hguring out dfnenstons of space 10 be used for display pieces in large stores thronghout the country and for D number of weeks. the manager of the New r oFk office has been throughout the east arranging for these displays and is now in the west doing the same work.
 This company is featuring particu- 1ar1y ssStruktiron.
 .sStrulxtiron Setss is collection Of various miniature structural steel parts with plenty of bolts, screws. pull lies. wheels and such necessities from which the boy can corstruet practical 1y anyrning which is built of steel parts The boy learns many practi- cal lessons from his hours with the ssstruktiron's one Of the most import
 
 the differsnt supports to obtain the greatest strength. 9
 To pick up a tiny train of ca 2 the track upon which 1t runs I.e would never realize the great amount oE york that has been put Into # nor which 1t has had to go.
 Expensive Tools RequTedL
 Tn the first place great number Of exceedingly expensive dies and tools are required, and these are made at the 4actory A die for the bottom of the tiny car cuts out one car bottom and punches the necessary perfora- tfons for the second in one operation. The sides of most Of the miniature railway cars are Autographed the work being done without the factory and in the best and most expensive way possible. The lithograpned car sides arc send to the factory in sheets, several Of different shapes being marked upon fhe one sheet These are carefully cut ont by dies each oi which must strike a certain thin line at each blow. Another die cuts the top Of the car. and still another shapes it. Thus the making of the car is 8 progressive process from machine te machine until 1t is ready to be finished and assembled. The whaeIs, of which there are several types. are likewise made by machines. the parts being shaped and put together, the holes drilled and the edges triznned-
 Tn one operation. a machine makes the track upon which the trains run The ties are made in another. Fol the third rail electric trains the track must be thoroughly insulated and si1 hand operations are necessary to pre-. pare the sstie,. for the track. Ths track and tfes ara put together loose. ly by hand and then frightened by 2 machine Another machine rounds the track. These sections must each bf certain arc for the slightest difer, ence of a fraction of an inch will pre-. vent perfect circle when the parts are put together.
 Paint Room Interesting.
 One of the most interesting parts Q. the plant is the paint room where the briEhtening touches are put upon the toys. The pieces are dipped into gaaoline to remove all oil before they are painted, Each part, no matter how small. Is handled separately strung on wires and dipped in paint often many times.
 This applies also to all pieces O ssstxsukdrofass and when one realize. the number of pieces handled. figure. mount up into the millions. The smai car wheels Of red also are co1ored b, hand. One of the most interestinf operations is the cozoring Of the va. rtegated roofs Of stations and build ines. The roof is first dipped in ont color and while still wet, is placed II as14@her As both colors run off to geTner. the man handling them run his fingers across the sides in a zig gag movement which produces pleasing uaottled effect when dry
 The parts which have been paint ed are placed in q gas oven to drs and are later given as coat of varntsI to finish them and prevent the pain from eraplzinE Enc CATS which g lvith the larger essa are not Htho