Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06
MAKING WOODEN TOYS
A GROWING INDUSTRY
War in Europe Will Not Prevent
Santa Claus Having Album
dant Supply.
Dolls of Eastwood Are Attractive in
Appearance and Practically
Indestructible.

has been considerah bile comment to the
effect that there will he a dearth OF
Christmas toys this year, since the toy
sources of France and Germany viii
not be available to American children,
French dolls have been the standard
during at least two generations and
Nuremberg. Germany, is famed
throughout the world as a toy center.
IL must not be supposed. however.
mat little girls will have to go without
dolls this year. Several manufacturers
In the United States are turning OUT
dolls by the thousands, and they ara
or the very best type. One large fac.
tory in Philadelphia is making, under
special processes, a tyne of indestruc.
tioie doll from Eastwood, which is a
light and easily worked material. and
is not likely to split or break Those
VINO nave made a study OF this manu-
iacture, IN connection with the study
OF the wood-using industries of the
s sac OF PENNSYLVANIA. predict that
dolls of the type made by this and
otner similar factories can gain FIRST
place for America in this branch OF
MANUFACTURE Thus, the new trade slo-
gan, MAGE IN the L. $. A. which is
neing taken up more extensively since
Inc European war began, will have a
direct bearing in shifting the center OF
doli manufacture from Europe TO
American Wooden Toys.
The following toys are now made in
| this country from American woods:
Animals. blocks, boats. cannon and
| forts. chiidren's chairs. circus sets
dolls. doll furniture, games. Christmas
tree holders. swing jumpers, children.s
! pianos. pastry sets. babies plav Yards.
shootihS galleries, hobby horses nom
Guns wagons. autos and wheelbar-
rows; Eastwood is the principal ma
uartu Ior wooden toys and for wooden
parts OF metal toys The Eastwood
doll in particular is unique and in
eenlous All pars of il are made of
wood and are artistically carved and
ehameied In color. 1t is difficult to tell
that it is made of wood when in is an
ished. The various parts of the body
are joined with steel bands which not
only give great fieXibility and free
uom oil movement, out together with
the wood make the doll practically in
destructible.
Next to Eastwood, sugar maple.
beech. birch and white pine are The
principal woods used for TOYS, al
.noush elm. oak, chestnut. ash. yellow
poplar and others enter into toy man
| ufacture. Pennsylvania, which stands
nrst among the states i'm toy manu-
facture, alone uses the equivalent of
nearly six and one-half million board
l
value of S1S2.0OO each year. The total
amount of wood used annually i'm the
United States for toy manufacture is
nearly twenty-nine million feet, and
.ne principal toy manufacturing states
after pennsylvania are. in order, Wis
consin, Maine. Michigan. New York,
Ohio. Vermont, Massachusetts, and New
4 Hampshire
Eastwood is the favorite for such
toys as animals. boats, dolls. circus
sets and children's pianos. Blocks and
dolls furniture, and toy vehicles are
generally made of white pine. Stick
horses, with horses head and a stick
to ride upon, more pretentious iaria :
ton of the old-fashioned broom horse
are likely to be made of white nine.
aithough the stick head may be made
or different material Rocking horses
are usually made of white ash
Thus 1T may be seen that the United
| states has a good start in the toy in
dustry, and with such a start and with
the European toy production democrat
lied, there is said to be every reason
| to expect that it will go forward under
a new impetus.
Eastwood Not Plentiful.
In the native forests. Eastwood oc-
ours sparingly and very seldom in
groups or IN solid stands. In the lake
states in particular it is sawed incl
dental1y with other timber, but the logs
are usually kept separated and gener-
ally sawed in accordance with standing
orders from special industries. 1t is
utilized for many other products be-
sides toys. because 1t has qualities
which fit it for wide range of uses.
1t is one of the softest of the so-called
hardwoods, il lacks taste and door. Is
very easily worked. does not warp
check badly. is tough and takes paint
well. 1t is one of the woods preferred
for boxes to contain food products
likely to be contaminated by the tastes
or odors which might be derived from
other woods. For the same reasons II
finds considerable use in the ma nu-
facture of kitchen woodenware. 1t is
in some demand a material for house
finish, and great deal of il goes into
the unseen parts of furniture and musi
cal instruments. Other important uses
are for trunks, picture frames and ex-
celsior.
In farmers woodlots, in particular, il
is a tree which should be favored, be-
cause 1t is a fairly rapid grower, is
free from defects and is usually SAL
able. In selling this tree from a wood
lot the Department of Agriculture ad-
vises that il should be held for special
prices, and not sold in lump with
others.
Eastwood has several advantages as
a standing tree in the woodlot. III the
first place, its blossoms furnish a con-
siderable source of honey, which is
always in good demand, and when the
tree is cut it readily regenerates itself
from sprouts, the best OF which should
be favored in reproducing the stand.
Tipping Nuisance. 81