Evening star., 1923-12-23

Juvenile demands for unusual ant
serV1ceable playthingS-a bushes.
which features an annual importation
or $7,4SS,000 in toys from Europe ant
the profitable marketing Of many
more millions of dollars worth o,
made-in-America dolls, animals
boats. cars, tools, magic lanterns
and what not.
Saunter through the Washington
shopping district If you will, and yor
will see groups OF speculative chill.
dren excitedly clustering around the
toy-shop windows, enraptured over
the many wonders Of the modern toy
factory and wishing that Kris Kin
Gle might bestow some of his extra
ordinary gifts among them.
Watch these children and listen tc
their noisy chatter and you will be
able readily to interpret the under
current Of juvenile window-shopping
pathos and sadness, as evidenced by
the actions of some of the youngsters
while their mates perhaps may be
5ubilantly hilarious in the assurance
that some treasures, at least, of the
miniature fairyland will become their
property the morning of December %
mont stores and special purpose and
general shops engage in the side-line
business Of selling toys during the
pre-Christmas period. Latterly, the
toy industry Of the National Capital
has extended its activities to include
manufacture on a small scale of the
many and varied types Of wooden
playthings and articles of the nursery
which are the outstanding joys of
childhood.
Curiously enough, the toy-making
industry of Washington is not CEN
tralized in commercial plants or in
specialized woodworking establish
ments. 1t is a feature Of the occu-
pational therapy operations at st.
Elizabeth's Hospital. Between sew
enty-five and 100 patients at that
institution work diligently as anna
teur, toy makers three to four half
days each week. Youthful Washing
tonians benefit thereby, inasmuch
as many durable and practical toys
are produced which subsequently are
either sold or presented to charitable
institutions, such as orphanages.
y y x
NECESSARILY the toy work at ST.
Elizabeth's is fundamental and
rudimentary. To begin with. the ma
jortty of the patients who are assign
ed to the curious woodshop opera
tions, under the experienced direc-
tion of Mrs. Eva Tracy, are unskilled
in the use of hand tools and utterly
unfamiliar with even the most ele-
mentary methods Of construction.
Gradually the instructress trains her
pupils in the strange art. They be-
come interested and temporarily for
get their mental troubles and wor-
ries during the toy making periods.
After a few weeks Of elementary
work they gradually acquire some
mastery OF the hammer, saw. chisel,
sandpaper and paint brush.
Practically all kinds Of wooden
toys are made as soon as the amateur
artisans gain the knack of tool
handling. Toy furniture, benches,
beds, chairs, tables, dolls, animals,
wagons, carts, trains, boats, machin-
cry and every other kind of a wooden
piaything are ultimately produced
by these craftsmen. The interior of
the toyshop looks for all the World
ike the workroom of Santa Claus.
There are couple of dozen work
l.puches in the main shop at st.
TIizabeth's Visit this headquarters
~ toy production and you will see
coils, carts, wagons, ships, blocks and
V OGDEN animals in every stage of con-
":ruction. Twice or thrice a year an
auction sale is held in some centrally
'acated building in downtown Wash
.agton, generally under the auspices
~ lt,h Ci mi "a r "
....eanization. Not uncommonly the
roceeds from these extraordinary
toy bazaars range from $1,000 to
1000. Sometimes Washington toy
dealers visit st. Elizabeth's before
the toy selling season begins and pur-
chase the playthings and nursery
equipment by the dozen or dozen
tiozen of articles.
At one time or another erroneous
rlmors have been circulated to the
effect that the toy making activities
have accomplished notable and
miraculous cures out st. Elizabeth's
way All these stories are pure
bunkum The simple manual train
ing activities divert the attention of
the patients and are beneficial in
keeping them occupied and interested.
No unusual restorations have been
accomplished at the great national
hospital, where more than 1900 pa
tients are now maintained, solely as
result of the curative panaceas asso-
ciated with the homespun manufac-
ture Of toys.
All kinds of wood are used in making
the toys, including white pine, Virginia
pine, yellow pine and plywood. Odds
and ends such as crates and packing
boxes have been converted into hun
dreds of attractive and substantial toys
at this most novel toy shop.
At the outset the patients devote
their time to simple construction and
whiting such as the making Of Tom
Thumb chairs and tables or the cutting
out Of the heads or figures Of men and
animals. Then as they gain in ex-
perience and ability they undertake
more complicated assignments. One OF
the most popular and durable toys made
at st. Ehzabeth's consists Of a standard
TOW wagon and horse. The outfit is
.bout eighteen inches in length and
eight inches high. 1t takes one of the
adept toymakers about four hours to
make one Of these playthings. The cost
of the material Is about eighty cents,
while the toy Is generally sold for
about 81.
The boys and girls Of Washington
beuefit from this cut-rate system Of
selling the toys. Many parents who
otherwise would be unable to purchase
the more costly toys are able to make
their children happy at Christmas with
the cheap, wooden toys-the products
-, A~n1 Ia NJ n N n a q
Of washington from St. Elizabeth's s
,,nx,, s,,perior f0ys have