Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-20


factory where enthusiastic boyhood
lahors diligently at designing board.
scroll saw. workbench, and paint
stand III order To make Christmas
playthings and, gifts for the folk at
home.
Little hands work with speed and
precision, little hearts thump with the
joy of achievement, little boys over
flow with delight.
christmas day. 1925. will be an
epurhal event, for they can bring forth
from some juvenile hiding place
around the home ring toss game for
brother Willie. an animated donkey
for sister Mary, a toy boat that sails
for Johnny. u tabouret or a book rack
for mother-and a tiptop homemade
radio set for father.
Ever since the first frost. Washing
Ton lads. members 'ot the Boys Club,
whose clubhouse stands 230 G street
northwest. have been busy three
NIGHTS week in their coy little work
shop where. under the tutlelagc OF
William Robertson. they have been
converting scraps of waste wood into
unique little Nuletide gifts, tokens
which are worth their weight in gold
g reflected by the many hours which
The little fellows have devoted to their
unusual tasks.
Iir Washington fathers and moth
tr~. these Christmas presents. although
They may he 4 little rough along the
edges and not as finely finished as
stor" productions, will be dearly
Trizod for they represent the deep
routed affection of the lads for kind
parents who daily make sacrifices in
order that the youngsters may be we'll
clothed properly nourished. educated
5,nd amused. y simple Gift which 4
hay makes for his father or mother,
lac it ever 50 humble, may be more
highly appreciated by the parent than
Z Jewels and riches. for it is a tribute
81 the Youngsters appreciation and
love. made at the expense of juvenile
sacrifice. tor the lad might have been
enjoying some favoriIe game during
the hours that he stuck to his produc-
iiun task.
During the period from early Oc-
tober until about the middle of April,
each year, the woodworking class of
The Washington Boys Club assem-
bieS there three nights week i'll
order TO master the rudiments OF plane
and plank. saw and scroll saw and
other fundamentals of manual train
ing. The work is not compulsory. 1t
IS wholly voluntary. The idea is to
have the boys do exactly what they
wish-play games, exercise in the
gymnasium, or work in the wood or
printing or radio shops. Altogether,
there are 6I5 boys in the efficient club
which is unit of the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Boys Clubs. Most of these
boys, at one time or another. have
responded to the lure of the basement
shop where amateur carpenters in
iiniclerbockers design and draw, cut
and chisel and prepare and paint prod
nets of their manual skill.
* x X ::
THE toys and Christmas presents
made by some of these teen
Near-old boys would tax the ability of |
master mechanics. For example.
Buck" Gaskins has latterly completed
H. miniature racing yacht which is as
fine in line. accuracy to design, and
workmanship as many a professional
model maker would turn out. Buck
has devoted two nights q week for the
last three months to his nautical as
Signment. The boat is an exact. re-
plica of Americas last cup defender.
which showed its stern to the finest
racing vessel the maritime experiences
Of Great Britain could build. !
Buck" GaSkinS-IG years and one
Of the champion basketball players of
the Boys Club-made his racing craft
from blue prints presented to the club
10y the Model Yacht Club of Washing
ION. \ lad years under voting age
who can prepare a model from blue
prints without making solitary mis-
cue or mistake is somewhat Of q wiz
ard in the world of modern mechanics.
YOU will surely admit. The model is
~. feet long and. from the tip of its
keel TO the peak OF its mast, meas
lreS Az feet. The lilliputian racer
is built of white pine and mahogany
and is painted in typical sea Sloop
"olorS. the above-W terline portion of
the hull white, the balance red the
deck vanished and the trim made OF
mahogany and highly polished. In
every detail, this speed yacht is an
accurate model of the original, which
ranks foremost among our country's
cup defenders.
The materials used in this boat cost
SO Ii a skilled mechanic had made
the model. he would have charged at
least $50 for his time and labor. The
model boat is made for water service.
= and perchance some day when you
pass that way, you may see Buck"
disporting his champion craft in the
neighborhood of the Tidal Basin.
For exhibition purposes. young Gas
iinS has made clever chestnut stand
and base in which the racing yacht
fits snugly and rides as attVactively as
though at anchor in some sheltered
harbor
The model yacht is Bucks Christ
mas present to himself. His particlI-
lar hobby aside from basket ball and !
general athletic sports, is boat-build-
ing. lie long has cherished the ambi-
ton to bring his dream day racer
into reality. Now his wish is satisfied.
His Christmas surely will be happy
one. His is the remarkable case of a
boy. who TWO years ago was unfam-
liar with the handling of ordinary
carpentry tools. In two seasons of
ShopWork at the Boys Club under
Mr.. Robertson's direction, this young
fellow has developed into talented
workman. He could specialize in the
business of matchmaking starting in
directly after the Yuletide and make
a professional Ego" of the trade.
sylvan Lappen, a l3-year-old arti-
san, has just finished handsome tab
ouret which he purposes to present to
his mother on Christmas Eve. The
tabouret is made Of chestnut, pains
takingly carved and chiSeled. cut and
cross-Cut to an original design. The
Young lad has made this gift in six
evenings work. At a furniture store,
a similar piece of furniture would cost
So to s.. The Lappen boy made n
cardboard model and then cut the
wooden pieces to correspond To this
pattern. He mortised and dovetailed
The joints and in every respect made
The tabouret in professional style.
This lad is first-year member of
tho wood working class. In the
course of one month he has learned
as much at the Boys Club shop as he
would III one semester at the average
public school, where manual training
i. taught as a vocational sideline sub
lcct.
John SMITH. II years, is another