Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19

truth of this statement. For weeks be-
fore the coming Of Kriss Kringle, they
devote nimble fingers and dexterous
hands to the appropriate task of
making gifts for relatives and friends.
These homemade presents run the
gamut from handknitted sweaters to
toy trains that run, doll houses with
electric lights. radio sets which bring
countrywide entertainment to the
home fireside-or radiator-dolls that
wear fine clothes and wink their eyes,
SailboatS that sail. and artificial
animals which resemble the dauntleSS
dwellers in jungleland.
Out Bethesda way. James Volt
custodian of a safety-deposit box de-
partment in one of Washington's larg-
est banks, has spent his spare time
during the weeks before Christmas in
making a remarkably fine doll house
for his little daughter Caroline. There
is not child in the District who will
have a finer toy mansion to play with
on Christmas morning than this youth
full resident of Montgomery County.
The diminutive bungalow, fitted and
furnished as a modern and model
little home for the brownies" and
fairy spirits even boasts electric
lights and is as clever a piece of anna
teur craftsmanship as you will see
in many a days travel. The out
standing feature of this homespun
carpentry is the fact that the total
cost of the completed and equipped
dollhouse was less than $40. You
would pay three times that amount
in professional toy shop for SINH
lar structure and would acquire
tailormade toy which was not as sub
stantially built.
Neither plans nor blueprints guided
the hammer, saw, jackknife and screw
driver which Mr.. Wolff used in his
idle-hour carpentry. When he inau-
gurated the work, he knew that he
wanted to build a toy bungalow. The
dimensions, layouts. details, shape
and arrangement of the lilliputian
house were as indefinite as tomorrow's
weather. The structure resembled an
tmprovised melody played by an &C.
complished pianist. 1t was composed
as 1t progressed. 1t is unquestionably
the only bungalow built in the Dis.
trlct during recent years which is a
product of ''plan-as-you-proceed" de.
sign.
This Tom Thumb dwelling contains
hve rooms and an attic 1t is made
or white pine--scrap material which
formerly was used in protecting win
dow sash during shipment from the
mills. The roof is covered with COM
position shingles, which are
inches square, cut from regulation
shingles. Three hundred of these
shingles were required to cover the
roof and veranda of the dwarf-size
house
The roof of the house is remov-
able. When it is laid aside the UNIQUE
electric wiring of the little building
is displayed, for 1t forms a network
OF insulated copper wire which
spreads over the attic floor.
The arrangement is such that by
means OF an extension cord and cleo.
trtcai plug which fits into one Of the
regular electrical fixtures at the
Woltz residence, the doll house can
also be Illuminated from the city
power plant. Each room is provided
with at least one small electric bulb
such as are used on Christmas trees.
seven of these tiny candles" light
the doll house for critical inspection.
This playhouse is portable as it
Is set on rollers so that the children
nursery, as they desire. Each side
OF the house Is equipped with double
hinged doors, which can be opened
so that the youngsters may have ac-
cess to the toy furniture and play
things with which the diminutive
building is completely provided. The
small garage Is built as tiny
replica of the average motor car
shelter in which the ordinary Wash
ingtonian stores his automobile at
night. 1t was made from a discarded
crate that originally contained a radio
set. The garage is made of ma
terials similar to those employed in
building the house. Both buildings
are painted white. which forms a
pleasing contrast to the shingle roofs
of green.
Caroline VOLTS doll house is %
by 80 inches in floor dimension and
"a inches high from base to caves.
The walls of the little bungalow are
covered with white blotting paper.
which admirably Stimulates the white
plastered walls and ceiling in the mill
run of commercial buildings It took
$3.50 worth of blotting paper to cover
the walls and ceilings. The windows
are fitted with small sash and glass.
while the front door is hinged and
opens upon the attractive porch. The
windows are held in place by small
screws which prevent the children
from damaging the glass while play
ing with the house. The porch and
entrance are accurate copies of those
which adorn a private residence in
Baltimore.
Mr.. Woltz devoted about so hours
of evening work to his pleasurable
task of building a Christmas gift for
his little daughter. He could complete
the job in one-half that time if he
had another toy house to construct,
as he made several mistakes in his
first attempt at playhouse production,
which consumed much extra time be-
fore he could correct them. The ma
terial used In building the house cost
exactly 81, while the wooden and
metal furniture, fixtures and fittings
which were procured at a local de-
partment store cost Sc additional
The abbreviated bungalow is made
to withstand rough usage. Caroline
Wolff will surely cherish it as her
most beloved toy for many years to
come.
ON Christmas morning Suzette Bou.
tell will climb the stairs to the
attic Of her fathers home in Chevy
Chase and will see her dream of a
"castle in Spain" come true. During
MS spare time her father, who is a
mechanical engineer employed by one
of the Government departments, has
built and equipped a complete rail
road system which is operated by cleo
tricity on the top floor of his home.
To the father. this system is a boiled
down railroading system with which
he can experiment TO his hearts con.
tent. To his little daughter :he attic
will be a scene of constant fairyland.
She surely will wonder. though, how
Santa Claus ever carried all the
equipment down the chimney and up
the stairs so that he could get ii up
IN the spacious attic
There is no display window or toy
shop in all Washington which has
ever exhibited a miniature railroad
system as replete and complete as this