The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-12-11
BY LOUISE M. cOMSTOck

and capacious fireplaceS, Stuffing
sturdy, handknit stockings with wooden dolls,
rubber balls and sugar plums to fill in toe. heel
and extra corners mere nothing in those
golden days even the responsibility of distin-
gushing between the neatly darned sock of good
brother Ben and the ragged one of that rascaly
Willie: very few little boys but were good, and
deserving of sugar pums, and easily pleased
when father was boy!
But changing times, ushering in steam heat,
kitchenettes with only two windows a court
yard and ventilatOr the corridor to accom-
modate the rotund Saint, chiffon hose and a
universal slavery to the great god Style, have
put Santa in the big business executive class.
Today we make him annually responsible for
designing. constructing and distributing some
$400,000,OO0 worth of toys, all with nice dis
elimination between. the good and the poor, a
careful consideration for childish tastes, and
correct application of changing styles.
Childrens playthings, always initiating the pos
sessions and tools of their elders have thus nat
urally from the very earliest times followed
closely upon mankind's changing whms and
fancies. The dolls unearthed in Egyptian tombs
are made of wood and sometimes have movable
arms and legs but they all show that stiffness
and emphasis upon the profile view character
istic of Egyptian art Early African dolls with
out heads given to children of the Moham-
medan faith for their religion forbade the re-
production of the human features. Among the
toys of early Persian children not sur
prised to find many animals, tigers with movable
heads, crocOdiles whose lower jaws work up and
down, lions of limestone wooden wagons for
the owner to pull about a carved hedgehog
on wheels. Roman children played with two
wheeled carts like the chariots in which their
public heroes raced. Toys during the Middle
ages, If we are to judge from the few pre-
served for us, included knights mounted on
horses modelled in clay, and slender ladies Of
terra Gotta modelled in the elaborate costumes Of
the period painted in gold and brightest hues.
1t is the mechanical toy, perhaps. which shows
most emphatcally the influence of present-day
tendencies on children's playthings. From the
tniest tin automobile that winds up and darts
furiously few feet across the floor to the 81 900
mechanical wonder which succeeds by means of
springs and electricity to simulate exactly a real
cat or whole circus parade in action-the pur-
chase usually, so toy dealers tell US, Of rich
grandparents and uncles who wish to wind up
the cat and watch the circus themseves-these
toys employ every invention of modern science
And they keep pace also with current interests
Toy counters today crowded with minia-
ture motion picture cameras and projectors
some of them capable of carrying 500 feet Of
film and all of Them so they are advertised
easily managed by a twelve-year old A few
seasons ago, when a transatlantic flight was
still novel enough to commend a streamer head
plane was in high demand, and toy golf equip
ment or indoor golf games dominated in the toy
store at the same time that miniature golf
greens began appearing in every vacant lot. To
day mechanical racing automobiles and TOW zep-
pelns are supplantfng the airplane in popu-
lariy, and automobile or horse racing games
and football, are crowdng out golf in indoor
games. Carry-car trucks with a detachable
trailer capable of transporting four small models
and delivery wagons stocked with popular trade
marked wares keep this type of toy up-to-date
while real mothers must be content with
paDles upon whom current styles in curly
straight hair, blue eyes or brown have no infu-
ence one to ten-yearold mothers can be much
more particular For styles in dolls change year.
ly 1t seems In grandmother's day all dolls were
quite grown up, the youngest of them being prim
young ladies in pantalettes and artificial. curls.
The baby-doll, Stimulating real baby, is a COM
paratlve newcomer, and it has suffered
periods OF more and less popularity with chang
Ing Juvenile tastes In 1929 the faxen haired
beauty with the baby face languished unwanted
on the toy counter, while the 'fapper" doll with
dark bobbed hair, natty clothes and complexion
ofttimes modishly sun-tanned found happy
home. This year, thanks to the Empress Eugene
or whoever it was who revived in us a taste
Tor things oldfashioned and sweetly feminine
curls, dimples, long lashes and frilly wardrobes
are in again. And baby dolls! Little daughter
mas apparently given up dreams of career and
requests of Santa Claus for this Christmas moth
Ing more modern than dolls house to keep in
order and realistic baby doll to be loved and
nursed and dressed and re 4ressed. Her dreams
of miniature domesticity are also it seems more
elaborate and thorougn-going than those of
grandmother, to whom the doll itself vas all
sufficient They include ready-maGs ward
robe. for what up-to-date little girl is soing to
slave over toy sewing machine, even au cleo
trio one, or prick her fingers with a .wn-up
needle. what with the grand styles and De bar