Evening star., 1939-10-01
Models Show
Wide Range
Of Service
Toy Trains, Horses,
Boats and Farm
Details Seen
By Douglas Sfablefon.

~ OptCfUns
Meet the man who plays with dolls.
He's George C. Dickens-and no
sissy. Raised on a Wisconsin farm,
went to Alaska to prospect for gold,
he decided railroading was more
In his line and rose from railroad
hand to general passenger traffic
manager of the Alaska Railroad
which isn't the string of jobs sissy
would pick out-or stick to.
He came back to the United States
to arrange the Alaska Railroad ex-
hibits at the Chicago Century of
Progress Exposition-and learned to
play with dolls-and toy trains and
boats. For the exposition he built
realistic action scenery of Alaska,
telling the story of the wonders and
beauties of the country with minia-
ture landscapes, tiny people that
moved, trains that really ran, boats
that swung realistically at anchor.
Then he came on to Washington
and sold the Government the idea
the idea of telling the public how
and why the Government operates
through these miniature working
models showing safety devices in
operation, flood control, soil-erosion
control-or just the beautiful and
little-known areas of our country.
It's part of the great Government
plan of education.
Scene of Action.
If you could get beyond the exhibit
foyer at 1909 L street NV, Wash
ington, where the action dioramas
are on display, you would climb a
dimly lighted, dingy iron stairway
to barnlike workshop, where the
public is not admitted. But if you
could get in there, you might find
a sprucely dressed man, perhaps in
youngish middle age, bending ear
nestly over a toy horse that pa
tiently twiches away imaginary flies
with frayed rope tail.
1T isn't natural Horses
tWltch their tails :. SO :" dem
onstrating with an expressive hand
=" and not so regularly. A big
twitch, couple of jerks, half sized
tWltch, a perk you know . i.
break it up =" He looks at the
neat brown horse and sighs IF
we could only make it shiver its
flank ="
Another earnest young man dived
under the box beneath the horse
and comes up with a saw-toothed
wheel. He holds it up triumphantly.
"Mr. Dickens, if make one big left
hand spur, two little undercuts .
right spur about so high .
and then Yes, think thatll do
it but don't believe we can
make that flank shiver :"
mo, I suppose not" resignedly
and with sigh, but it would have
looked so natural" he broke off
"Oh, and that fishing smack in case
38-it rocks too fast. That's sup
posed to be an incoming tide and
I've got to check the timing on this
mans hand. The life-saving ex-
perts were over yesterday and said
1t was a fraction too slow. A man
moves his hand at the rate Of"
Adjusts Mechanism.
Mr.. Dickens disappears behind 8
mass of machinery to adjust to q
split it-second the motion of a mans
hand-and the man is less than
inches tall. He comes back with g
toy boat held gently. Its exact
The governor tried to tell me thi,
boat hae only six davits-but We
had a photograph of it. and it ha!
seven-see He points to davit!
from whicA swung life boats 3-1t
OF an inch png Correct"
Mr.. Dicker4$. who plays with dolls
toy trains ard boats, horses tina
twitch their tails, either regularly
or spasmodically, is paid a gooe
salary for it. He is director of ex'
hibits for the Department of th'
Interior, and his job is to visualize
for the public the numerous activ'
tiles Of this immense and very per
sonal department. Probably NOR
than any other. the Department O
the Interior affects you and me, O.
Americans. more directly and i,
more different ways, than any othe
of the 10 great governmental de-
partments.
There will be howls from the ad
vocates of each of the other de-
partments. Post Office will press it
claim through the mail system, tn
Treasury through our money-an,
that's a potent argumert-Agricul
ture touches many individuals, Jus
tice protects all; Commerce has
hand in our business and Labor il
our work, War and Navy affec
many, and State looks after tn
Nation as a whole.
Each of these departments is pri
marily concerned with some on
phase of American life. The De
partment of the Interior touche
almost all. The General Land OF
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