The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1941-02-07

y
can Christmas tree. Even glass or
naments, formerly imported, are
now the product of American fac
tories. AS for the toys themselves,
they are all-American also and that
doesn't pertain only to the manufac-
ture. Just about every phase OF
American life, art, industry, farm
life, entertainment, transportation,
science and homemaking has been
reproduced in miniature for the 1910
Christmas of American youngsters.
National defense preparations are
reflected In increased numbers OF
miniature battleships, airplanes and
anti-aircraft guns modelled after u.
S. army and navy equipment. This
year toys of this classification ap-
proximate l per cent of the total
toy volume. Taking it all in all,
kids will have more than 100, 600
new toys with which to amuse them
selves, while Santa's pack has
reached total value of $240, 900, 900.
AS perhaps you may have sur
missed from the foregoing, / have
paid my annual visit to the toy fair.
There l learned that the war in
Europe is not the reason why it will
be an all-American Christmas this
year. AS has been stated here pre-
viously, for the last 20 years, Ameri-
can manufacturers have set world
~
than per cent of American young
sters' toys have come from abroad.
Most of the imported merchandise
has been novelties from Japan. But
this year novelties as well as toys
have been made by American Ia
Dor. according to James l.. Fri,
managing director of the Toy Man.
ufacturers of the u S. A. And this
years toys being American-de-
signed and made, paper hats, balls,
balloons and box kites are decorated
in red, white and blue.
Among the many new things noted
was whale which actually spouts
and SwimS under water when prop
erly manipulated which, am con-
WINGED, means less protest at bath
ing time. Then there is bathroom
where dolls can take real baths and
a drugstore with a soda fountain
that works A traffic project kit
will give children a chance to set
up signs and streets and get their
cofo Irivipo loccOnc aorlu hc for
dolls, one that struck this observer
especially was a miss with a mag
netic hand that holds onto anything
placed in it. There was also a COM
position doll with skin that wrin-
kles like a real baby's and actually
feels warm when it is caressed. One
of the new doll kits includes sponge
rubber bath toys as well as soap,
bath mat, towel and talcum powder
Just as soon as possible l got
around to the electric trains This
year Junior, if his old man will give
him a chance, can unload freight
cars by remote control or operate
an electromatic crane that loads
and unloadS cars. Bridges automat-
ically stop trains when they open
and an electric elevator lifts logs
to a platform to be loaded by re-
mote control. That made me think
of the old lumber days in upper
Michigan when the "top leaders"
were among the aristocrats of the
14r III
from the fair with two regrets. One
was that they don't give samples
and the other that l had been born
so many years too soon.
Strange as it may seem, there is
a bee keepers association up in
the Bronx. 1t has so members all
of whom keep bees as hobby. The
total population Of their hives is said
to be about $4,000, 600. Among them
is Lloyd Jones, so years old, slight
and bald, and so nearly blind that
he cannot recognize persons. Up
until II years ago, he was an &C.
countant employed by the New York
Central. Failing sight caused him
to give up his job. Four years ago,
the widow of friend gave him her
late husbands bees and equipment.
He now has about 800, 900 bees which
aid in his support by producing hon
ey. During the summer, he har-
vested and sold about Us pounds.
Bees will swarm, and when they
swarm, they cause trouble. When
that happens, Jones is summoned,
sometimes by the park department
but more often by bus drivers or
others. His 85-year-old mother acts
as his guide and he goes after the
bees with net. A veil is his only
protection. The bees often give him
''the works" But he doesn't mind
much. He has been stung so often
''bee bites" mean little to him.
BELL Syndicate-WNU ServiceJ