Christmas Gifts by Little Fingers
-By PEGGY POWERS
_
1—Doll's Cord Hammock. 5—Raffia Collar Button Box. 8—Match Strike.
2—Thermometer. 6— Neck Tie Rack. 9—Crochet Bag.
’ 3—Doll’s Raffia Hammock. 7—A Pretty Bag. 10—Thread and Needle.
4—Card Board Work Basket. 11—Ring Toss.
S Christmas draws near,
the little folks are wouder
I ing what they shall make
I this year. They should
know that something made
by themselves Is appreci
ated a hundred times more
thau anything money could
buy.
As Christmas draws near, the little
folks are wondering what they shall
make this year. They should know
that something made by themselves Is
appreciated a hundred times more
than anything money could buy.
Doesn’t mother still use the needle
case given her two Christmases ago.
and isn't father as proud of his desk
calendar as the day he found it hid
den under his breakfast napkin?
Remember, whatever it is, wrap it
neatly in tissue paper when finished,
tie it with ribbon and stick a piece of
evergreen or holly through the bow.
A carefully wrapped present always
adds to the pleasure of receiving it.
Here are some ideas that will help
answer the question of ‘What shall I
make this year?” The first five sug
gestions are chiefly for the boys, be
cause to make these presents they
will need their tool chests, although,
of course, many girls are as handy
with tools as their big brothers.
Ring Toss.
Make a base or stand of wood nine
Inches square, and two inches thick.
Bore five holes in the top of this, one
In thp center and one in each corner,
one inch from the edge. In these holes
fit rounded sticks about an Inch thick.
Paint or shellac the wood. Shellac
can be bought at any paint store. If
it is too thick, thin it with a little
alcohol. The tops of the sticks are
gilded for about an inch.
Six rings are made of reeds formed
in circles. Soak the reeds for about
20 minutes to make them bend easier.
Cover them with raffia. This game
will give much pleasure during. the
long winter afternoons.
Neck Tie Rack.
Rasswood should be used for this
rack, because it is sort, easily cut and
light in weight. Saw out of the wood
a design as shown in the picture. It
is 14 inch thick, 514 inches wide and
13 inches long. The rod is 14 inch
thick and 11 inches long. The posts are
•>i inch by 114 inches. The rod and
posts should be made out of bireh or
maple wood because it is harder.
Give the rack an even coat of shellac.
Place two screws and two screw eyes
on the top of the rack so it will be
ready to hang up on Christmas morn
ing
Match Strike.
Out of a piece of bass wood that
measures 14 inch thick, 614 inches
wide and 7 Inches long, cut with a
scroll saw a match strike like in the
picture. Place a piece cf sand paper
around a small block of wood and
sand paper it in the# direction of the
grain of the wood. Never work against
the grain. Give the board a coat of
shellac. Cnt a square of sand paper
and place it on a thin layer of glue in
the center of the panel. Place some
thing heavy on the sand paper until
the glue is hardened. With your
carving punch and hammer strike
light, careful blows over the board to
decorate It.
Thread and Needle.
How g^d mother will be to receive ‘
this useful gift! It is made of bass- ;
wood % inch thick. 3% inches wide
and 14% Inches long. (See picture.)
This must be given a coat of shellac.
Bore a hcle In the middle of the board
one inch from the top by which to |
hang it. Two, four and six inches
from tha! bore holes and place in
each of them a peg % inch thick
and 1 incfc long, which holds the spool
of thread Two inches from tlfe low
est one £lue a velvet pin cushion.
This cushion is 2% Inches square. It
is stuffed with cotton batting. One
inch below the cushion screw a brass
hook to held the scissors.
Thermometer.
Any one is glad to have a pretty
thermometer for his or her room.
Imok at the picture and cut a design
like It our of basswood. Bore a hole
near the top for hanging. Sand paper
the board the same as you did the
match strike. Shellac both sides. If
you put a coat on only one side the
board wilt warp. Stamp the back
ground to make it look pretty with a
carving ptinch and hammer stamp.
Cut out a background like picture for
the thermometer. Glue it In place.
Tack on a thermometer with the brass
escutcheoi pins that are UBed for that
purpose.
Cardboard Work Basket.
And her.* is a .dainty basket that
does not isjuire the tool chest, and
"big sister' will be glad to have it
It is useful as well as pretty. Cut
out of heavy white cardboard four
pieces shaded like the picture. They
should be 3 inches across the bottom
and 4 inch -s across the top. On each
one embroider several spider webs
with mercerized silk. Cut out of
cardboard .i square, a trifle less than
2 inches, for the bottom of the basket.
Fit and so * the sides to the bottom
and then sow the sides together to
form a backet Run a ribbon, about
an inch wij.e, along the edges of the
basket. Se w it firmly at the corners.
At each t„\-> corner place a pretty
bow.
A Pretty Bag.
This is a crash bag 14 inches long
and 7 inches wide when finished. At
the top a i^ece 4 inches long is turn
ed over and 1% inches of it at the
bottom Is ^veiled for a fringe. An
inch from the top of the bag eight
small embtv.idery rings are sewed,
each 1% in-'-hes apart. Through this
a silk cord is drawn. You can make
up your own embroidery design. The
one in the picture is worked with A
simple chain stitch.
Crotchet Bag.
This bag vtts crotcheted with a very
simple stitch, and was made by a little
girl only nine years old. Get out
your crotchet needle and see what you
can do. This bag may be used for
many different things and if well made
will last for years. For the bottom
of it, cut a piece of cardboard 4 inches
by 5 inches. Cover it with any piece
I
of pretty silk you have in the house.
Crochet, with mercerized silk crotchet
thread, a chain of 160 chain stitches.
For the second time round take seven
stitches and go into every fourth
stitch of the first row. Keep on
crotcheting in this manner until your
bag is ten inches long: then sew It to
the cardboard base. Run a pretty
draw ribbon finished with bows
through the top. Ai each corner of
the bottom of the bag place a bow.
Raffia Cellar Button Box.
How the children love raffia work!
And it is wonderful what beautiful
things even very little children can
make. The raffia box in this picture
was made by a six-year-old youngster.
It is for father's collar buttons. In
the middle of it cut a tiny hole. Wind
raffia evenly around this circle from
the center to the edge. Cut a piece of
cardboard 2 inches wide and long
enough to fit the base. Wind the raffia
around this piece and with a piece of
raffia sew it to the bottom of the box.
Braid three pieces- of raffia for a han
dle. Punch one hole on each side of
the basket near the top and run the
ends of the handle through them.
You can sew smaller bows where the
handles join the basket if you wish.
Any one who has ever made a raf
fia basket knows how much pleasure
it is and how glad one is to receive
it for a gift. Soak a reed in hot wa
ter. Thread a needle with raffia.
Make a point at one end of the reed
with a knife. Wind the piece of raf
fia around the reed. Form this end
into a coil and sew tightly Wind the
thread over the reed and place the
needle through the coil of reed and
raffia. In starting a new thread, hold
it along the reed and work over it
until the end is fastened. The de
signs are worked in colored raffia.
When the bottom of the basket is fin
ished begin the sides by placing the
reed right on top of the last coil.
When the basket is finished'sharpen
the end of the reed to a, point, finish
ing the coil gradually.
Doll’s Raffia Hammock.
Take a piece of strawboard 10
inches long and 7 inches wide. Along
the longest edge make notches %
inch apart. Fasten two brass rings
in the middle of back of strawboard.
Carry a cord from one ring on the
back through the corner notch in
front across the length of the board,
through over the back, and loop it
through the other ring Do this un
til the thread passes over each
notch. Then weave across. Weave
once across the back close to the
edge. Work over this last row and
sew between the strand so that when
you place your dolls In the hammock
It won't ravel. Unfasten the rings
and break away the cardboard.
Doll's Cord Hammock.
Here is a picture of a hammock
for dolly, made of macreme cord. A
ten-year-old child made this ham
mock for her little sister. It is about
one yard long and made of the Solo
mon's knots. You can also have
mamma show you how to crochet one
too.
(Copyright, by W. G. Chapman I
l
WIDOW MEANT TO HAVE HIM
Remarkable Story of Worldwide Chase
for Man Who Sought to Evade
Matrimony.
Regretting an engagement into
which he !»d entered, a young German
named Dreber, an employe of a large
l*ineasbire (England) firm, threw up
his situation and left for Berlin. No
news of any kind reached his fiancee,
a widow of some mean^ and. as her
repeated letters remained unanswered.
5 she soon became very anxious, when
; her uneasiness suddenly gave place
! to rage on receipt of an anonymous
i communication, telling her of her faith
j less lover’s flight and informing her of
his address. Next day. accompanied
by her brother, she left for Berlin, only
to find on her arrival that Dreher. no
doubt scenting danger, had fled south
ward
Through Austria she traced him to
Italy, where he was found in Rome,
employed as waiter at a cafe. Over
i awed by the brother's threats, he con
sented to accompany the couple tc
England, but contrived, on landing at
Dover, to give them the slip. Once
again was the hue and cry raised, but
Dreher managed to reach New York
with his pursuers on his track. Foi
a second time did he avoid capture
and succeeded in reaching San Fran
cisco. where he had the misfortune
to break his leg. Crippled by the ac
cident, his means almost exhausted
and broken in spirit, he no longer at
tempted evasion, but allowed himseli
to be taken possession of by the widow
The New Woman.
Mary, aged six, nad not lived all
her years in New York for nothing.
Uncle came from the west to spend
t’hristmas. and prodigally ordered for
Mary a wonderful doll's house, fifteen
rooms, four bay>*. ample grounds, no
rnosquitoes, etc.
Mamma called in Mary's playmates
, to * celebrate the day. Before lunch
time Mary had sublet three rooms and
& bath on the second floor to Betty on
a nine weeks lease at twenty-five
cents a week, and a single room and
baih to Eileen at ten jgents. no lease
required. Moreover, she had contrived
from her paint box a huge sign read
ing: "Apartments to let; apply to
owner on premises.”
Mary is still doing a rushing busi
ness. -New York Evening Post.
Evident.
‘There sits a girl with money in
her own right."
"How do you know?”
“1 saw- It She has a nickel in her
right hand to pay car fare."
Wireless Phone.
Wireless telephone messages have
j been exchanged successfully between
j the famous wireless station at Nauen
a village near Berlin. Germany, and
the Technical museum at Vienna, Aus
tria, 310 miles away. With a new
machine that has been perfected news
paper articles read in tbe Nauen sta
tion could be heard distinctly at Vien
na and other intermediate stations. It
is prophesied that still stronger ma
chines will make it possible to talk
across the Atlantic
TRIAL YACHTS ARE FAVORED
Yachtsmen Am of Opinion That Four
Vessels Shsuld Be Entered in
the Elimination Races.
_
Racing yaehtsmen of the United
States are of the opinion that in order
to insure a successful defense of the
America’s cup next year against Sir
Thomas Lipton. it will be absolutely
necessary under the present condi
tions to'build no fewer than four
yachts to enter the elimination races,
which should take place some time
next August, after contesting in as
man races during the summer as pos
eible.
It is conceded by many that build
ing a 73-foot sloop under the present
rules for the first time, even by the
Herreshoffs, is more or less of a risk
when there is no vessel of that di
mension ready to use as a trial horse.
For this reason it is deemed advis
able to build as many sloops as pos
sible. and by different designers, so
as to give both the yachts and their
crews plenty of practice In racing,
that the best boat may be chosen to
meet the Shamrock IV off Sandy
Hook next fall.
The material for the building of the
first yacht—the one that the syndi
cate headed by Henry Walters has or
dered—is being assembled at the
Herreshoff yard at Bristol, R. I„ and
it is understood that the keel of the
new boat will be laid before Thanks
giving day.
It is quite likely that the keel of
the Shamrock IV will be laid about
the same time as that of the llerres
hoff's sloop. As usual, the utmost
secrecy will be maintained from start
to finish in the construction of both
yachts, so that no information may
leak out concerning the details of the
design of either hulls or sail plans
until they are ready to race.
MAHMOUT KILLED BY BANDITS
Noted Bulgarian, Who Met Many
American Wrestlers, Meets Un
timely Death Near Silistria.
Yussiff Mahmout. a Bulgarian
wrestler, who met a number of Amer
ican matnien, including Frank Gotch.
by whom he was defeated, was killed
by a band of Bulgarian bandits in the
Yussiff Mahmout.
mountains near Silistria, his home, ac
cording to a story told by two Turk
ish wrestlers who arrived in this coun
ry recently.
-Mahmout was petty officer in the
Bulgarian army during the late war,
and, according to their story, went to
the town to draw his money to pay
off the men in his command. Sixteen
bandits, learning the purpose of his
trip, waylaid him on his return, but
because Mahmout had procured only
orders instead of gold coin, they killed
him.
Considerate of Mother.
Captain Clem Fenker, Cincinnati
university’s star quarterback and one
of the most sensational players the
varsity has developed in years, does
not want his mother to see him play.
"I have a peculiar notion that if my
mother were to sit in the grandstand
and I knew it. i would not be able to
play my best game.” explained Cap
tain Felker. “I feel I cannot enter
the contest with the same fighting
spirit as when I know she is at home.
My mother is of a rather nervous dis
position. Football is no child’s game,
and a player is liable to be hurt at.
any time. I would not want* to let
here see me injured.”
Athletic Coaches Costly.
The sum necessary to maintain
Harvard's position as a factor in in
tercollegiate athletics will this year
alone exceed $35,000 as salary for the
coaches in the different sports.
Football has the biggest expense
list, with an outlay of about $13,000.
Head Coach Houghton, who has
placed Harvard on the football map.
receives $8,500; Leary, his assistant,
gets $3,500; while others on the staff
get minor sums. The track coaches,
Donovan and Powers, draw $3,500,
while Shrubb, the cross-country’ train
er. receives $2,000. All the other
coaches get generous stipends.
Plank Victim of Bear Story.
Eddie Plank, after pitching wonder
ful ball in the world series, is quoted
as being on the retired list. Plank
is thirty-nine years old and one of
the wonders of this baseball age
Senators Sign Two.
Otto Nye, an outfielder from Spring
field. Ohio, and Herman Schwartz, a
pitcher from Brooklyn, have signed
contracts to play with the Senators
[ for 1914.
FRANK GOTCH CRUSHES ITALIAN CHAMPION
.----:: ——
Gotch With Half Nelson and Crotch Hold on Westegaard.
Leo Pardello. fun maker of the
wrestling mar. at one time imagined
he could down Frank Gotch. The Ita
lian was heralded as one of the tough
est men in the game and Gotch
thought he was taking on a big con
tract in agreeing to an encounter with
this fighting “demon" from sunny
Italy. Both wrestlers were disillu
sioned November 1900, at the
Brookes’ Casino. Chicago, when they
met in a finish match. After this de
feat Pardello devoted his talents to
comedy, and as a mirth producer has
made countless thousands laugh.
Gotch had heard that Pardello was a
bone breaker and a prize fighter. He
was apprised that he would be fortu
nate to escape with both ears intact
and all his teeth in his head after en
countering the latest sensation from
Latin Europe.
The night of the match found the
pavilion packed almost to suffocation.
Pardello rushed at Gotch like a wild
man when the referee signaled the
start, but Gotch side-stepped him.
Gotch went to his hands and knees,
lifted Pardello in the air and hurled
him to the mat. This was the signal
fcrfr Pardello to employ the rough tac
tics for which he was noted. He
gouged Gotch with his elbow and
slugged him in the mixups. The crowd
hissed Pardello. hut Gotch had learned
his opponent’s actual strength and
took these thrusts lightly.
Soon, however. Pardello showed his
temper and resorted to the Marquis of
Queensbury code. He came to his
feet and made a swing at Gotch and
the crowd again hissed. Gotch lunged
and brought Pardello to the mat again.
Gotch was working for a hold to se
cure the first fall. He had slipped over
a crotch and half nelson and was grad
ually forcing the shoulders of his op
ponent to the canvas. Pardello
reached over in a fit of rage, grabbed
the Iowan by the hair and pulled a
whole handful of Gotch"a hair from the
roots. -
That proved the downfall of Pardei
lo as an aspirant for the highest
wrestling honors. In a wild mixup
ihe wrestlers shifted about the mat
and in less than thirty seqonds Gotch
had Pardello's left foot up his back
for the toe hold. There was a sharp
snap audible to those at the ringside.
Pardeilo, with a groan, fell to the mat
in defeat. An examination showed that
a ligament had been snapped, but the
game Italian came back for the second
fali. which Gotch won in a few sec
onds.
Gotch made a speech, in which he
told the crowd he deeply regretted the
accident to Pardeilo. It was one of the
few times the worlds champion has
lost his temper on the mat.
“The day after the match,” says
Gotch, 'a friend of mine met Pardeilo
hobbling about the streets of Chicago.
" What do you think of Gotch now?’
my friend asked him.
“ ‘Gotcha?’ was his answer. ‘Why,
Gotcha, he very Ana da fell. He get
ona the mata and go toa da wrestle.
Gotcha, he cracka da joke. One Ana
da joke. I stoppa to laugh. Gotcha,
he catcha my foota and twist him upa
da baeka. Oh, yes, Gotcha, he very
Ana da fell.' ”
After this match Pardeilo seemed to
take a proprietary interest in the
champion. After every match Gotch
had in Chicago his wrestling tights
disappeared. Pardeilo took them for
souvenirs. After his last match in
Chicago Gotch ordered a boy to get his
tights and see that they were carried
to his hotel. Pardeilo noticed that
the boy had them in charge. After
Gotch departed from the dressing
room he approached the youngster
and took the grip, saying Gotch had
ordered him to carry it to his hotel.
Thus he secured an imposing addition
to his trophy room that night.
(Copyright, 1913. by Joseph B. Bowlei.)
Bonesetter Reese, tlie great friend of
the ball players, has cured Howard
Shanks' ankle. \
• • •
Chief Bender has pitched nine games
in different world's series and has won j
six of the number
• • •
There are some things at which
even a golfer will balk, among them
playing in midwinter.
• » *
doe Birmingham and his Naps claim i
the Washington Senators will not have i
anything on them next year.
* * *
The annual report of President
Tearney of the Three-I league indi- j
cates that not a line was collected
from a player last season.
... j
The reports from Detroit are that
Ty Cobb is to get a salary of $13,000
for his services next year. This is the
largest sum ever paid a ball player.
• * *
The Federal Baseball leaguers are
merrily •entering" many cities. It
will have many months for depar
tures. so might as well take in all.
* • •
If Gotch were president of the Na
tional league the toe hold might be
come a big factor in settling knotty
problems and hair-pulling disputes.
...
Carry McLean is gaining fame every
day as a bowler around Brooklyn,
w here he is living this winter. He re
cently averaged 206 for eight games.
...
The Senators made 117 double plays
during the 1913 season. Gandil led
all the players in taking part in dual
killings, having figured in eighty-nine.
...
Manager Griffith will keep Nick Alt
rock and Dutch Schaefer on the
Washington pay roll next season. Griff
considers the vets of great value to
his team.
...
A Cincinnati sport scribe claims that
the team that beats the Cubs next sea
son will win the hunting. He says the
Cubs have a strong pitching staff, and
it's pitching that counts.
. * *
: Martin Krug, who was with the Red
i Sox as sub when they won the world's
j title, but last year with Indianapolis
: in the American association, has been
sold to the Omaha Western league
club.
• * *
Connie Mack denies he picked an
all star baseball team for a New York
paper and omitted the name of Ty
Cobb. The way to make Mack talk,
it seems, is to accuse him of saying
something.
WOLGAST IS POOR SALESMAN^
Lightweight Pugilist Lett Farmer
Have Fine Bull for $45 When He
Could Have Secured More.
In spite of assertions to the con
trary, Ad Wolgast. former lightweight
champion, has been the “goat" in
several deals involving the exchange
of money. Ad was “stung'’ for $25
by a farmer just before the ex-cham
pion went to Milwaukee recently.
Ad owns a couple of farms in the
vicinity of Cadillac, says the Detroit
Journal, lie had one fine bull he de
Ad Wolgast.
sired to sell for he didn't want to buy
food for the animal during the winter.
So a farmer went out to see Ad about
the bull. “I’ll give you *40 for him,’’
said the tiller of the soil. “Nope, won't
take less than *50," Ad replied The
bull was finally sold for *45.
Ad had 'barely made the deal and
was still smiling when another farmer
came to buy the bull. "It s sold,"
beamed Addle. "How much do you
think I got?" asked the fighting Dutch
man. “About *70 or *75,” said the
farmer. Ad stared hard for several
minutes and then asked: "What were
you going to offer?” "O, about *65,"
said the visitor.
To Launch Cup Defender in May.
The American cup defender to be
constructed by the Herreshoffs at
Bristol for the Vanderbilt-Morgan
syndicate will, it is understood, be
ready for launching before May 1,
1914, for the syndicate is figuring on
using the yacht in the spring race*
of the. New York Yacht club.
Shanks' Ankle Fixed.
Bonesetter Reese has cured Howard
Shanks' bad ankle. The expert found
a tendon out of place. \ The Washing
ton outfielder; now writes that he is
as good as ever.
PLANNING FOR BETTER ROADS
Method of Construction Must Be Put
in Operation Which Will Produce
More Durable Highways.
“Waterbound macadam roads, which
for practically a century have been
adequate for the traffic, have now,
under the new conditions, become ob
solete, and their further construction
means a serious waste of public
funds." is the opiuion of former Presi
dent Lewis R. Speare of the Ameri
ean Automobile association.
"Macadam may answer for side
roads and cross roads where there is
little travel to wear the surface into
dust, and few fast moving vehicles to
throw the dust into the air to be
blown away. But for main roads, any
where and everywhere, a method of
construction must be put in operation
which will produce durable roads.
"Wherever it can be used concrete
makes a most excellent road, or a
road base for some other kind of sur
face. The state of California has
adopted concrete construction for
practically its entire system of state
highways, after a most thorough in
vestigation. Wayne county, Michigan,
has been building concrete roads for
the past five years, and they have
given most excellent satisfaction.
"Before the Wayne county authori
ties bad learned by experience how
to build concrete roads with expan
sion joints to prevent, the concrete
from cracking in cold weather and
buckling in the hot sun. several miles
of roads were built which broke into
frequent cracks. To repair theBe
cracked sections of road they poured
hot. bituminous material into the
cracks and covered them with sand.
This has worn to the level of the
concrete, and the whole forms a most
delightfully smooth road to travel
over, and one which looks as if It
would stand for a generation, at
least.
"In some sections of the country the
concrete is being used as a base, and
two or three inches of broken stone,
mixed with bituminous materials, put
Good Road Crown Maintained by
Dragging in Alexandria County,
Virginia.
on for a surface. If properly built this
kind of road should be very durable,
and should justify the additional ex
pense. The concrete will furnish the
strength required to hold up the loads
which are constantly growing heavier,
while the bituminized surface will pre
vent the creation of dust, making the
road pleasant to travel over.
"The only proper way to figure on
the cost of a road is to consider both
the original cost and the expense of
maintenance for a period of ten or
fifteen years. Under present condi
tions of travel a macadam road would
have to be resurfaced every two or
three years, and would be in bad con
dition two-thirds of the time. The
aggregate cost would bo far greater
than that of a concrete road with a
bituminous surface and the latter
would present a good road ,all the
time."
A Difference in Roads.
Two farmers living in separate
counties, but at an equal distance
from the cotton market, learned by
telephone that cotton had advanced in
price $1 per bale. The farmer living
on a bad road, according to Arkansas
Homestead, responded by hauling one
bale of cotton, which was all he could
get over the unimproved road, while
the other farmer was able to haul
four bales, owing to favorable road
conditions. The rise in price gained
a profit of $4 to one man and $1 to
his neighbor.
• Auto Owners Contribute.
The automobile owners of Massa
chusetts have contributed some $300,
000 for the betterment of the high
ways of the state: the state treasury
will contribute $700,000 more and the
local appropriations for the same pur
pose will bring the total up to $2,500,
000.
Increase Values.
Farm productions are increased in
value by getting them where needed at
the proper time. Good roads increase
values.
Southern States Aflame.
The southern states are aflame
with better roads enthusiasm
Bad Roads Expensive. '
Bad roads are always the most exj
pensive kind.
Good Horses Pay.
It id well to remember that there
are ten buyers for horses worth $200
and upward to one that is worth $100
or less.
Get Best Engineers.
The people must look ahead and in
sist upon the employment of the best
road engineers.
Sunflowers
The Russian is about the only one
that it pays to grow in a commercial
way.
