As this weird-looking creature passes along the streets, with glaring eyes and other features equally brilliant, people will have to stop to reassure themselves that they are not face to face with some unearthly demon.

Figs. 308-309.—The Goblin's Head.

A trick that will furnish amusement for at least a portion of the evening is

The Disappearing Rope, which is not an entirely new idea, but one which is always popular. Procure a number of rubber bands and tie them together, end to end. Then attach one end of these to a front fence, and to the other end fasten several yards of string. After doing this, cross over the sidewalk with the string, pulling it tightly so the rubber bands will stretch, and hang a sign with the word "DANGER" printed upon it in large letters over the string where it crosses the sidewalk.

It is only natural that the person who sees this sign will make a grab for it, thinking you are blocking the sidewalk to make him walk around it. This is your opportunity to act quickly and let go of the string, which will snap back to the fence upon the contraction of the rubber bands, and disappear from view, leaving your much-astonished friend to pass on, knowing that the joke is upon him.

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CHAPTER XXII

A BACK-YARD TOBOGGAN-SLIDE

It is the misfortune of a great many boys to be deprived of one of winter's greatest sports, by living in a flat country where there are no hills upon which to coast. These boys have little use for sleds aside from "hitching," unless they can make an artificial slide. In a number of large cities, toboggan-slides on a large scale are erected in the parks each year, and thrown open to the use of the public. Although this coasting cannot equal that to be had on natural hills, it affords a great pastime to thousands of boys and girls, and is a luxurious treat to many who have never seen hills larger than the artificial park variety.

The construction of a toboggan-slide is not difficult for a boy or several boys, and though it must be limited in size, a small slide has an advantage in that there is not a long walk from the end of the run back to the starting-point.

Fig. 310.—A Back-yard Toboggan-slide.

It is a good idea to locate the toboggan-slide in a back-yard or an enclosed lot, so that the outside fellows cannot monopolize it; and it is well to have some firm object to which the framework can be fastened, as it saves a great deal of bracing, and materially lessens the amount of lumber needed. The work should be done in the early part of the fall, before the cold weather sets in. Figure 310 shows a slide built in the corner of a yard against the fence.

The Length will be determined by the size of the yard. If the yard is short, the slide should be proportioned accordingly, to allow the sled its full run before reaching the end of the lot.

A Platform should be built in the corner, six feet square, and about seven feet above the ground. For this, cut four two-by-fours six feet nine inches long, fasten one in the angle formed by the two fences, and another five feet four inches to the right of it (A and B in Fig. 312). The third upright (C) should be nailed to the fence five feet eight inches from A, and the fourth (D) should be fastened at an equal distance from B. Then cut two pieces of two-by-four each six feet long, and nail them across the tops of A and C, and B and D, respectively, as shown at E and F in Fig. 312. The uprights should now be braced with horizontal and diagonal bracing, as shown in Fig. 312, to give the platform the necessary stiffness.

Figs. 311-313.—Framework of Toboggan-slide.

After deciding upon the length of the slide, lay off the distance upon the ground from the bottom of upright B, and drive a stake into the ground at the farther end. Then attach a cord to the stake and run it along the fence to a nail driven into the top of upright B. This cord, shown in Fig. 311, marks the pitch of the slide, and will give you a guide-line by which to work. When this has been done, cut three pieces of two-by-four about two feet long, and spike them to the fence just below the guide-line (see G, H, and I, Fig. 311), spacing them about six feet apart on centres. When these have been fastened in place, take a piece of two-by-four and mark off upon it the distance from the ground to the top of block I. Then square a line across the two-by-four at this point, at an angle corresponding to that at which block I is nailed to the fence (see Fig. 313). Saw the two-by-four on this line, and then stand it upright in front of block I, thirty or thirty-two inches from the fence (according to whether eight-or ten-inch boards are used upon the slide), and spike a piece of two-by-four to the top of it and to the top of block I, as shown in Fig. 312. Cut and set up a similar upright and crosspiece at G and at H, after which brace all as shown in the illustration (Fig. 312).

If you are going to buy boards with which to cover the platform and slide, get twelve-foot lengths, eight or ten inches wide. By using these you will have no waste, and but little cutting to do. If, however, you have material of other dimensions on hand which you can use, the supports of the slide should be so spaced that the boards will reach from one to another. The boards should run lengthwise upon the slide, and be nailed to the framework, leaving as small cracks as possible between them.

In order to prevent sleds from running off the slide, a guide should be nailed to the edge farthest from the fence, from the top to the bottom, and on the opposite side where it extends above the fence top (see Fig. 310).

After nailing the platform boards in place,

Build a Railing out of boards around three sides of it, to prevent any one from slipping off (see Fig. 310).

A Ladder, made out of two two-by-fours, with two-inch strips nailed across them, should be set against the front of the platform and spiked in place, as shown in the illustration of the completed slide (Fig. 310). This will make it easier to reach the platform than by the way of the icy slide, and also prevents those coasting from colliding with those who are returning.

Any ingenious boy will know how to make a swift slide by turning the hose upon it, and allowing the water to run over the surface until every portion is well covered.

A toboggan-sled is out of proportion for a slide of this size, and will not be found as satisfactory as a sled with runners, as the steepness of the slide will not be sufficient to make it go.

A Home-made Sled, such as that shown in Fig. 314, requires but little material, and if carefully made will prove stronger than the variety commonly sold in the shops.

Fig. 314.—A Home-made Sled.

Figure 315 shows the pattern for the runners, which should be cut out of four-inch boards, seven-eighths of an inch thick. Round the top edges, and cut the front and rear ends as shown in the drawing. Make a slot in the place indicated for a handle, and bore a hole near the front end for the crosspiece to run through. The seat consists of a board cut twenty-two inches long and nine inches wide. This will not be nailed to the runners but to cleats, as shown in Fig. 316. Cut three cleats nine and one-quarter inches long, two inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch thick, and fasten these between the runners, five-eighths of an inch from their tops, placing one near the end of the seat, one at the centre, and one at the front. Four two-inch iron braces should be procured, and two of these screwed to the under side of the front and rear cleats, and to the sides of the runners, as shown in Fig. 316. The seat can then be nailed in place, and a broom-handle fastened in the hole bored near the ends of the runners.

Fig. 315.—Pattern for Runners.

The Best Kind of Iron Runners for a home-made sled are those that a boy can put on without the aid of a blacksmith, and such a pair of runners is shown in the drawing of this sled. They consist of what are known as half-oval iron strips, and can be had usually at a hardware store or blacksmith shop. A pair forty inches long and three-quarters of an inch wide, with five holes for countersunk screws drilled in each, can be bought for fifty cents. When they have been procured, screw them to the bottom of the runners, using one inch or one and one-quarter inch screws for the purpose.

Fig. 316.—A Section through the Sled.

Although these runners are plenty heavy enough for light coasting, they would probably prove weak for coasting upon hills of any great size. To withstand the strain brought to bear upon the runners when hill coasting, boys generally find it necessary to make them out of two-inch stuff. This, however, makes the sled heavy and clumsy, and can be done away with by following a scheme which a friend of the writer's invented and found very satisfactory. It consisted of

Reënforcing the Runners with steel bars driven into holes bored vertically in them. The holes were bored while the runners were held in a vise, and the steel bars were a little larger than the holes, so that they would fit them tightly. This scheme allows the use of seven-eighths inch stuff for the runners, and sixty-penny wire nails can be filed off to the proper length and substituted for steel bars if the latter cannot be obtained.

When the sled has been completed, it should be given a good coat of paint.

Boys Discuss the Project.

PART III

Indoor
Pastimes

A Miniature Theatre.

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CHAPTER XXIII

A MINIATURE THEATRE

Children at the Theatre.

Probably nothing can be found which will make a more interesting entertainment for a winter evening, than a miniature theatre patterned as nearly as possible after a large playhouse. The construction of the stage, and preparation of miniature scenery, properties, and mechanical effects, furnish good work for disagreeable weather when it becomes necessary to remain indoors, and there is plenty of it, and of great enough variety, to occupy the attention of a number of boys.

Very little material is necessary, outside of what generally can be found in the attic, cellar, and woodshed, so that the expense incurred by making the theatre amounts to almost nothing. A gilt picture-frame makes

An Excellent Proscenium for the front of the stage, and, as it will not be marred in the least, you can probably borrow one for the occasion.

Fig. 317.—The Stage Framework.

On the opposite page is shown a miniature theatre completed, and in Fig. 317 will be seen the proper construction of

The Stage Framework, which is made of narrow boards and built upon two horses the width of the picture-frame. Make the horses as shown in Fig. 317, one two feet six inches high and the other two feet nine inches high, using two-by-fours for the tops and narrow boards for the legs and braces. After constructing the horses, cut four boards seven feet long and nail two to the ends of each (A and B, Fig. 317), after which cut two pieces to reach across the tops and nail them in place as shown at C. Then set the horses five feet apart, with the lower one in front, and screw three boards to the tops as shown at D, E, and F, and three narrow strips to the top of the framework as shown at G, H, and I. Strips G, H, and I form what is known as

The Gridiron, or supports from which the scenery drops are suspended, and should have a row of tacks driven into each edge, as shown in Fig. 317, upon which to hang the drops. By fastening the framework together with screws, it may be taken apart after a performance and packed away for another time.

Fig. 318.—View of Curtain from Stage.

The Stage Floor rests upon boards D, E, and F, and is made of laths laid close together, parallel to the front of the stage. The laths should not be nailed in place, as it is necessary to have the stage floor movable.

When the work has proceeded thus far, set the picture-frame between the uprights of the front frame so that the opening comes on a level with the stage floor, and fasten it to A and B with nails driven through screw-eyes placed in the back of the picture-frame.

The Drop-curtain should be made of white muslin, and measure in width several inches wider than the opening in the picture-frame. Hem the two side edges of the cloth, and sew brass rings on to them two inches apart. Then tack the top and bottom to strips of wood. A scene may be painted upon this curtain, but you will find the result probably more successful if you paste a picture of some sort upon the cloth, as suggested in the illustration of the completed theatre.

Fig. 319.—Crank for Curtain Pole.

In Fig. 318 we have a view from the stage of the arrangement by which the curtain is raised and lowered. Two heavy wires should be slipped through the rings on the curtain, and their ends fastened to four screw-eyes placed in the uprights at J, K, L, and M. These form the curtain guides. Bore two holes in uprights A and B above the picture-frame, and run a broom-stick through them for a roller, after which make a crank similar to that shown in Fig. 319 and fasten it to one end. Place two screw-eyes in the crosspiece at N and O (Fig. 318) and slip two cords through them, tying one end of each to the top of the curtain and the other end to the roller. By turning the crank the string will now wind around the roller and raise the curtain. It will be necessary to screw a button on to upright A at P, as shown in Fig. 319, to lock the crank when the curtain is raised. We often had two and three drop-curtains upon our miniature theatres, which made it necessary to have additional rollers and guide-wires.

Fig. 320.—The Footlights.

The greatest precautions should be taken

In lighting the Theatre, to have all wood surrounding lights covered with tin, and not to use candles or matches around inflammable substances. Figure 320 shows a satisfactory arrangement of

Fig. 321.

The Footlights.—A piece of tin the length of the picture-frame and ten inches wide should be procured for these and bent into the shape shown in the illustration. Drive tacks through the bottom of the tin about two inches apart, and stick a short candle upon each. Then fasten the tin below the picture-frame as shown in the drawing of the completed theatre, and paint it black upon the outside.

Floodlights, which are used to throw light from the wings on to the stage, may be made as shown in Figs. 321, 322, 323, and 324. The case for the light is made in the same manner as the dark-room lantern, described in Chapter XI, and illustrated by Figs. 176 and 177, except that the door is placed in the side instead of the back and no glass or paper is fastened over the front opening (see Figs. 322 and 323). Make the opening four by five inches, and fasten two grooves, formed by nailing two strips of wood together, as shown in Fig. 324, above and below it, in which to slide glass plates for the purpose of throwing

Figs. 322-324.
Details of Floodlights.

Colored Lights upon a scene. The slides consist of old four-by-five camera plates with colored tissue-paper pasted upon them, and are operated in the same manner as magic-lantern slides. The light should be mounted upon a standard, such as is shown in Fig. 321, consisting of a seven-foot pole fastened at the lower end to a board and braced with triangular blocks, as shown in the illustration. It should be so attached to the pole that it can be adjusted to any desired height, and to attain this two pipe-straps should be fastened to the back of the box, as shown in Fig. 322. First nail two vertical strips in place as at A and B in the drawing, and to these screw the two iron pipe-straps. When the straps have been attached, slip the end of the pole through them, and place a screw-eye in the box, another in the pole near its upper end, and a nail in the side of the box. Then attach a cord to the screw-eye in the box, and, after running it through the screw-eye near the top of the pole, twist it several times around the nail in the side of the box, which will hold the box in that position. One of these lights should be made for each side of the stage. In addition to them, you may have occasion to use

Spotlights to throw more light upon one portion of a scene than another. Bicycle lamps will be found handy for this purpose.

If your house is wired for electricity, several miniature incandescent lamps can be procured for the footlights, while larger lamps can be used for all the other necessary lighting.

As the work of making scenery, properties, and mechanical effects is not in the same line as the construction of the stage and its framework, it has been treated in the following chapter.

Before setting up the theatre for a performance, it is well to spread a large cloth over the carpet, to catch anything that may drop from the stage. Then, with all the framework fastened together, hang draperies on each side and above and below the proscenium arch, as shown in chapter heading. This will conceal everything but the proscenium opening.

Admission Tickets and programmes should, of course, be printed with a printing-press if you have one; otherwise with rubber stamps.

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CHAPTER XXIV

SCENERY, PROPERTIES, AND MECHANICAL EFFECTS

Scenery for a miniature theatre will be made in much the same manner as the small drops and wings a scenic artist prepares of each scene of a play, before he commences work upon the large canvasses. Any handy boy will find it an easy matter to prepare his scenery, as it does not require a knowledge of drawing so much as it does the knack of copying scenes from pictures, and the proper placing of the various wings and drops. Several simple suggestions for water, field, street, and interior scenes, with sketches of the drops and wings necessary to complete them, have been placed on the following pages of this chapter with a view to helping you with your first attempts at making scenery. By the time you have made some of these you will have had enough practice in the work to devise other designs and work up the details more elaborately. With a little shifting of drops and wings, or substituting one for another, the appearance of the scene can be sufficiently changed to make it as good as an entirely new setting. Several examples of this will be found among the illustrations.

For materials, you will require some large pieces of paper, several sheets of cardboard, a box of colored chalks, a pair of shears, and a pot of paste—add to this a bunch of laths with which to make the frames, and some nails, screws, and tacks for fastenings. The back of wall-paper presents an excellent surface for chalks, and several rolls will cost you but a few cents, as you can purchase old-style patterns. Suit and shoe boxes will furnish the necessary cardboard.

Fig. 325.—Drop for Ocean Scene.

Fig. 326.—Drop (D in Ocean Scene).

The size and proportion of the scenery will depend entirely upon those of the proscenium, and as these are governed by the size of the picture frame you procure, no attempt will be made to give you the dimensions of wings and drops; but you will get a good idea as to their proper proportion from the illustrations shown of the scenes set up, as the line of the proscenium opening is dotted upon them. In the full-page illustration of the completed theatre preceding Chapter XXIII is shown

An Ocean Scene in which the entire depth of the stage is used for the setting. Here you will notice the drops have been made to extend beyond the sides and top of the proscenium opening, a thing which is necessary in order that those of your audience sitting close to the front of the theatre, or to one side of the centre of the stage, will not be able to see through the openings between the drops and wings. Figure 325 shows how the four drops necessary for this scene should be made. First sketch drop A, shading the clouds and waves with colored chalks as shown in the drawing of the completed theatre. Then cut out the opening in its centre, carefully following the outlines of the clouds. Lay this sheet upon another and mark out drop B, with a smaller opening in its centre, and then, after coloring and cutting it out in the same manner as you did drop A, lay it upon a third sheet and mark out drop C, with a still smaller opening in its centre (see Fig. 325). Drop D forms the background of the scene, and should be made as shown in Fig. 326, with a horizontal line separating the sky and water. With the exception of a few white caps in the foreground, no waves should be shown upon this drop.

If wall-paper is used for the scenery, several widths will have to be pasted together for each drop.

Fig. 327.—Waves for Ocean Scene.

Additional waves should be made out of strips of paper and fastened together as shown in Fig. 327, with the crests of the waves of each strip extending a little above those of the strip in front. Prepare three sets of the waves, and, after pasting one to the bottom of each drop, bend out the crests so as to leave a little space between each strip.

Fig. 328.—Frames for Drops.

These drops should now be tacked to frames made out of laths similar to Fig. 328, with the corners nailed and braced with diagonal strips. Place a couple of tacks in the top of these frames, and to these attach cords. The drops should now be hung by means of the cords to the tacks in the top strips of the stage framework. Space them about as shown in the illustration of the completed theatre, and so adjust the lengths of the cords that, from a point equal to where the centre of your audience will be located, the horizon lines of your drops will appear on a line with one another. Then having found the proper lengths of the cords, make loops in them so the drops can be quickly hung in place without further adjustment.

Fig. 329.—Rocks for a Seashore Scene.

In the foreground of the ocean scene a stone wall has been shown, which should be made upon a strip of cardboard, with the joints of the stones marked off with gray paint. This strip should be set against the bottom of the front drop. To change this setting into

A Mid-ocean Scene, it is only necessary to substitute a strip of waves similar to Fig. 327 in place of the stone wall; and

A Seashore Scene can be had by making a strip of rocks similar to Fig. 329 to set against the front drop, and covering the foreground with sand to form the beach.

Fig. 331.—Drop (G in Field and Blockhouse Scene).

Fig. 332.—Drop (H in Field, Blockhouse, and Street Scene).

Fig. 330. A Field Scene.

Fig. 338. A Blockhouse Scene.

Figs. 333-334.

Figs. 335-336.

A Field Scene should be set up as shown in Fig. 330. Make the background drop G similar to Fig. 331, tacking it to a frame as you did the drops of the ocean scene, and prepare the foreground drop H similar to Fig. 332, tacking its upper edge to a single lath from which it can be hung in position. Draw the leaves upon drop H about as shown in the illustration, and in cutting out the strip make a few openings between the leaves as shown in the drawing. Wings I and J are shown in Figs. 333 and 334. These should be drawn upon cardboard, and then cut out with a sharp knife, with openings made in places between the leaves and branches.

Tack the bottom of

The Trees to small blocks of wood for standards (see Fig. 336), and drive brads through the blocks so they will stick into the stage floor and prevent the trees from toppling over. In setting up this scene, as in the case of all others, you will have to shift the pieces until all entrances and exits are hidden by the wings. The places can then be marked upon the stage floor. This scene will occupy but the front part of the stage. If a greater depth is desired, it will be necessary to prepare additional wings, which can be made similar to Figs. 333 and 334, with possibly a few changes in the form of the branches and leaves. Figure 335 shows a tree that can be used for the centre of a scene. A little earth scattered over the stage floor will give the appearance of ground.

Fig. 337.—Blockhouse (L in Blockhouse Scene).

By using the same background drop, G, and the foreground drop, H (Figs. 331 and 332), trees, J and K (Figs. 334 and 335), and making a blockhouse and stockade similar to L (Fig. 337), you will have the proper setting for

A Blockhouse Scene, such as is shown in Fig 338. The blockhouse should be fastened to a strip of wood in the same manner as you fastened the ends of the trees (see Fig. 336).

For outdoor scenery, and especially forest scenes, the writer remembers using

Fig. 340.—Drop (M in Street Scene).

Pine Boughs for trees and shrubbery. These were cut into pieces of the right length for trees, with their ends pointed so they would stick into gimlet holes made in the laths of the stage floor; and loose pieces were thrown in between for shrubbery. Mounds and hills were made with moss. This saved the work of making so many drops, and, of course, looked a little more realistic than paper scenery, but was not as handy to set up, and caused longer delays between the scenes.

Fig. 339. A Street Scene.

Fig. 341.—Wing (O in Street Scene).

Rustic Bridges can easily be constructed with a few twigs, as can also rustic seats and fences. A very realistic

Pond or Lake can be represented by placing a piece of a mirror upon the stage floor, and banking sand or moss around its edge.