The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-02
SEEN ON THE MIDWAY.
Experiences of a Farmer Who Made
the Rounds"

The people on the street fair midway
Friday afternoon noticed a middle aged
man, evidently a farmer, who appeared
to take an intense interest in every
thing going on. He was from Missouri.
A State Journal reporter listened to
his comments as he made the rounds"
This Is a queer place, a mighty queer
place. said he. Il paid my dime and
went IN to see the animals. The lions
were all sleepy. Do you know, they
didn't have grit enough to shoe the
flies off their faces. I walked around.
without molesting any one, and when
got before cage where a big lion was
asleep a fellow came running after me,
yelling Get out of there. Get outside
the rope. Don't you know that is Sui
tana Wallace, the man eater. She has
killed four men,. The old lion half
opened one We as I climbed over the
rope, as if she would like to say Give
US a rest She didn't look as if she
wanted to chew me up, and I have heard
since that she hasn't a tooth in her
head.
Then a girl with red hair and with
out any too much clothes on for the
lions to get hold of went into a cage
where there were three or four lions.
She walked them up by pounding them
with whip. One or two showed their
teeth and gloWled, but they looked as
if they didn't want to eat the red
haired girl, and I didn't blame them.
She tried to make the biggest lion in
do it. Some one told me that she would
have put her head in his mouth, and I
just thought that if she wanted to
monkey with Providence that way she
could.
Il went to see the flying lady, and
| she looked just like the pictures of
angels in the Royal Path Of Life which
| l bought from an agent long time
| ago. She fioated all around and with
/ out anything holding her, too. A fell
| low stood in front of her and made mo-
/ lions, but for the life of me I couldn'
| understand what he had to do with
| the girl. When I am blowing corn some
| day I won't be much surprised if I see
a whole flock of pretty girls go floating
! over me in the sky. What is this world
| coming to, anyway?
! THE moving pictures went so fast I
got dizzy and something kept pickering
before my eyes all the time. 1 just
couldn't tell whether they were pictures
| or real people.
Some one asked me to go to see the
snake eater. 1 supposed it was some
kind of a brute. I know that hogs will
eat snakes but I never heard of any
other animal that would tackle the job
| Well, l was almost paralyzed when
saw that the snake eater was man.
Just turned my head away and said
that if this is what the human race is
coming to I am glad that haven't
many years more to live.
I went into what they called the
/ L
outside said I would see some fine
dancing. / was fooled again because
there wasn't a bit of dancing. 1 sup
| posed that lot of young folks would
stand around and when the music
would strike up some one would say de
Sc do or honor your partner, anc
away they would all go but it WASH
that way at all. Two or three girls
stood up on a box and made motion!
that made me think of fish worms wheI
a boy is trying to put it on a hook bu
I didn't care for human fish worms ant
I went out.
The educated horse was a puzzler
When dumb brutes get SO that they car
tell the time of day and figure just lik'
a man and when men eat snakes
think it is about time that they changt
places. 1 would rather meet a horse
walking up street dressed in a new
suit of clothes and carrying q cane
than to see one of my own race dow
in the dirt eating snakes.
Il am not sorry I came to Topeka
| and visited the street fair and midway