The age-herald., 1900-11-03
SKETCHES FROM
 EVERYDAY LIFE


 corners after dark. They never appear in the day time-that would be against the ethics of the profession-coneerts usually take place al D. m.
 At this hour while the prosperous and substantial citizens of the city may be hurrying to the Jefferson or the Audito- rum to listen to a concert or opera, the unsubstantial, the unfortunate and the cu- rious gather at the street corners where free concerts can be had On one corner is the fiddler who sings in quavering tones of some one dying in the snow. On another is the cripple who grinds an organ while little girl about ten years old sings in a strident key something about coming home to mother. Every prominent corner has it's singer, or its fakir.
 Those who prefer a minstrel show can pass on until they reach the collar button man. His shop is a wagon. and on the wagon seat by him sits full-fedged min strel man. His face is black, his collar white, and on his head sits a tiny clowns cap. He strums up crowd with his banjo while the collar button man gets ready for business.
 Now my friends says the latter, q am prepared to sell you the greatest bar gain of rhe age-this wonderful collar but ton, for only 10 cents What" he exclaims, holding it out to man in the crowd, you don't want to buy one?'
 No, sir
 Have all you want, I suppose?" ;G
 ''Yes, sir" HE
 Don't want any more, anyway"
 "No, sir'
 "All right then; I'll give this one to you'
 He holds it out to the man who, forget ting his declaration of independence, reaches for it, and as he does so the fakir pulls it back, and the crowd laughs
 When a man is arrested he is taken to the police station, his name put on. the regis ter, and opposite his name the offense with which he is charged. Recently there ap- peared on the register the following entry:
 No legged man-dsorderly conduct"
 Someone being curious as to how a mo- legged man could be guilty of disorderly conduct, asked the warden what he had done.
 "Oh, just drunk"
 well, how did they get him to the po- lice station if he had no legs to walk on?'
 Don't know how he got here. If he had had legs, though, he was too drunk to use them"
 In shop window under the full glare of an electric light appeared a red badge of courage. It was labelled, All wool med icated, 9S cents for vest and pants It was a suit of coarse fiery red flannel un- derwear consisting, as the sign so modest ly stated, of vest and pants" To look at il caused the skin to itch, and none but the brayest of the brave, or the toughest of the tough, could have come in intimate contact with its "medicated' embrace.
 Wherein and how it was medicated was no explained. The more appropriate course would appear to be to medicate the pur- chaser with a strong dose of opium or a skin ointment
 Prisoners are superstitious as well as other people, Some supersttions, like sit ting down thirteen together, force of cir cumstances does not allow them to indulge. Thirteen of them sat on bench the other day chained and awaiting the order to move on Coalburg.
 All the prisoners in the county jail are supersttious about Jailor John P. Me Laughlin. For four years every man that he has taken out of jail for trial in the Criminal Court has been acquitted except one. This was such fragrant case, how ever, that no amount of luck could save him.
 In the recent trial of the famous Notes case in the United States Court, John Lit tlejohn, one of the defendants, insisted on being taken from jail by MT. Mclaughlin. His superstition was verified, for he was the only one of the four defendants ac- !. quilted.
 One of the Midway attractions at the State Fair is a troupe of real Indians, with all their native paraphernalia, such as paint and feathers, long hair, beads and buck skins. They are under the management of a. Buffalo Bill kind of man, who puts them through their paces, or rather dances all for the sum of one dime. They give the Buffalo dance, the Green Corn dance, and various other kind of dances. An Indian dance, however, is very unroetic and graceless, but highly barbaric aRd interesting. They walk round and round in circle, with d curious jumping motion which passes for dance, while another Indian beats drum and utters strange and weird cries in lieu of music. The difference between the In- dian and the white man is shown by con- trasting the buffalo dance with ragtime two-step. An Indian never dances with squaw. Each dances alone. It is every man and woman for him or herself and the devil take the hindmost. If half the Indian stories are true the devil will probably get them all not that dancing is an invention of the devil, but that the Indian is.
 "rake CT nice. Take CT best" This in vitation, given in a most cordial tone, came from "dago' to a policeman The po- liceman had only taken a specked apple for his horse, but the fruit vendor was hospitably urging him to take one of the best. Much sympathy has been extended 4l.a