The age-herald., 1900-11-07
SKETCHES FROM
 EVERYDAY LIFE

By error yesterday, some criticism of Hall Caine appeared in this column which be- longed to another article
 
 If anybody in Birmingham has lost a pocketbook, or had anything stolen which they would like to recover, there is lady in the Midway who can tell them just where the missing article Is
 You hardly enter the Midway gate whel. your ear is greeted with medley of sounds made up of all the nose-produeing instru- ments the ingenuity of the spieler can pro- duce One of the men procaims the powers of the mind-reader-"AI Orietta, the lady who knows it all, being a mlnd-reader who takes only a second to describe anything you have in your pocket" She is also, as the spieler hastens to inform you-"a clair voyant, palmest and phrenologist-all from the Island of Java" The crowd was hurry ing by to see the balloon ascension which was about to take place, or the spieler might have gone on to say that the lady was somnambulist, a reconteur and d hypnotst.
 The balloon having ascended with a pro- lessor dangling by leg from a trapese.
 
 persed. The ascension was the signal for another burst of noise from the megaphones and bass drums, and the members of the crowd were attracted in the direction of whichever noise pleased them the best Some for the glories of this world and some Sigh for the prophets paradise to come, An, take the cash and let the credit go Nor heed the rumble of distant drum. Thus sang worldly wise Omar and doubt less he had visions of some eastern mid way Good advice to the fly not to heed the drum-good advice to the spider to take the cash.
 Some signing for paradise, the glories and splendors of this world sought out Mile Orietta to have their fortunes told. Foolish people, who wish to lift the veil.
 Before entering on the serious business of fortune-telling the girl gave remarkable public exhibition of mind-reading Stand ing bindfolded with her back to the crowd she would tell what any article was that a person in the crowd would ask about. Watches had no secrets from her. She could tell the exact time of any watch, and the name of the maker. So with money. She told the correct date on any coin, and it's
 
 pins, walking sticks etc. All this was free exhibition. Of course when people want their fortunes told or stolen property found, why that is something they have to pay for.
 
 Others betook themselves to the snake eater, who lay at ease on his back within a den of vipers, dressed in a wrapping gown and quietly munching snakes. He must be a snake charmer as we'll as an eater, for the snakes let him alone and crawl to the farther end of the den. He picks up an armful with as much inpunity as so many sticks. Possibly, after all, the snake is a much malgned creature, and is not as bad as he is painted.
 Another noise that appealed to many of the crowd came from the streets of Cairo. Here man was beating d drum, another played on @ pipe, while a bear and a man gave an exhibition of wrestling. After the bear had got hold of one of the mans legs and had him hopping around on the other, the man concluded to make the bear hop some; so he managed to get loose and made the bear dance and turn somersaults. The huge beast would grunt every time he turned over, to the delight of the crowd, who enjoy head-end collisions, playful elephants and anything out of the usual run.
 If music hath charms to soothe the say age breast, the Midway demonstrates that noise hath charm for the civilized ear. There Is something pathetic and romantic in the word taps" It brings pictures to the mind of a tented field under the silent stars with many loved hero bravng pneu- monia sleeping the cold, cold ground. You can almost hear the mellow notes of the bugle, like "the horns of Elfand faintly blowing" As the last note dies away the lights are out and all is quiet, save the steady tread of the sentinel.
 But there is a difference when the lights go out in a city.
 In house in the suburbs recently there were electric lights that failed. There were neither candles, gas nor matches. A doctor was never wanted more than was the electrician. The man in the house, feeling it incumbent on him to act stum- bled to the telephone.
 Say, Central, I want a number, but I can't find my telephone book.'
 Well, l am sorry, but l don't see how l can help you"
 But I want the electrician"
 Which one?"
 T can't tell, because don't know which of them have phones"
 Neither do I.'
 But 1 say l am in the dark"
 'So am I''
 Well, give me some number"
 (Which one?"
 'Oh, any old number
 It was finally ascertained that Mir. Will Hams had phone, and after an. hour in the dark the electrician arrived and threw light on the scene