The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-08-26


any other city of it's size in the country.
Everybody drinks beer. men. women and
children. Some of them drink too much
of It, while others apparently never get
enough. For instance. I am told that
the Anheuser Busch company disposes of
500 600 bottle of beer a day in and about
St Louis In addition to this It must be
remembered that there are perhaps
dozen other brews of the amber solaee in
great demand. and every twenty-four
hours St Louis. together with the fair,
consumes an ocea:: of "suds."
Long before you reach the fair town
your eye Is confronted by huge sign
boards scattered over Illinois and neigh
boring states. calling attention to the
qualities of Miller Anheuser or Box As
result of its great abundance. beer is
very cheap. One can buy # for cents
| a bottle, while the expenditure of the
same amount will procure you a glass
Of beer and an elegant, meal, styled free
lunch. | suppose the chief reason for the
popularity of beer here is due to the
large foreign population, among which
Germans are conspicuous
But II you don't drink beer YOU will
not perish at the fair. There are all kinds
of fluids to drink including water. You
can get glass of the latter by putting
a penny in the slot and pushing the rod
| Some of Uncle Sans farmers neglect to
push the rod after putting In their PEN
MES, and consequently get no water.
They depart under the impression that
they have again been buncoed without
ever reading the directions on the slot
machine. Beer is not sold by the penny
| or nickle-in-the-slot method It would
be too much trouble to keep the tanks
filed
The fair Is also a great place for slot
machines. You are confronted by them
at the entrances and are admitted after
dropping In a half dollar. Thenceforth
you sec these contrivances On every hand
and you can get almost anything out of
them except free lunch and clean laun-
dry. The slot machines and the novelty
merchants run a close race for the pub
lies patronage, with the honors about
even.
Just here I wish to state, In justice to
st. Louis and the fair. that prices are not
exorbitant, as many people have been led
to believe. OF course certain unscrupu-
lous tradesmen, hackmen and BARRIERS in
town will try to rob you, If you seem in
clined to take 1t, but there ie none of this
on the fair grounds. I learned these facts
by little experience in a subway barber
shop just across the street from the Union
passenger station. Several arrests have
been made recently. and offenders are
punished whenever complaint is made.
But as a rule the prices are very reason
able both in town and at the fair free
lunch has already been mentioned and 1t
is possible to get a good dinner at the
fair at prices ranging from 90 cents to
$500. In fact, you can MAKE 1t as high as
your tastes or your oocketbook will al
low Lunches and small orders can. of
course, be had much cheaper and If you
get thirsty order 'tuD of suds." Rooms
can also be had at the usual prices pre-
vailing In town. st. Louis could easily
take care of twice the number of people
now visiting the fair and no one would
have to sleep on the floor. 1t is confidently
believed that there will be great rush of
the attendance is expected to mount rap
idly. Just now warm weather is keeping
many away.
There are many curious people to be
seen at the fair, where travellers from all
parts of the world are gathered together,
but perhaps none present a more pitiable
spectacle than the deluded individuals who
are there to educate themselves Be they
men or women their plight is the same.
They may be observed in all the exhibit
buildings with heads thrust forward, eyes
fairly bullying in their anxiety to let no de-
tan escape their observa ton, a notebook
in their hands and on their faces a look
of tense agony. These people HE them
forth in the early morning and rush till
dewey eve, when they drag themselves.
faint and exhausted to their hotels or
boarding houses. They have no time for
the glorious delights of the Pike; with
them seeing the fair is stern duty that
must be performed regardless of fatigue,
and the result Is that they get about as
much pleasure out of their trip as
81 all boy at vestry meeting.
If you would enjoy the fair do not
start out with the idea that you will see
it all, unless you intend staying several
months, for it Is doubtful If you could
do" the big show thoroughly even in
that time After one day of this strenu-
Gus sightseeing we Zone of u.s. dragged
our weary self to bed, and swore to loaf
during the remainder of our stay The
result was a very pleasant time and no
hard work.
Rusticity is much in evidence at the
fair, but 1t soon wears off You will
see people who do not know what to do
with menu cards, and Others who do not
know how TO register at hotel. Watt
resses and bell boys at the Inside Inn
can tell some amusing stories of people
with whom they come in contact every
day. A party of ladies' occupied room
at the hotel one night They were shown
up by bell boy and left to their own
devices. After about half an hour they
sent hurry call for a boy, and when
that functionary came rushing up, one
of the frightened DANES implored him
to bring a lamp so they could see how to
go to bed. When he turned on the cleo
trio bulb their eyes opened very wide.
A man in the dining room studied the
menu card at some length. on which
"consomme" was printed in bold type.
and then politely asked the girl if she
had any soup.