The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-28
Stranger Says Birmingham People Are Polite Enough
 But Not Always Explicit
Tells About Policeman Who Gave Directonss Some Times Puzzling Because One Doesn't Garry Compass
 Around in Ones Pocket-What Happened To Clever Woman in Paris
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

burly policeman said to me, walk west two blocks,' I should have retorted po- litely, Kindly start me right and while the gentleman may have looked sur prised he would no doubt have cour- teously pointed out the way and in a short time you would have found your way easy enough I said.
 T guess you are right" said the stran- ger, and this talk reminds me of Very funny experience had when was abroad once. which shows that some times a great deal depends upon how stranger Is directed, and in my case 1t came very near being a tragedy"
 Do tell me about it, 1 insisted. "It sounds interesting"
 q had travelled nearly all over Eu- rope" said the stranger. T hadn't been run over by a drosky in St. Petersburg; I had been to the Donnybroolx fair, where earned my shillalah. I escaped with my life from the brigands in Montene- gro, and I hadn't been thrown in the Nile while in Egypt. but l met my Wa terloo in Paris
 What happened?'' I queried. "I didn't speak French very well then" said the stranger. Tn fact. I could scarcely speak 1t at all. SO I was de- pendent mostly upon signs and gesticu- lations to get me to the places I was | looking for. I had the name of a hair dresser that had been given me, and in searching for the shop, which happened to be in a not very stylish part of the city, was sent to the wrong one, with most disastrous effects
 Tt wasn't The Morgue, or Maxim's, or some other unspeakabIe place, was it?' I asked.
 Tt was certainly an unspeakable place. replied the stranger. although 1t was a hair dressers. went in and stat ed what l wanted done, and l was hus- tied into chair quickly enough and my hair undone and pretty soon the attend ant began to give me a shampoo. And what do you suppose? He cleaned my hair with gasoline, I stormed and ragged and told him to clean 1t again--all in my very best English of course-which he took for approval, and again drench- ed my head with the horrible stuffl'
 "I never heard of worse experience" I said.
 1T should say not" was the strangers answer. 'I wept and walled and gnashed my teeth. and left as soon as it was possible. feeling for hours afterward that l smelled like an old white glove that had been cleaned, and vowed vengeance then and there on the wicked and perfid- ious person who had directed me to the wrong place, all of which put me quite on the defensive along those lines"
 Victor Records for May
 Every previous achievement of the Victor in the recording of masterpieces of grand opera must yield in importance to the splendid series of Faust records just issued, in which the greatest of all operatic scenes is completed in superb fashion by Caruso, Farrar, Gilibert and Jcurnet. The garden scene of Faust" is undoubtly Gounods finest inspiration, and the sensuous beauty of the scene has held countless millions in rapt atten- ton during the 60 years since it's first production.
 The Victor has secured the services of another famous grand opera artist Ric- cardo Martin, who enjoys the distinc- ton of being the first American tenor to be engaged for leading roles at the Met ropoltan opera house. and two records arc now presented in the May Victor list. He sings the beautiful soliloduy of Mario. ''The Stars Were Shining" from the third act of 'Tosca, and a peaceful Sla- vonic folk song, Songs My Mother Taught Me" Leo Slezak, the great Vi- enna tenor. sings two numbers, and Wilhelm Backhaus, the noted German