The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-11
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Some people say they get tired of the midways but to me the noise and con fusion is about the most soothing thing I know. This may seem a paradox or straining after effects. but it is true in my case.
 I happen to know of a dear friend sent to Johns Hopkins and took the rest cure for several months. Her husband went on for her and took her with him on business trip 10 New York. su hap pened that he had an engagement on Wall street and she insisted on going with him. Somehow she got it into her head that she wanted to go in the stock exchange gallery. He tried to talk her out of it fearing the excitement would uEnerve her, but she persisted, and strange to say in the wild scramble below she found 8 peace she had long sought , and insisted on going back several times. I just throw the above in to bolster up my statement about getting rest amidst excitement. Now, personally I care very little for the performances, but I take great interest in the performers. Ali my life theatre and circus people have had a strange fascination for me. I think can truthfully say that even in my so- i, ciety days I never had the least bit of the stage Johnny, about me. The ap- peal to me is along a different line and perfectly harmless. It's just natural love to talk with people whose lives are so free from ordinary restraints, not in 8 moral but in a physical sense.
 The spirit of adventure has always been strong in me- "Wanderlust' has been most real to me from my boyhood days up. It grips me every now and then, and nothing but the fact that have A home and loved ones keeps me from yielding to the obsession as long as>it is working. Soldiers of fortune have had 8 fascination for me and every eKpedi- ton going into unknown seas or lands has secretly drawn me. Perhaps this is one reason why Roosevelt has been to me the type of American have so admired buL enough or LnlS.
  I'll get down to the concrete. I went out to see what had happened to the Johnny J. Jones shows since it showed here at the fair two years ago. I have spoken of few things which took place in another story under the general head 1 of babies on the midway. Now I wish | to speak of the grown ups, for showmen and show women come and go, but some seem like Ed Salter, the publicity agent, | to hang on forever. But I have already written him up without his ever dream l ing that I was studying him to use as 1 copy.
 l I spoke of the five baby lions. I missed the young woman who was the feature act of the animal show. I had found her such quiet, unassuming home body that I was surprised to find her leading such life. I asked about her and learned that May Shepherd, the pretty lion tanner, had fallen for a soldier, went to France as Red Cross nurse, and returned with her hubby after the wars end and is now living in retirement in lovely Virginia city. I knew she had the home making instinct, and. was glad to find that she heard a calfto duty and went abroad as nurse.
 | I wasn't long in looking in on Midget City, for I found the midgets unusually pretty and intelligent. Every one of them dresses tastily, converses with l ease and knows what is what. Ed called them up to the side, where we were standing, and said to Prince Denny, Here is Dr. Barnett, you met a couple of years ago" "Oh," said he, 'are you the one who made the fair close last year on account of flu? If so, please shut it up now for I am tired and wan! a rest so I can go to the movies" Here all the prncesses chimed in saying
 "Yes and his favorite picture is the | bathing girls!"
 Prince Denny and his sister, Baroness Leons,- two of the charming midgets had two brothers in the French army Both were officers, and one was killed ir battle The father and mother of the prince and the princess are normal ir size, and so too were their soldier sons Princess Marguerite is Belgian and proud of it and nightly interested ir the fact that the King and Queen art
 in this country. She is dear ant can hold up her end in light and fancifu
 talk or badniage. Mile. Salome is alst
 ETraprh Cha iv ba y,op,hAr o Midget City.
 And now comes one of the queerest true
 stories I ever ran across. and I only tell it now as both parties to it are dead
 When the fair opened last season tt be closed on account of the epidemic
 there was fat woman who was billed
 weight was only TAO With the exposi
 tion was a midget, s1 inches high ant weighing about as much as the fa Iwoman's hand. No chance here for TO
 nance and love. you say. We'll, aftel
 you hear what follows never doubt cupid.
 ability to get things mixed up wheneve
 he makes up his mind to shoot his darts
 The two fell desperately in love, and n,
 amount of guying could shame them O
 cure them. The fat women took tn,
 flu here and died. Now comes tn
 tragedy The midget also was its vic
 tim but seemed to be on the way to
 speedy recovery. but when he learne,
 of the death of his huge sweetheart h.