Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-12-23
No. :
CENTENNIAL, HASH.
How the Nations will be fed and
Lodged.
From the Philadelphia Times. ]

While noticeable Improvements have been
made in the hotel accommodations OF Phlla-
dephia in anticipation Of an extraordinary
demand during the Centennial season, many
of the housekeepers have signitied an inten-
ton of also providing for the reception OF
visitors. From the interest already displayed
in this movement, it is calculated that at least
10000 people can be comfortably lodged
here-that is, 81, 600 in the hotels and $4,000
in private houses. These figures have been
reached partially by the investi cations Of the
Centennial Lodging House Agency, after a
canvass of little less than one-half of the city,
and by a comparison of the number Of dwell
ing-buuses and population in this city with
New York. Then considering the available
hall and vacant store-roOm that could be
brought into requisition in quartering visiting
organizations, the facilities for serving meals
at the various eating saloons scattered through
out the city, and calculated to furnish over
100000 meals u day, the establishment OF
restaurants within the Centennial grounds
capable of furnishing over $4,000 meals III
one hour, it would seem apparent that amps
facilities for feeding and lodging visitors viii
be provided. The American restaurant OF
Messrs Tobrason s. Heilbrun will be man
aged so as to serve 5000 meals in an hour, Or
$4,000 meals in q day Merccr's Southern
Restaurant will feed 6, 900 people at one sit
ting, while Sudreau's New York Restaurant,
Lauber's German Restaurant, and Goyard6
French Restaurant viii ieeu ever l1,O1O poO
pie. The calculations thus far made as to
the probable attendance at tie Exhibition
have figured the daily arrivals in Philadelphia
at 20, O00 With an average of ten days for
visit, and daily oatl;,y for each visitor Of
S., there would be ST, eco, coo expended here
each day, or q total Of $500, coo, 600 during
the Centennial season. This is a very I'M
portant consideration in determining the bene-
tits Philadelphia viii derive from the success
of the Exhibition. But il is not only prom
ised that the fair will excel all others IN the
character Of exhibits, etc, since, as a prOni-
nent member OF the Centennial Board of
Finance assured a reporter yesterday the eX-
hibition will prove /; financial success, and
thus carry off the palm from all the worlds
! fairs yet held, none of them having paid eX-
penses. The greatest obstacle the Centennial
authorities had to contend with in providing
accommodations for visitors, after the ques-
| ton of lodgings had been disposed of, was
the difficulty in securing provisions to feed
such great mass of people as would congre-
gate here. But the matter worked itself out
1t was feared that vegetables would be scarce,
and that butter, eggs and meats would COM
mand enormous prices. This at first sight
appeared inevitable. No method of provid-
ing against scarcity seemed feasible, and
several hotel keepers and spectators, to
guard against too great an advance in prices,
made contracts for buying butter at 81 per
pound, and other provisions in proportion.
1t is not likely, however, that these extreme
precautions will prove at all profitable, and
there Will be little or no increase in the price
of provisions if careful investigation into
the preparations already inaugurated can be
relied upon as an indication. Philadelphia is
so located that a large section of country can
be drained at comparatively little cost. All
through New Jersey vegetable patches have
been planted by farmers with the idea of
meeting the extra demand, while the facili-
ties for obtaining meat at the abattoir of the
the Schuylkll, will be unrivaled. Merchants
are already soliciting consignments Of provs-
ions from New York State, localities that
heretofore found a market in New York
City. Farmers and dairymen generally are
increasing their stock to supply milk and
butter. The large dairies Of New York,
Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, that pre-
viously manufactured cheese on an extensive
scale, propose now to turn their attention to
supplying butter. A firm that has generally
packed $4,000 dozen eggs, and kept them in
good condition for number of years hy
patent process, has this year packed 100000
dozen. Another sample of the enterprise
which has been manifested in preparing for
the Centennial can be found in the project of
party of capitalists who have invested up
wards of $2O0,000 IN poultry. This they
have packed in frozen condition in store
house on the White Mountains, and propose
delivering here next year in refrigerator cars
Provision dealers are investing largely in
hams and cured meats
Servants.