The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-05-05
THE BIG SHOW.
esneraI Disqualification OF the Public
with che Railroad Tarin Philsdsiphia
western and southern People nom
Comtng.

~
Coming.
Correspondence OF the New ysh World.
PHILADELPnIA, April 2O.-Philadel-
phia is already trembling lest the open
ing days Of the Centennial Exhibition
7 shall not witness the attendance here
that was expected.
Two causes will render the opening
of the Exhibition a comparative failure,
II they are not speedily done away with.
On one Of them | remarked ut some
length in a former letter-the delay OF
American exhibitors. While the G n
on each side of the Continent are plow-
ed by steamships and sailing vessels
which bear hitherward the last -contri-
buttons OF foreign countries, the Yankee
exhibitor whites and yawns, the
Hoosier exhibitor pours forth a spring
tide Of tobacco juice, and the Southern
exhibitor lounges with "A splinter of SUI
gsr-cane in his mouth among his bales.
They all expect To wake up by-and-by
and come on here with their traps and
devices and astonish creation. But !
can assure them that they had better
bestir themselves and hurry forward
their goods IL they don't want To get in
yolved in such confusion and delay as
will spoil the effect of what they have
TO show at the opening, and greatly in
crease the board bills Of themselves or
their agents. The foreign commission
ers are active aud all ahead Of them.
The most ominous thing, however, Is
the schedule of railroad fares 10 Phila-
delphia adopted in convention by all
the principal lines controlling the APP
proaches to the Exhibition.
There is a reduction on round-trip
tickets (tickets to Philadelphia and re-
turn from ali points east of Omaha) OF
% per cent. on the regular rates. This
concession has been praised. IL Is
wholly inadequate 10 the occasion, sui.
cidal ON the part of railroads dependent
on Western and Southern traffic, fear
fully detrimental to the big show and
sure Ia prove abortive. Colonel Scott.
Pe~nnsyiysnia Railroad-the monopoly
which controls SO many branch tracks
and with which many other ilrst-class
lines have had to negotiate in order q
get their trains up TO the Exhibition
grounds-was the chief mover IN this
attempt 10 take an unreasonable adj
vantage Of the wishes of Americans "a
come ON here this summer. Colonel
Scott and all the rest OF them made a
mistake. Nothing less than a reduc-
ton of one-half the regular rates OF
railroad fare will do, as they are be-
ginning TO see. Nothing else will pay
the cost Of the Centennial Exhibition,
On the course of recent trips North
and West | took pains TO inquire Of ho-
tel-keepers, railroad agents and others
how manv people were going 10 the
Centennial 2- Almost invariably the an
swer was something like this Well, il
depends a good deal on how much il
costs. People can't afford 10 use mucl
money Just now outside of their owr
family expenses. II the railroads put
down their fares low enough, and folks
are sure of not being swindled at Phila.
delphia, a good many will 60. If not,
they'll stay at home"
There is an immense under stratum
Of second, third and fourth rate msr.
chants and storekeepers and profession
al men in cities and towns, thrifty folk.
in the villages, farmers, plasters and
others whose means are too limited Il
be trifled with. Then there are larg,
numbers OF patriotic and intelligent cit
liens even poorer than these who hay,
been denying themselves Injuries for /
year 10 save money enough to CRAFTY
their finest tastes and give their chill
dren something to remember, by a visi
here. No doubt the greater part o.
these will renounce the notion Of com
ing AZ all when they ascertain the raii
road rates that will soon be placarded
The country is wide. The intolerabl,
ways Of the centennial do not per
meate so dazzingly a TO blind the eye
with which every %judicious citizen now
regards his pocket-book.
For example, visitors from certain
conspicuous points outside of tn,
charmed circle Of New York. Washing
ton and Pittsburgh, will have to pay tn,
following railroad fares, which are cal
culated on the basis Of the % per cent
reduction over one Of the most liberia