Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-25

the grounds, are by no means features
calculated to attract. When it is
( known that tons of exhibits are arriv-
ing daily, people naturally enough feel
that there is no hurry. But this is
no indication that they won't come by
and by. The success of the exhibi-
tion is assured both by it's immensity
and the interest and enthusiasm mani
tested everywhere, especially on the
opening day. It is stated that consid-
erable disappointment is felt by the
Centennial direction and in business
circles generally at the limited number,
and what they are pleased 10 term the
severe economy, of visitors. So far
as the exhibition is concerned there is
no occasion for misgiving. When the
pressure of spring business shall be
over, and the Exhibition complete for
inspection, the people will come from
every section, not to parade the streets
and gaze in the shop-windows, but to
cluster about the great fairy-land in
the Park and study its beauties day
after day, until they are content, and
then most of them will go away to re-
turn for a farwell visit in the autumn
to what this generation can never see
again. 1t may be that the estimates
early made of the millions of visitors
will prove little Jules Verney, but
the people are certainly coming.
But for the thousands Of specula-
tive schemes organized solely to pluck
the unsuspecting people who are to
come here nobody will have sympathy.
They went upon the theory that fool
and his money are soon parted, and
that the city would be overrun with
people anxious to spend their accumu-
lated wealth or that they would be
naked and hungry and they would
take them in; that there was to be a
famine of provision and harvest of
greenbacks. But they counted their
chickens before the eggs were laid, and
with no rooster in sight. The cafes
and refreshment places inside the
grounds, which charge treble or quad
ripple prices for ordinary meals and
drinks, will fail disastrously, as they
most justly deserve to fail. 7 have
seen bills rendered for ordinary dinners
amounting to from three to four dol
lars. which at any of the best restau-
rants in Philadelphia would not have
cost more than a dollar, and if any
one is so stone-blind as not to see by
this time that fifteen cents for a glass
of soda-water and fifty cents for a
sandwich will make visitors absolutely
withhold their patronage, they will
learn it finally to their sorrow. The
boarding houses and extemporized ho-
tells promise to be not the least Of these
sufferers, and am glad of it There
are many hundreds of them all de-
manding So to So per day for the
most ordinary accommodations, such
as can be obtained in any other city,
Chicago, New York or even Washing.
ton, tor from ST to $40 per week, and
they insist always upon putting two in
room at that. [ saw statement in
one correspondents letter that good
board could be had here for S. per
week, and | know several persons who
have been industriously hunting the
author of that fiction for the past week.
But these things will all be forgotten
one hundred years hence.
To me the United States building is
one of the most interesting within the
inclosure. The war and navy depart
ment display, with all the munitions
and engines of war arrayed in view, is
quite intimidatipg. But the neatest
and most perfect and curious of all is
the little engine and envelope machine
turning out Centennial Envelope"
all complete and stamped at each evo-
luton. The agricultural ,display is
made mainly in large glass show cases
and comprises in all five divisions,
namely, chemical. chronological, bot
anical, microscopical and the general
museum. Hanging on the wall near
which the showcases stand are four
large maps of the United States, all
being divided into spaces of different
sizes and colors, upon which are num-
bers corresponding with reference