The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-05-05

How the Preparations Hrogres-Ne Cba Of
Living Where Visitors can get their Reg
uidr "Hash' and Leave their Pocket BOOKS
IA Large Clock Beer or no Beer, IhaFs
the Question,
The tenth Of May was approaching fast,
AS though Quaker village passed
\ A youth who bore, for g00dly price,
be99eT nesn,SnbiaiS with ne prond Device
A week has made little change in the as
pect of Centennial affairs though very
| large quantity of exhibitors stock has arri-
we'd during that time The work of funpack
| ing and arranging it is going forward with
rspidity, while a good deal lies around loose
in boxes on the grounds and in the build
| ings. But anyhow it is here, and gives en-
couraging evidence that there is going to be
something to see after all. At one time
there was almost complete blockade in the
unloading of cars, but better system is now
observed, and the work goes on more smooth
". There is some talk of putting on dou-
bic force all around, exhibitors and all, and
working night and day to hasten the un-
packing and arranging process, and unless
this is decided upon, the situation May 10th
will be about as indicated in my last letter
| notice that great many "things" for
warded for exhibition are considerably dam
aged in transpoi tation. SO far, more than
wothrds of the articles in the building are
| from foreign exhibitors The interest man.
iested by foreign countries and foreign en-
| terprise il really astonishing, and will not
be fully realized except by those who wit
ness it.
7 he question of expense is the all impor-
tant one to most people who contemplate
seeing the show. Besides the item of rail-
road fare, there is the matter of living while
here. Both these items of expense are go-
1 ,,,,x L.. Ii. 4. A. -.
| pie unless they take tumble, though the
cost of living promises to be less extortion-
ate than the cost of getting here. The
leading hotels have put their prices at So per
day, averaging 81 more than their ordinary
prices. This is, of course. an outrage, yet
there is no way to prevent it and they justi-
! fy themselves on the ground that they will
be "chock full' with people who can afford
to pay high rates. The most modest hotels
will charge from SO to 81 per day, prices
which they could not get at any other time.
But they all expect to be full and more
than full, and are providing themselves with
extra cots for use in their parlors and ante
rooms. 70 them, as to business people of
every class here, "hope tells a flattering
tale" and we will not wish them any disap-
pointment. The Philadelphia merchant
whose Golfers the dull times have lately de-
| pleted tells his importunate creditor to wait
till after the Centennial-and he waits.
But aside from the hotels there is the ever
lasting boarding house, more numerous here
at this time than in any other city on earth
except Washington. In these, people can
live at a little less than hotel rates, although
IN proportion to the accommodations and
luxuries offered their charges are the high
est. About two dollars per day is the COM
mon price among them, and from that to
thran J,lln 7 lnI -. a...
with woman who runs one of them day
or two since, just after she bad shown me a
little corner room about seven by nine, scan
| tily furnished, in which she proposed to put
two persons at two dollars per day each. In
| ordinary times she would have had hard
work TO rent 1t to one person at eight dollars
or nine dollars per week with board, but she
said the Centennial Lodging and Boarding
| House Association had established these
rates and recommended people to maintain
them. There is no reason why the people
of Philadelphia should plunder visitors to
the city by means of unusual and unreason-
able charges, but they look forward to it as
their harvest, and intend to make the most
of it. They present this view of the case
openly and freely, and argue that increased
demand justifies increased price. There are
plenty of patriotic people here whose inter-
est in the Centennial is entirely apart from
any motives of gain, but they are neither
the tradesmen nor keepers of caravanseries.
The rates given above cover about the range
| OF cost as far as can be regulated by the
lodging house monopoly, but those who come
| to stay any length of time and are willing
to 90 out some distance on the lines of street
cars can do better. joint stock concern
known as the Patrons Centennial Encamp-
ment has been organized with capital of
Sl6O,O 900, and is erecting buildings on for
ty acre tract at Elm Station on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad. The plan is to rent rooms
at one dollar per day, and furnish meals at
iitty cents, though the farming classes who
are expected to patronize it may bring their
own provisions if they choose
The clock for Memorial Hall has been
completed in Thomaston, Conn 1t has H.
100 pieces, the estimated weight of all be-
ing six tons. The main wheels are four feet
in diameter The pendulum ball and rod
weigh respectively 700 and 500 pounds, the
rod being l44 feet long and connected with
the clockwork by what is known as gravity
escapement, and makes two-second beats.
The rod is of steel, and to compensate for
contraction and expansion is encased in two
cylinders, one of zinc and one of steel which
by. their relative expansion upward, main
tain uniform centre of oscillation.
A meeting of the full board of Commits
sioners is now in session, forty States
and Territories being represented. Among
the problems that weigh heavily upon the
minds of all this assembled wisdom is the
question whether liquor of any sort shall be
sold upon the grounds 1t has been decided
to close the grounds on Sunday.