The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-05
OUR CENTENNIAL LETTER.
Attendance increasing-Why PEG.
pie are Backward in Going
to the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Heat and Pricess-Whatl gnN
IL Costs 20 Hee tlle9nr! re-
'..r, ExDOsifiOn. 1dl gsTl.
PHI1GpELpHIA, Aug..3.

the intense neat IN the later part plJuly
to about 1900 is now constantly rising
and varied last week between q, 900 and
10000. In the months Of September and
October the attendance will in all proba-
bility, double and treble this amount.
The interest in the Exposition, and the
desire to see twill verygreatly increase..as
1t draws 10 It's close, and II the weather IN
October proves to be fine, as our protrac-
ted Indian Summer usually ID, grounds
will be more thronged during the last
days than ever before, and no doubtful
managers will gladly consent to put the
closing day one or two weeks farther oil.
Such has at least been the experience in
the former International shows, and at
Vienna in 1873 the attendance rose in
the last days to 10000 visitors. Up to
this time the attendance at the Philadel-
phia Exposition has been considerably
below the previous estimate; but the great
bulk OF visitors have yet to come, and in
the remaining fourteen weeks the inflow
will undoubtedly come much nearer, II
moi surpass the original expectations.
A great many who intended and yet
intend to visit the Exposition have been
backward about il, for several reasons.
Some thought It would not BIO complete
during the frat three months. Others
were afraid OF the heat or the eXorbitant
prices for lodging and board, Some
thought the railroad fares would be
cheapened, and some wantedtheir friends
TO go first, in order TO hear how they
liked il and whether it vas worth going
to sec. For the benefit Of those who have
not yet overcome these fears and consid-
erations, l intend TO say few encourag-
ing words. -H -4
The exposition is now complete and no
object Of any considerable interest will
be added to it. "
The great heat has subsidel and in
tense as it was-reaching one day l0SS-
the havoc among the visitors on the
ground was not so fearful as some news
paper reporters would make the public
believe. II q dozen, or even two dozen
persons get sick among 10000, the fact is
neither surprising nor alarming. Its
not remarkable at all, especially when
quite frequently you would see many per.
sons pouring down every five minutes q
glass full Of iced water in order 10 keep
cool. II does not seem safe to visit the
art gallery in days Of great heat. Three
ladies' were seen fainting there. The
great glass cupola seems TO act as q beat
condenser and the ventilation is not as
good as in the other halls, which makes
Ibis otherwise splendid building the
warmest place on the exposition ground.
More than this it may well be supposed
that the sight Of 80 many marble
statues in their comfortable dishabille lin
puris naiTalibuS) increases the feeling OF
TOO much dress on the part Of the behold.
ors and makes them imagine themselves
still warmer than they are, and thus
begets nervous, uneasy and burdensome
feeling, such as naturally prediSposes a
lady 10 faint.
There ia no want Of places where per-
spring visitors can find refuge and re.
freshment. You may go into the Horti.
cultural Hall and sit in the shade Of a
genuine banana tree, with leaves seven
| feet long and twenty inches broad, and
with fruit just ripe and ready to be
plucked. Or you may so into the Ma.
chinery Hall, to the pump department
where a series Of waterfalls render the
mir moist, cool and pleasant; or you may
20 and seat yourself in front Of one OF
the blowing machines which blow. with
the force Of twenty-five thousand palm
leaf fans; or close yourself into the re.
frigerator in the Agricultural Hall,
where couple OF fish, a basket OF
Strawberries and several cakes OF Ice
are preserved freshj and unchanged
since The opening Of the Exposition; or
you may walk up TO the porch OF the
West Virginia building where a fresh
breeze is constantly blowing, and where
the view Of the monumental total absti-
nence fountain in Its plump magnifcence
makes you feel cool and sober all at once.
As to the exhorbitant prices in Phila.
delphia hotels and in the restaurants on
the Centennial grounds, | admit that per-
sons who want to get rid Of $40 to $25
a day, staying at the most fashionable
hotels, dining at the Trois Fries restau.
rant, taking ice cream at the Vienna
Bakery, being wheeled around in a roll
ing chair, visiting at night some fashion
able Mace OF amusement, can be suited
exactly. Persons OF ample means, but
who are not willing to squander them, do
best to stop at one Of the old established
hotels that charge from s. to s. day.
People who have to economic do best
not 10 20 to any hotel, but 10 one Of the
numerous and good private boarding
houses, where they can get room, break
fast and supper for from Sc to Sl2 per
week. On the grounds they can get din.
ner for so cents in the American or in
the German restaurant, or an excellent
and wholesome lunch in one OF the dai.
RIGS. would not advise anyone to stop
at one Of the large wooden barracks that
call themselves hotels on the European
plan. In reality they are built on the
penitentiary plan, and some unIucky in.
habitants OF one Of. these assured me that
they feel every evening when they come
home as il they were stationed in the
lookup. hs.i =,
hope to oblige several readers who
are afraid that they can not afford to
visit the Centennial by showing them
what sum would do 10 make the trip and
stay at Philadelphia one week:
Railroad ticket TO Philadelphia from Wheel -.
,ss. 20 ~
tscLpeFs sell tickets Al 81 60) ....
Lodging and board for one week OO
Entrance TO the Centennial Grounds six =,
times At 10 cts w
Six lunches al tho Dairy, consisting o.
bowl Of milk and mush or bread, one cake
and one saucer Of icO-crcam, 70 ets...".". "
StTeOt-cafs aud ~
Fare from Philadelphia TO WhcGllnS.....,,... "
TOtal"."....",...,...........,,."....' sSO "
I am satisfied that there are great
many people in the State Of West Viz.
ginia who have $50 to spend, and they
| will afterwards agree with mo that they
never invested a sum better and to great.
or advantage than these thirty dollars.
II any. person should ask me whether
they should visit the Exposition, / an.
swer BY all mednSi It Is the grandsst,
most interesting, most instructing and
most elevating spectacle ever beheld in
this country, and II is real loss for every
one who misses seeing Il. g.