Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-15
h IT WILL COST.

courage to say that he or she is mol go
ing to the ~Philadelphia Exposition Of
American progress, genius and patriot
ism must be made Of csstiron. In every
city, town and village, and at every rail
way station and steamboat landing and
p~osto6iee, ct all the villages, crossroads
and places where people meet 70 discuss
politics, religion or social matters, can
be heard an expressed determination Of
going to the Centennial. This extends
sven TO the colored population of sAe
South, who propose to celebrate the
Fourth Of July in great force at the
original cradle Of liberty, where the
old bell Of liberty first rang ont
its notes Of freedom TO inspire
the sons Of l776 to noble and daring
deeds. It may seem ignoble and IN
worthy to check the enthusiasm Of our
people BY an allusion TO Philadelphia
hash.houses aud the arrangements in
progress to lodge and feed the half mil
lion strangers that viii on an average be
in that city three months next summer;
but We can afford to await the verdict Of
those who do 20. il not Of posterity. We
have watched the Philadelphia boarding
h use barometer as closely as the doings
Q Congress in regard to further apprO-
priAtions, and at length have some light
on the subject. The hotels. Of course,
can oaly accommodate 9 few thousand
people. The immense crowds will have
to look elsewhere for accommodations.
Philadelphia papers have taken pains
all along to announce that boarding
house rates would not DO increased
aud that the citizens generally in Phils-
delphis would throw open their houses
to strangers at a very slight, il any, ad'
vance over ordinary clearinghouse
rates. This assurance has been made
so often that the people seemed to be-
lieve it themselves; but the time has al
ready come for them to show their
hand and their cupidity. The op
p~ortunity to levy tribute on the
whole world only Occnrs once in g
hundred years. and cannot be permitted
to pass unimprOved. 1t is q notorious
fact that heretofore Philadelphia has
only had one 6rst-clsss hotel, the Cont
mental, but more recently several tenn
pOrary houses have been put up express
ly to meet the unusual demands Of the
coming season. Even these csHnot
feed and lodge 9 twentieth part Of the
visitors expected. Lest strangers shOuld
locate themselves in New York. Bali
more, Jersey City and other rival cities,
9 number Of disiEterested Philadslphians
got together and organized "CsntsD-
NAL LOdging-hOase Agency" Omitted
The houses going into the arrangement
agree to lodge and feed such persons Es
the managers Of the agency send thsni
two meals q day ct g. so 3 head; single
rooms Of course are out Of the question.
The guests will be cEammed together like
ssrdines in 8 box. bat not crammed IL
the stomach. Supper is to consist Of
tea or coffee, meat (cOldl, bread and but
ter; breakfast Of tea or coffee, warm
meat or fish, vegetables, bread and but.
ter-S beautiful bill Of fare How it
would delight Colonel Mulberry Sci
lers," who Could 70 into ecstaeies over &
dinner Of raw turnips and water. The
visitor is presumed to get his dinAer as
best he can within the Centennial
grounds. Boarding house coupons are to
be sold in all the railway and steamship
offices in connection with travelling tick
cts, and these coupons are redeemsble in
cash at a central Office. Agents will be
on all the trains to assign those who hold
coupons TO boarding houses, and when
c there they have to stay or lose what
they paid ia advance. A dinner on the
Centennial grounds will cost not less
than one dollar. This, added to The
price OF o boarding house coupon, pakel
three dollars and q half per day for tht
privilege Of being in q corral where hu
mainly will be jammed together regard
less Of social distinction or preVioaI
condition. Up TO this time the price o
board in these lOdgiug-houseS has beef
from 81 TO 81 per week. The proposed
rate will be at least $2450 per week, h
say nothing of extras, which will be sim
ply enormous. That is to say, rates vii
be more than trsbled, while il viii b
out Of the power Of boarders 70 enter an,
saectual protest against the i~neonVeni
encss Of their overcrovded BAKERIES
Eight thousand Of these houses bave or
tered into the arrangement; others boil
eat for the purpose Of charging more OK
tortiouats rates. The uuaui@ily sie
which boardlng-houSs keepers have re
Sponded to the proposition Q; the Agenc,
shows that they know there is mil
lions in t." The accommodation Of
fersd even under present circumstance
are not possibly worth more than on.
dollar per dag. The whole thing, al
though Endorsed By Mayor stoklsy an,
ether responsible parties, looks YER.
much ike 8 ~stupendous fraud, And VI
predict hat It viii so tarn out. AnOthe
disappointment is that the railroads hav
made Snch q slight reduction Of fares
This matter, We hope, may be recons;d