The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-22
HOPEFUL pHILADs1rHIx.
Espsetias q Larger Attendance amer fhe Hay.
ins Season IL Over.

PHrLADELpHIA, June 20.-The paying at
tendance at the Centennial Just now averages
somewhere between twenty and thirty tbcu-
sand q day, thus netting something over the
running expenses Of the show. Besides the
paying visitors, there are many thousand desd-
heads. Some OF these arc exhibitors and
domestic and foreign oommssiopers, which
Is well enough, but the list is largely
increased by oomplimenterles, which un-
doubleday are 70 Philsdslphians aud their
friends, including those who subscribed stock.
All such matters are decided by the Pbiia-
delphis Bourd Of Finance, the United States
Commission having no control. Indeed, Com
missioner Ia allowed pass only for himself and
wife.
The atte ndance Ia now rather decreasing than
incres sing, owing TO the commencement Of the
haying and harvesting seasons, and the nsces-
sty for working crops through the whole ooun-
try. After a few weeks the paying admissions
are expected to increase, and 1t is taken for
granted that after August. and particularly
upon the commandment OF September, there
viii be large crowds. During October the aver
age should exceed 5000 a DAY.
Great damage was done by the hotels and
boarding houses on the opening day. Hotel
charges were advanced nifty cents day, and II
was Impossible to secure board even Tor lew
Establishments, embracing thousands of houses
which never took bourders before. asked ten
dollars a week, without dinners, and IL was a
condition that two should occupy . bed, and In
most cases that there should be two beds IN a
room, sometimes three, stu. or even dozen
beds. 80 sanguine was everybody that IL was
believed all beds would DO occupied and IN the
vicinity OF the grounds, even M far OF ~ a mile,
| with cheap beds. Extensive eating houses were
| nJted up In every direction from the gates, and
| all kinds of shows were made ready for tho
iuvpetment. 4e,
| wel-apponted hotels, aust have been Immense.
On the return home of the great crowd which
| had attended on the opening day, they lmme-
diotely advertised 60 their friends the condition
OF things, whereupon coidreAs or aspecles Of re-
would not come. The hotels saw their mistake,
| and they immediately reduced their prices TO
ever, had faith in the future but gradually they
| grew respondent, and they too reduced thor
| prices. 1t was too late. However, after the
show opened II WINS apparent that IL was really
a great affair, and In a few weeks the attendance
| increased so that II has now become quite re-
sUectable. But the hotels have scarcely more
guests now than commonly, while there are thou
sands of boarding houses which have scarcely
received guest anu about Two Weeks axo iu nn
| their way back to the city. The eating houses
and hotels around tho grounds have but few
guests, and the side-show men are In despair,
for their receipts are less than they would he at
an ordinary State fair, probably because the
| show inside demands so much attention and II
| really worthy OF IT, The number of visitors
| staying permanently in the city does not prob
ably exceed l0,Wo, and the greater part OF these
| are distributed I'm second ciass hotels and In
| boarding houses, paying about $40 week, more
| generally O. and there ~ room TOR plenty more.
| The food is good, the beds clean, and stten-
| lions generally satisfactory. IL II worthy of note
| that comparatively few Of the Philadelphia poo-
pie have ettended -pro badly not more than 80 00t
| Of them, which Is only one In sixteen. The
near by attendance is much larger, and u Is not
impossible that New York and suburbs will send
| more than the Centennial city herself.
| People do not stay az long AZ II was expect ed
they would, for after few days they get tired,
and they either intermit 40 away. IL Is rare
| for visitors to stay two weeks. IL In true that
| during this time they cannot see all, but they
| see more than they can remember, often more
| tDan Is worth remembering. As to patriotism
| II Il a thing al ost entirely forgotten. Wash
| ington's old clothes and camp equipments nee
be seen but once, aud Independence Hall u
| thought more of by those who have not seen II
| than by those VINO have. The high charges OF
| the opening day did more, however, to obscure
| patriotism than anything else.