Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-12
THE RUSH FOR PARIS.
An hmm anse American ExOdup this
summer Probable.

New York Graphic.l
Regardless of the scarcity of
money and the earliness of the sea-
son, there can be no doubt that the
travel in Europe, largely drawn by
the approaching Paris exposition,
will exceed anything anticipated by
the ocean steamship companies.
An unusually large amount Of travel
had been anticipated, and some of
the steamship companies had prom
ised reduction of fares in order to
attract custom. Even these ex-
pectations have been more than
counterbalanced by the early en-
gagement of staterooms, some of
which are several months ahead,
and, instead Of its having been
necessary to increase accommoda-
tions in order to carry at lower
fares, no single line running from
this city has reduced its rates. On
the contrary, some of them have
been compelled to increase the
fares in order not to exceed the first
class carrying capacity Of their
vessels.
All the lines do a larger freight
and passenger traffic in the sum-
mer than in the winter season, and
it has been customary to increase
the number Of steamers and trips
during the warm months. But the
probable demand for passage, dur
ing the present season, has been so
much greater than was anticipated,
that it has become impossible for
any of the more popular lines to
supply it. The passage rates, there
fore, instead of being lowered, as
the public had been led to expect,
run considerable danger of being
largely increased.
The inquiries at most of the off,
ces Of the more important lines are
two hundred per cent. over those
usually made at this time of the
year, and indicate fully one hun
dred per cent. over the amount of
travel any year since the panic of
1873. Not only is this true, but
there has been a very unusually
large number of berths and state
rooms positively engaged weeks and
months in advance, which show
that the exposition has had direct
influence, especially among the
older travelling community, which
always takes care to secure such
accommodations as it desires as far
in advance as possible.
The French and English have,
however, not been at all uncon-
soious of the fact that there was
likely to be deluge of American
visitors, and special accommoda-
tions have been furnished for them,
in the matter of hotels, steamboat
and rail transportation from Eng
land to Paris. A number of special
parties, large in numbers, have
also been arranged between New
York and the French capital. 1t
was rumored some weeks ago, in
this city, that American speeula-
tors had been engaged in buying
up hotel and private apartments in
the immediate neighborhood of the
Champs de Mars and the Trocade-
70, especially the latter, at fabulous
prices. They will probably meet
with much the same success, or
rather failure, that they did at the
Philadelphia and Vienna exhibit
tons. Indeed, boarding tickets at
the Hotel Grand can be bought to-
day in New York at the rate Of 81
per diem; at the Bedford for So per
diem, and at most Of the lesser no.
tells, where accommodations are
good, for $3.50 and 81 per diem,
in gold. OF course, if persons who
are familiar with private hotels of a
still higher class choose to pay still
higher prices, they will do so, but
there is no reason why any mar,
simply because he is an American,
should be subjected to the outrage
ous extortions which were attempt
ed at Vienna in 1879, The tran
Sient visitor, who is posted at all,
can be entertained at the Beretta
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