The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-27
A wIcHITAN IN CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, Nov. IS, 1892.

mad the temerity, SO Tar as l know, to
send communication back to the EAGLE
l am about to break the record for tie
sake of "auld lang syne."
There is scarcely day, rain or shine,
that do not take constitutional. select
ing the busiest thoroughfares of modern
Babylon for my peregrinations, and it is
an exceedingly cold day, assure you,
when do not run afoul of an old friend
whose acquaintance traces back to
those rollicking days in Wichita
when we were all prospective million.
airs. 1t is safe to say that none OF us
are here for our health. nor do l know
of single one of the 400 expatriates who
Is attracted hither by visions of pleas
ure or hopes Of social advantages.
The worlds fair is rainbow of
promise to people in all sections of the
country, who look forward to its advent
with the iiveliest anticipations of pleas
| ure. Not SO with the 400. To them
the great exposition is regarded more in
the light of promoter of ends looking
| TO livelihood, than vehicle affordins
opportunities for amusements and cul-
ture. Entering the Garden City on the
eve, as it were, of the most momontous
event that is likely to occur in a
century, an ordinary observer will be
| struck by the abnormal condition
of things presented to the eye, particu-
larry in the line of new buildings where
flats and hotels predominant. Stupen-
dous structures for these two classified
tons are in all stages of completion,
confined almost exclusively to the south
side, and extending all the way to jack
son Park-and beyond.
For the most part these buildings are
fire-proof, and from six to twelve stories
in height. thought I should like to
secure one of these containing about $50
rooms, and interest some friends in TAX
ing it for worlds fair business. So l
interviewed the agent. who blandly in
formed me that he could stipulate for
nothing short of ten years lease. That
he had refused an offer for a one
years lease of $4,000, the party
agreeing if he took the house
to expend not less than $4,000
in furnishing the same. Profoundly i'm
pressed with this information I bowed
respectfully and withdrew.
The next undertaking was to tackle
something which hoped would be
within the reach of my friends bank ac-
count. They said they were willing to
put twelve thousand in it for years
rent, but bless you the owner had an
ultimatum of $50, 900 per annum, and a
three years lease at that. So I left him
whistling, Jonathan, Jonathan, you
got left" My next venture was in a
forty -five room hotel, which is consid-
erably smaller than the Metropole, and
in no way to be compared with it. ex-
cept in altitude. Six hundred dollars
per month, unfinished was the price of
the pole that would knock this persim-
mon. Ely way of parentheses when a
man commences going down hill, there
is no telling where he will stop. My at
tention was next called toa twentv-one
room hotel. the ground floor of which was
fitted up for lunch counter and res
taurant. This house was furnished and
doinga fair business-lease and furniture
for sale at S.. 900; rental per month $3.50.
Neither my friends nor I could see any
money for US in either of these ventures
and so we abandoned the search for the
time being. and turned our attention to
smaller game, but considered more
lucrative according to the investment.
The restaurant and lunch counter bust
ness here is something phenomenal, and
respectable fortunes have already been
acquired in Chicago in this business. So
with our ideas great deal modified, we
began to look the field over for a stand.
A corner room on the ground floor of
one of the ''sky scrapers," rearing COM
pletion, was pronounced as just the
thing, but when we learned that the
bare rental was $4,000 per annum,
we felt like the darkey when
the rabbit escaped. Next basement
restaurant doing fair business was
offered me for $1,000. with a rental OF
$3.50 per month, but it could be seen,
after little investigation, that the
party holding the lease wanted a clean
bonus of 81, 200, or thereabouts, which
was all the restaurant could earn during
the worlds fair period, and after that
the flood.
So turn whichever way you will in
the matter of rents, and the future is
discounted all it will stand.
For many years Chicago has been con-
sidered as the best equipped of all cities
to care for a multitude OF guests. AT the
recent dedication ceremonies when
Chicago took care Of the largest crowd
ever seen in her streets, none but the
leading hotels were filled to repetition.
The small hotels and apartment
houses were left holding the bag. 1t
seems to me that in one week of the fair
will call out as vast throng of people
as were here Oct. 2I. When one takes
into consideration the vast and increas-
ing number of apartment houses, run
ming up into the thousands, with half
their rooms vacant now awaiting the
rush, and the new hotels unoccUpied as
vet, added 10 tile accommodations OF
dedication day. it looks to me as II these
preparations would be far In excess OF
the actual demands, and that lease
holders would suffer in proportion and
the reaction would not stop here but ex-
tend to owners. and one step further. the
mortgages And yet the average Chi
cagoan has faith 10 believe that on the
LIST day of May, from all points Of the
compass, droves of people will be fead-
ing this way. Each day will see the
crowd augmented until standing
room only will be hung out over the en-
trance 10 every hotel in the city, and the
apartment houses will be filed to over