The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-08-05
onlcAao,s WHITE ELEPHANT,

CHICAGO, August 2,-You have per
haps seen the statement in the Chicago
papers of yesterday as to the results o.
the fair for the first three months OF itl
existence and hence you are not sur
prised that they, in common with the
people here, regard it as Chicago'l
white Elephant" This is what il
promises to be as viewed through theil
startled and apprehensiVe comments
They have visions Of u direct p%ecunlary
loss Of fifteen millions to this commun'
ity. They are now crying out for heroic
measures as regards expenses aud dead
headism with n view OF saving the
bonds and as much OF the stoc% US pos
sible. The fact that a million OF float
ing debt remained on August ] was q
rod rug in the Dyes OF the stockholders
and the papers. This must DO paid be-
forO the bonds arc reached and the
bonds must he paid before the stock is
reached.
This is the situation that contronts
Chicago August lst, midway in the fair.
To u community that has sunk millions
in Improbable ventures OF an indiVid'
ual and company character growing out
OF the fair, the possibility OF losing mil.
lions more in the shape OF the bonds
and stock OF tho fair, in such times as
these, is u matter OF no small moment,
and hence the amusement to which
have alluded, Great and rich and pow
erful as Chicago is she secs in such an
aggregate OF loss u great set back for an
indefinite time to come. Hence the
vigorous call for the vigorous applica
ton OF the pruning knife.
INFRINGEMENT.
First all passes are called in, with O
view OF revising the list and sitting the
chat from the wheat; next, all salaries
to be revised, and all fungi (among
which Theodore Thomas music figures
to DO Topped oil. All nepotism and
favoritism that is costing money and
eating into the totals OF the fair is to "a
by the board. At least this is tho de-
mand Of the press and presumably oil
the stock and bondholders. They have
awakened to the fact that no $4,000, 600
Of paid admissions arc in sight; that
only 6,4S5, l2l admissions are recorded
up to August l; that this ia less than
one-lfth Of the 35,000,000 expected and
proclaimed at the outset Of tho fair as
likely during the six months OF its life
that 1t will require 100000 admissions
per day from this time on to pay ex'
penses and meet the bonded debt and
remaining %arrearage Of floating debt
that hui far there have only been
eighteen days oil which US many as 100,-
900 paid admissions have been attained
that tho situation OF tho country, ilnan.
CiNlly, is 80 uncertain that no reliable
estimate can DO made US to what the
current three months will yield rs com.
pared with the first three; and that
therefore, for all these reasons and for
divers and sundry others, the proper
thing TO do is to assume no greater at,
tendance than loo, 900 from now on, and
to prepare to make the fair pay its bonds,
and US much Of its stock Us possible, on
this basis OF patronage.
EXPECT BETTER TINES.
This is u diagnosis Of the situation
here rs regards tho fair up to the mid.
way point OF its career. 1t is fully as
pessimistic as the situation warrants.
Tho situation may turn out much moro
promising than this by the middle Of
this month, or, ut all events, by the end
Of tho month. August will tell the
story rs to the financial aud business
situation. The corn crop is not vet
made, and the clouds in the sky nrC
numerous and too much aot about with
"silvor lining" which nowadays Is not
a popular lining. We want more Of
tho gold lining that is just at this mo.
mont streaking our sky u little. "Roll
on Silver Moon" and give tho golden
sun Il better show, Is the popular wish.
This | say with all respect to tho silver
lunatiCs who are in session in this city
at this time and who will mako the
"bellowing forum" ut Washington re.
sound with their sophistries next win.
ter.
LOGICAL hut NOT INEVITABLE.
But, returning to the matter o admis.
sions, past and present, once more, ]
may further observe that come Of the
stockholders, especially ono very san.
guiRe real estate friend Of mine, take
much comfort in tho PHILADELPHIA Cen.
tcnnial record OF 1870, as showing how
tho fat kind reversing the Egyptian for.
muia) may follow and swallow up the
lean kind, and "irom tho nOttlo Of dan
ger pluck tho flower OF safety" II
other words, they point to the fact that
the first three months ut Philadelphia
only yielded l,7ll,lO4 pail admissions
wheroas the second three yielded G,203,
ITO, or ovor three and u half times al
much. II 10 there, In 70, why not &C
here, In Chicago, In '03, Is tho way they
put IT, Why not three and q half timof
Us many hOru bOtwoOn now and Novoln.
Der rs camu bOtwOon May l aud August
II toll my sangulnU friend that hiI
query reminds mo n little Of tho mat
who Listened TO Chioi Justice Marshall'i
famous declaion regarding tho Constitu.
tionality Of tho United slatos Banks
and who said Of IL that tho promise,
were admissible, tho argument Logical
aud tho conclusion inevitable, bul
nevertheless no (tha disaDntorl did not
believe In the banks, Ands 80, aitora fash
ion, ono might say Of this parallolisu
between 10 and '0J, between Philadel
phia and Chicago, tho promises mat
DO admissible, tho argument may bt
logical but the conclusion Is mot OxacIl,
inevitable by Il good doal. We wOtU no
III q bank pantc, with Now York OK
change ut Il discount Of one por cent In
tho west, ~ II Is today, nor were whoal
aud wool away down on the bottom, 10.
low zorro, whore they aru to-day. PuOplt