Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-09-23
MILLION PER WEEK.
And Still They Pour Into the
Great White City.


WORLDS FAIR. Sept. q. Especial. II
am still of opinion that a majority of the vis-
itors so far have come from within a circui;
Of 800 miles around Chicago. This was my
guess at the end of my first fortnight here.
and further observation has confirmed il
But there is just now y great change In
progress. New England and New York are
doing much better, and occasionally meet
an acquaintance from the far south. On
the lst of this month made an estimate
from various sources OF information and
decided that all New England had not sent
as many people here as two congressional
districts in central Illinois; that all Indi-
ara and Ohio south Of the National road
and outside OF Cincinnati had sent fewer
than two districts in Michigan, and that
all the states south of kentucky and Viz
ginia had not yet learned that there was q
World fair.
But so early as Roman Catholic day.
Sept. 2, there was noticeable change. and
on and since New York day that state has
been fairly represented. Last week long
trains crowded with people began to come
in from New England, Kansas and the far
southeast, and now the attendance really
u
Nevada and New Mexico had their joint
day, but no one would have known it by
the increased attendance. But Kansas and
Iowa have done nobly. 1t is not now ex-
pected, however, that the highest figures Of
the past will be excelled before Chicago
day, unless the Irish do it, and SO u com
parison Of attendance can be made The
contrast is somewhat curious. On opening
~, h,,t ne a
least 10000 of them wished they had not
come, for wealth and mud were distressful.
All Kinds Of Weather.
And here l may as well say that the
proposition to keep the fair open through
November strikes me as foolishness, and il
there is any crowd here the last half Of Oc-
tober it will surprise me. i have lived and
travelled In many climates, and this is be-
yond comparison the worst. On Ohio day,
the 18th. the heat was simply uncomfortable
Twenty persons were Frustrated in the
grounds. and even ia my room l was
half smothered. On the afternoon Of the
18th heavy overcoats were u necessity to
sensitive people, and for three days there
after n fire was comfortable in the morning.
Sometimes it is oppressively warm in the
morning and chilly in the afternoon. or
vice versa, and just as often one will wake
in the morning in sweat and lie down at
night thoroughly chilled.
And still they come. The attendance now
exceeds 100000 per week. The first day
of noticeably large attendance was June Is
German day-when 1851 were present.
On July 4 there were 2S3. .22,3, and that re-
mains the best on record On British day
there were l6S,S6i, on Illinois day a4395l,
on Machinery day lGS ,036, on Pennsylvania
day 20J 400. on the 9th (when SO many
states and interests joined) 23l 5ss22, OH Ohio
and Kansas day 1870, and on Texas
day--thc 1Gth-lg9,; ,;Sal The Irish have in
sured crowd on their day, Sept. 30, in the
same way the Democrats of Indiana used
to insure a victory-by starting the cam
paign with big row among themselves. II
has long been noted that the harder the
Democrats there fight each other in and be-
fore the convention the bigger vote they
cast, and on the same principle the Irish
are justified in their promise to have $1,000
men in iinc-their uniformed societies-and
an attendance of 100000.
Amid Waving Palms.
The Horticultural building is one in
which there is very much to see and very
little to report that would be novel, for
there are but the same palms, fruits, flow
ers, cacti, grasses and other growths seen
in all such collections, and all that can be
said is that there is larger collection Of
larger specimens than was ever before ex-
hibited. 1t is, moreover, "A strangely rest
full place, especially on "A warm and sun
shiny day. The eye, wearied by long gaz-
ing on the crowds and white buildings, is
suddenly cooled and charmed by the long
ystas and almost mountainous masses of
lark green, while the senses are soOthed by
the murmur of streams flowing down the
artificial hills. In it are eight greenhouses.
"A by 100 feet each, and in front of IL is n
large flower terrace with tanks for
nynphRas and water regias. In the center
and under the crystal dome. which Is 1l3
feet high and 1S7 feet in diameter, is the
much praised miniature fountain, 10 feet
and thickset with such thingsas giant
ferns and palms.
[ uder this Is an imitation of the great
cave recently explored in the Black Hills Of
south Dakota, n cave having 81 miles of
winding passages. In this cave are many
eurios and other things for sale at prices
warranted to take a common mans breath
away. After going through there and pric
ing the articles, everything outside seems
dog cheap" which is a great relief. For
an ordinary quartz crystal-and an active
man can gather 10 bushels day In any one
Of hundreds Of places out west-the price is
81. For plain stalactite the size Of your
little finger, the same. For polished bit
Of ribbon agate Utah has u mountain or
two Of the materiall, or for cateye, fire eye
or any similar and equally plentiful arti-
Gle the price Is from 20 cents up-and n