Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-26
viii be here at any one time. OF these not
all will go to the fair every day Of their
sfay

will be here at any one time. OF these not
all will go to the fair every day Of their
stay.
OF course one must not overlook the
fact that Americans are the greatest peo-
pie in the world TO travel and spend money
and seek amusement II the times be
fairly good and cholera keeps away these
good American citizens of ours will come
in great train loads. Not q very great at
tendance Is expected from New England
and the east, nor from New York or the
south. But from western Pennsylvania
to the Pacific ocean Chicago knows the
American people are making ready TO
come to the fair. The attendance from
Europe will not be large, either, . mere
bagatelle in comparison with the whole
number Of admissions
1t is fortunate thing that Chicago has
such extensive hotel accommodations and
also that her railroad facilities are the
best in the world. Chicago, YOU must re-
member, is the greatest OF all railway CEN
ters. More than a score Of roads enter the
city. and inquiry has developed that they
are able to carry from rs, 900 TO l00, 900 per-
sons per day to and from the city. Many
of these passengers will stay from one to
four weeks
Iasked one Of the directors Of the expo
sition company what attendance he ex-
pected to see. His reply was interesting.
1.-THE first thirty days don't count" he
said; 1--WE have $50 days remaining. In n
score of Sundays we'll take from six to
seven million tickets. In the 1870 remain
ing days expect TO see the paid attend
ance run about like this per day: Chi
cago people, 2o,0o0; strangers staying in
the city, 10000; excursionists from near
by points who come in the morning and
go away at night, 10000. Total, 1850 q
day except Sundays, or seventeen millions
for all the week days. Say, grand total
of twenty five million admissions, or tl2,-
900 at the gates"
think the results will be little better
than this, though not much. II the man
ayers succeed in taking from twelve to fif-
teen millions of dollars at the gates they
will come out nearly even, for their con-
cessions will yield them half rs much
more. The exposition company gets all
the way from % to rs per cent. of the
money spent by visitors within the
grounds. They get share from the res
taurants, the cafes, the railways, the
theaters, the rolling chairs, the boats, pop
corn, gum, guides, catalogues, foreign vii
lages, dancing girls, big wheels, shoe
blacking, everything. There are about
800 concessionaires, and some Of them
have as many as eighty cashiers and a
thousand employees.
II each visitor to The fair spends dollar
day within the grounds in addition to
the price Of admission, and the total num-
Der of admissions rises above twenty-five
millions during the six months, the expo
sition will return dollar for dollar to its
stockholders There are SO many tempta-
tions to spend money here, and the aver
age American citizen is so fond of sue
cumbing to such wiles, that it is pretty
safe to say that the 500 Oconcessionaires will
after a bit find their money boxes rapidly
filling. The visitor finds his luncheon
costs him from quarter to two dollars.
He wants guide and perhaps cata-
logue. He must have ride on the gon-
dolas, the movable sidewalk and the slid
ing railway. The children must see the
wild animals and some of the international
novelties in the plaisance. they must have
popcorn and soda water. At every step
one takes there is the temptation to spend
money, and of every quarter that you drop
in the slot the exposition company gets =
dime. WALTER WELLMAN.