The times., 1893-06-30
TO HOUSE VISITORS
Ample Accommodations at the
Worlds Fair City.
THE MATTER OVERCOME IN FACT.

most Remarkable Development OF the
Hotel System Ever Seen in the World
Hotels on the Route to the Fair and q
veritable Thicket of the Structures
About the Grounds.
WORLDS FAIR, June 20. - [Special.1 -
On the way to the exposition today was
much amused by the sign which the owner
of schooner from Racine, Wis, now an
chored in the harbor not far from the
steamboat landing, had hung over his
craft. 1t read like this: "What is the
matter with these for cool rooms? Airy,
nice hunks and rooms for rent here" On
the deck of his vessel he had built large
cabin, as big as an ordinary two story
frame house, and it was within this, we
were left to infer, that he had his airy
rooms. The berths, mice and comfort
able" consisted, no doubt, of hammocks
slung tween decks.
This floating hotel serves as a very good
illustration Of the manner in which every
thing has been converted into a hotel in
Chicago. For once it looks as if Chicago
has overdone it. She has gone too far. At
this date not one room in ten in her un-
paralleled hotel equipment is occupied.
The most remarkable development of the
hotel system of city ever seen in the
world has taken place right here within
the last year. 1t is simply amazing. Sup
pose you start from the center of the city
and ride to the south, toward the World 8
fair grounds. Why, it is hotel after hotel,
either side your route of travel, as far as
the eye can see. Not little hotels, either,
but great monsters rising above the roofs
of all the surrounding buildings. The
nearer you get to the Worlds fair the
thicker these structures are. Some of
them are among the largest hotels in the
world; larger even than the big ones which
Chicago had before the Worlds fair struck
the town. Around the fair grounds, dis
tance of mile or less from the gates, is a
thicket of these vast structures, besides
scores and scores of smaller ones.
Most of the men who went into these
hotel speculations are going to lose money.
Scarcely day passes now without mark
ing the failure of some man who has got
INTO water over his head. There will be
more failures before the season is over.
Not one in ten of the landlords is likely to
make any money. Already nearly one
third of the exposition period has passed,
and there is no crowd in the city. The
great inns yawn for the guests who do not
come. Bankruptcy stares many of the
proprietors in the face.
1t is true that the crowds are coming.
Next month, and the following months,
will, no doubt, see a vast assemblage of
people in Chicago. The railroads are now
making some concessions, and the vaca-
tion season approaches. Perhaps there
are $4,000 strangers in Chicago now. A
month hence I shouldn't be surprised il
there were 100000. In September and
October there will be jam. There is no
doubt about that. When the harvest is
over and the cooler months of the autumn
have come, Chicago, with all its wonder
full facilities for accommodating vast
crowds, is pretty sure to have it's hands
full. But think the hotels will still lose
money, or at least four out of five of them
will.
The landlords have to pay rent for six
months, or from the date they took pos
session. For six weeks they have run
with very little business, and at consider
month before they will be able to earn
large profits. Only the last two months
will pour into their Golfers the golden
stream which they have been looking for
ward to.
In my opinion the hotels will have to
wait till many of the furnished rooms arc
filed with guests. never anywhere saw
anything like the display of furnished
rooms there is in Chicago today. In going
from the center of the city to the fair by
the cable line, we have ride of eight
miles, or very nearly eight miles, and there
isn't moment in the journey during
which one may not look out and see all the
way from one to a score of signs of rooms
or apartments to let. They are as thick
as bees in q clover field. They are on the
principal streets and in the intersecting
thoroughfares. They are in the Easements
and up to the sixth and eighth stories of
tall blocks. They are in humble cottages,
and in the handsome, stylish houses of
well-to-do people. There appears to be q
craze for letting out rooms.
On the south side of Chicago there Is a
population numbering more than half q
million souls. It is my candid Judgment
that these half million have laid their
plans to take in fully a half million more
as roomers during the Worlds fair. They
won't take in that many, Of course, for
there aren't likely to be enough people in
Chicago, even in October, to I'LL % many
rooms, but the fact that the rooms are
ready and waiting for guests, and that
there is the keenest sort Of competition for
customers, Is encouraging to the man or
woman who lives out Of town and who is
thinking about coming here later on for a
week OF two at the fair. Already we sec
the effects of this competition. Rates are
coming down all the time. Ono may now
get rooms here almost at his own price, IL
he Is willing to 60 some distance from the
fair gates. This is not an objection, at
least not q very serious one, for there are
plenty Of cable and horse car lines, and
these are admirably supplemented by q
large number of omnibuses, carry-alls and
coaches which run from the whole hotel
and rooming district to the fair, charging
passengers from Is to Is cents ride.
There are restaurants scattered all
through this district, too, and hence one
may live within convenient distance Of the
fair at about any price ho Is willing to
pay.
Let me give my readers little advice in