Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-07-20
SUNDAY CLOSING

| OF the Worlds Fair Finally and DehnIey
Decided Upon. No General Demand ne'"s s
Shown, and the Lack Of Co-Operation OF
the Religious World Being serious.
Eelt-The Last Open Sundays neceiP"
for the Dead FIremer's Fund.
CHICAGO. July 15.-Aftsr tomorrow
July 16. Sunday opening of the World S
fair will be a thing of the past AZ
Yesterdays meeting of the local dlrec-
tors by vote of "a to resolution
was adopted ordering the gates OF the
exposition closed ON the trst day OIL
the week. after tomorrow. The entire
receipts of tomorrow, "Heros Day
are to be donated to the families OF the
fremen who lost their lives In the Cola
Storage warehouse fire. The directors
were reluctant to admit that SUNDAY
opening had proved failure Oh.
the dwindling attendance "no
the opposition OF many OF the
exhibitors who were unwilling TO mee1
the extra expense entailed by seven
lay fair, has forced the conclusion upon
the local managers of the exposition
that nothing was to be gained by
Sunday fair. The working people
who are una BILE to attend on week days
have not taken kindly to Sunday
fair with motionless machinery ana
covered exhibits While the Art pal
ace and the plaisance have been well
patronized on Sunday the other fea-
lures of the exposition have offered
but slight attraction to visitors.
The persistent opposition of the re-
ligious element throughout the coun-
try has without doubt had powerful
influence in bringing about the action
of the directors. Hundreds ofpetitions
have been received from religious bod
les and prominent preachers praying
the fair be closed Sundays, and prom
Using all the aid in their power to make
the exposition financial success If
such action were taken.
Yesterday letter was read to the di-
rectors. signed by large number OF
Chicago's best-known preachers, in
GLIDING such names as those of Bishop
Merrill, of the Methodist Episcopal
church; Dean Hulburt, of the Divinity
school of Chicago; Arthur Edwards,
editor of the Christian Advocate: Rev..
nr. Barrows, chairman of the general
committee of the religious congress-,
Simon Gilbert, editor of the Advances;
Ed Gonsaulus, Dr. Mcpherson and
others equally we'll known.
The address declared that a fair trial
had proved that there was no general
deniNhd for an open Sunday, and the
highest success of the exposition was
imperiled by the alienation of mill
lions of people who were opposed to
Sunday opening. 1t appealed to the
directors to close the fair on Sundays
SO that the religious element could be
free to cooperate with them in maxi
ing the exposition as remarkable for
its attendance as it was for its mate
rial grandeur.
This appeal is sample of hundreds
with which the directors have been
flooded for the past six months, and
the conclusion was forced upon them
that much was to be gained and little
to be lost by a proper res pect for Sum
day.
Yesterdays action of the directors
will deal severe blow to the interests
of the concessionaircs, many of whom
count upon Sunday as their most prof
liable day, but the ma ority of the ex-
hibitors, so far as could be learned last
evening, are satisfied with the change.