The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-21

lines. Yet they exhibit no particular IN
dicatiOns Of delight, and are attending
TO business in their usual keen but placid
way. Their nonchalance is not due, how
ever. to the circumstance that more peo-
ple are coming to them than they can
carry. but that no more people are COM
ing TO them this year at this season than
came last year or the year before, or
even before that. To an agent Of the Chi
cago Exhibition this might be distressing.
To a representative OF the Pail Mall
Budget 1t was only. in a mild way, sur
prisng.
The nearest OF the steamship Offices TO
the office Of the Pail Mall IS that Of the
North German Lloyd, the most distant the
Cunard. At the latter 1 said: what are
the prospects for passenger traffic on the
Atlantic this year between Liverpool and
New York2'
rs it not a trihe early in the year 70
expect an answer TO the question:" was
the reply.
In comparison with last year" I added.
The man who dreams Of plans by which he
can stow 800 frst-class passengers into
a thousand berths, giving each passenger
at least one berth, stroked his chin re-
fectively for a few moments, and then
said: Il should say about the same as
last year" l suggested that, perhaps for
the moment. he had forgotten that there
was TO be a Worlds Fair at Chicago this
year. Looking as If he wished he could
forget IL. he said he had not forgotten Il:
neither did he think that the Fair would
have much influence on Atlantic traffic
this year. More people than usual might
go from Europe TO America this year,
but indications that this would be so
were lacking. Certain boats Of the
Cunard Company were always sold out
at this season Of the year for some time
ahead one might say for the summer.
but booking applications showed no strik-
ing increase over those Of last year. Eng
lish people who were wont to travel and
knew how to do so might 90 to New York
I'm larger numbers than usual in the
autumn. say September, but there were
no actual indications that this would be So
and It did not seem that the Worlds Fair
at Chicago would very much Increase
first-class passenger traffic on the Allan
tic this year.
Il have noticed no difference between
this and last year." said Mr.. Berting,
passenger agent Of the Hamburg-Ameri-
can line. "and although may have once
thought that the Chicago Worlds Fair
would have made a difference In Allan
tic traffic, / do not now think that II VIII
20 any appreciable extent. l can easily
imagine that an impression is abroad
that it will be difficult TO book for New
York before much more time has elapsed.
You see. the Worlds Fair las been thor
oughly advertised. Wherever you go you
see an advertisement Of some kind star
ing YOU in the face. People talk about II,
and because they talk about IL the opin-
ion becomes almost general that every
body. as the term is, will go. l look for
nothing Of the kind our business is about
as usual OF course, such vessels as the
Furst Bismarck and others that you
know are sold out for some time, as Is
always the case. but not more 50 than
usual. There may perhaps, be more
second-class travel than usual TO the
United States, as there will be a good
many excursions. such as that OF the
Polytechnic Institute I'm Regent street.
That excursion will consist Of fifteen hun
dred people but they will be divided
among several lines. 1 have no reason
to think that the Atlantic passenger
traffic this year between Europe and
America will be more than per cent.
larger than last year, and this estimate.
1 think, is generous, while, perhaps, in