Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-06-08
THE Big FAIR!
Grounds Can Accommodate a
Million.
Valuable Pointers to Prospective
Visitors-sunday Opening.
tFrom our Special oorrespOndsnt.)
WoELr's Fam GROUND.
CHICAGO, JUNE 6, 1893.

WoRIr's Fam GROUND.
CHICAGO, JUSE 6, 1899.
The fair has been opened Sunday and
the whlrlwind of fire which was to
sweep over the grounds, as predicted
by Boston evangelistic extremists, did
not materialize.
The fair has been opened Sunday
and although the day was perfect
scarcely third of the number expect
ed by the officials to visit the grounds
appeared.
And there they are.
The Almighty did not show his dis
pleasure and on the other hand his
family, or that portion of In Chicago,
did not to any extent show that they
wanted to see the fair In His day.
The readers of this paper are left to
draw their own differences.
Decoration day at the Worlds Fair
was a sumner; 10000 people paid to
see the big show. With "deadheads,"
of whom, by the way, there are an i'm
mense army, there must have been to-
ward 220, 900 people inside the gates of
Jackson park. And yet there was room.
A million people would not be particu-
larly crowded. People who have not
visited the fair can have no conception
of the magnificent distance, the grand
roominess of everything. Itmust be
seen and even then complete compre-
hension is impossible.
Talking of interesting exhibits, the
visitors to Chicago, and especially the
Yankee, should not fail to see the
French nations display of historical
relics and curios of the revolutionary
war, handed down to the heirs of La
fayette. There are chairs, desks and
bureaus from Lafayette's library; cas-
kets containing rings enclosing locks of
hair from the heads of George and
MarthIan Washington; the sword of
honor presented to Lafayette by con-
Gress Ia 17T9;a series of historical paint
ings including the reunion of the
French and American generals after
the surrender at Yorkstown; busts of
Washington and Lafayette; piece of
tapestry worked by Martha Washing
ton at the age of 10; pair of pistols
worn by Washington and bequeathed
by him to his French colleague: Wash
ington's umbrella; plans of battlefields,
tapestries, pictures,s swords, authograph
letters and many other things equally
interesting. The general public is not
admitted put on application, Commits
sioner KrantZ will issue cards by which
admission may be obtained. Make an
extra effort to view this collection, if
necessary, for it is worth it.
Speaking of the Columbian guard
brings up the question, what are they
for, anyhow? A good part of them
do little but draw salary, against the
size of which they are continually kick
ing, The remainder stand around and
look pretty, varying the monotony oc-
casionally by arresting persons who
have had the audacity to be robbed or
who have allowed themselves to be
amused by the antics of the tin soldier
brigade. There's screw loose some
where. Judging by the size of the
police force Which Keeps order in Chi
cago 300 Columbian police would be
plenty. Instead there are nearly $500
and the question again arises: What
are they for?
1t is not at all strange that the fish
cries building is most popular among
visitors to the exposition. The salt
water aquariums of course attract the
greater share of attention, especially
among inlanders. The display is fine
and has recently been improved in
several ways. Two sand sharks are
viewed with great curiosity and the
three-foot catfish draw forth exclama-
tions of wonder from people who have
been accustomed to catching nothing
larger than three-inch bull-heads.
Curious people go into ecstasies of won
der over the crabs, sea horses, sea plants
that are half animal and the like and
crowd before the glass cases In such
numbers that the Columbian guards
stationed In the fisheries building sweat
in their tight fitting, pretty tin soldier
uniforms until they are ready to drop.
The doctors have been in congress at
the art institute the past week and pills
and physics have been thoroughly dis
cussed. A council of this sort is just
as good, perhaps, as that which assem-
bles about the bedside of some unfortu-
nate-and it's mighty sight cheaper.
The rowin regard to the management
of the fair is again to the force. The
plain truth of the matter Is that there
are too many bosses. Exhibitors get
no satisfaction from protests, conces-
sionaires are as far in the woods as ev-
er and there is o beautiful wrange all
around. The criticisms of the news
papers have awakened some of the Of
ficials and an effort is being made to
straighten things out. Some OF the
high. titled men will fall with dull,
sickening thudn and there will be less
of fuss of feathers and more action-if
present plans are carried out. It's high
time, says everybody.
The Sunday opening-Sunday closing
fight is on in all its twists and turnings
and no doubt before this is placed be-
fore your readers will have been settled
one way or the other. An Illinois state
judge has granted an Injunction re-
straining the directors from closing
Sunday and the Sunday closers are
striving hard for an injunction to re-
strain the directors from opening the
gates. If the injunction be granted
we shall in all probability see conflict
between government and state officials
which will be rather interesting.
A party stood viewing the Arizona
exhibit Of petrified woods the other
day. Among them were man and
woman who appeared extremely in
terested in the beautiful marked and
polished specimens. Finally, looked
up at her companion the woman ex-
claimed, "They petrify that stuff just
as they want to use it, don't they ~
The rest Of the party slowly faded
away.
The Worlds Fair officials are going
to build six-foot addition to their
fence. It has been decided that this
will greatly reduce the number Of free
| admissions, as the average Chfcagoan