The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-07-21
SUNDAY CLOSING


OF the Worlds Fair Finally and Definitely
Decided Upon, no General Demand Being
shown, Ard the Lack of Cooperation OF
th- Religious World Being Seriously
Felt-The Last Open Sundays Reccifta
Tor the Dead FIreper'e Fnhd-
CHICAGO, July 15.-After tomorrow,
July 10, Sunday opening of the Worlds
fair win be a thing of the past. AT
yesterdays meeting of the local direc-
tors by a vote of "a to resolution
was adopted ordering the gates of the
exposition closed on the first day of
the Week, after tomorrow. The entire
receipts of tomorrow, "Hero's Day."
are to be donated to the families Of the
firemen who lost their lives in the Cold
Storage Warehouse fire The directors
were reluctant to admit that Sunday
opening had proved failure, but
the dwindlind attendance and
the opposition of many OF the
exhibitors who were unwilling 10 meet
the extra expense entailed by seven
day fair, has forced the conclusion upon
the local managers of the exposition
that nothing was to be gained by a
Sunday fair. The working people
who are unable to attend on week days
have not taken kindly to a Sunday
fair with motionless machinery and
covered exhibits While the Art pal.
ace and the plaisance have been we'll
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 of petitions
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 a financial success il
such action were taken.
Yesterday letter was read 60 the di-
rectors, signed by large number of
Chicagos best-known preachers, in
cluding 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.
DIR. Barrows, chairman of the general
committee of the religious congress;
Simon Gilbert, editor of the Advance;
Ed Gonsaulus, DIR. Mcpherson and
others equally well known.
The address declared that fair trial
had proved that there was no general
demand for an open Sunday, and the
highest success of the exposition was
imperiled by the alienation of mil
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 cot .)erate with them in MAX
ing the exposition as remarkable for
its attendance as it was for it's 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 proper res pect for Sum
day.
Yesterdays action of the directors
will deal a severe blow to the interests
of the concessionaires, many of whom
count upon Sunday as their most prof
table day, but the majority of the ex-
hibitors, so far as could be learned last
evening, are satisfied with the change