The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-28
woRuD's FAIR ArrENDANoE,

1t Is Comparatively DisappOinting-An
Estimate of Future Observation-Disclosures
Ing People Keep Up Their End-Au In-
terestlng Analysis.
Special Correspondence Of the IRelt0tlc:r.
CHICAGO, July 20. = An industrious
Wheeling man, addicted to figures, who
has been doing tho fair for over a week,
has estimated that there are at this
time 100 visitors from Wheeling
on the grounds. He says that il tho
country at large was %patroni2ing the
fair to the same extent we would see n
much larger crowd hore. In other
words, that tho proportion Of 100 to
$4,000, would furnish lS3,300 visitors
per day from the country at large, esti-
mating the population at sixty millions,
whereas the actual patronage is only
about 10000.
The present number I'm Wheeling
is at the rate OF seven per cent Of tho
entire popL1.ion for the twonty-six
weeks OF the fair, surprising that 100
new people come in every week. Just
how many people will come when tho
rates arc reduced is difficult to estt-
mate, but possibly it may run up be-
tween May l and November l to IN
average Of 100 new people per week, or
1900 in all. But high as this estimate
is, and it looks to me very high, tho
same per cent from the country at
large will only bring here for the
twenty-six weeks Of the fur about five
millions Of people out Of sixty-six
millions. Surprising that thoy enter
the gates four times each, the result
will DO only twenty millions OF paid adj
missions, which will be fifteen millions
below the estimate published to the
world before tho fair opened. At the
Philadelphia Centennial Of 1876 the
total number Of paid admis-
sions was u littlo short Of ton
millions, and the actual receipts
about S., 100000, showing that each per-
son did not go into the fair four times.
We had then n population OF forty.
eight millions. Applying tho rule Of
three to this data the problem would DO
this: II forty.oight millions OF people in
'7G yielded ten millions Of admissions,
what will s~ixty.six millions OF people
yield in 1893? The arithmetical pro-
portion would DO less than fourteen
millions Of admissions. As things arc
running to-day the number up to Al.
gust Let, which will DO half way, will be
just about half that, or seven millions.
But OF course arithmetic in such u cal
culation is unreliable. These are not
the days Of '7G and Chicago is not Phil
adalphia.
There are thirty.ive railroads center.
ing here and Chicago is in the centre
and not on tho circumference Of tho
country. But, on tho other hand, there
wero Jour big cities on the Atlantic
coast to draw from, and u dense popula.
ton near by. The country was in q
state OF depression in rs, US u conse.
quencO Of the panic OF rs, just as it Is
to-day in consequence OF the current
bank panic. Both years have that much
in common. But still the two fairs do
not have much else in common. There
have been two worlds fairs since that
one at Philadelphia in '7B, viz: the two
at Paris in rs and $50, and this one Is
tho cap-sheaf Of all previous fairs, i'm.
proving upon oil deficiencies by tho
light OF all former experiences. Then,
too, 1t has been boundlessly endowed
with money as compared with any pro.
decessor, and, lastly, II lie being held in
Chicago, which means moro than II it
was being hold in any othor city in tho
country. All that Is against its assured
prosperity Is the depression In Europe
aud this country. This means that
hundreds OF Thousands OF people will
not come hero in consequence Of tho
great change in business and employ.
mGnt prospects since tho fair opened.
II banks and industrial concerns 20 on
falling and closing at the present ratio
wO may SOC an acute stage OF reflected
depression here before the hrSt Of No.
volnbor.
1t seOms q groat pity that go great q
school should have boon opened ut auCh
great expense for such u limited NUN.
Dor Of our population. EVOn II five mil.
lions OF people actually como (And wO
must deduct from this number tho mil.
lion and n quarter living In Chicago
how small q part Of sixty.aix millions IL
1OOms. Tho masses, except from tho
iloar by regions, will not bdhorO. There
arc iorly.tour stAtos and ilVe territories,
comprising an arOa Of 100000 square
miles, aud tho journey Ia too great aud
coat OF remaining hor0 loo much for tho
great majority. There arc at least forty
mil Ions Of OUR adult population who
will not got u sight Of this grOat object
sChool-this Immense Kindergarten As
for tho Europeans, wO mood not oxpOut
much patronage from them Thoy, iikO
ayOot tho unruprosontodsouthOr atatOs,