Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17
REACnI.G THE FAIR GROUNDS.
Ways OF Getting Fr,m Chicago to the Tx
position.


Special Correspondence of The Evening sta.
CHICAGO, June Is. 1898.
It is probable that the FIRST question asked by
the person who comes to Chicago at this time
OF year is "Ho~ do get out to the fair?''
Very varied information about the exact ioca-
ton Of the fair seems to prevail among people
who have not vet boon to Chicago. Some think
that jackson Park is far from Chicago as
Baltimore is from Washington and that il is
necessary to procdre accommodations some
where in the country districts of Illinois in
order to the fair, while others think il is in
the heart Of the city and can be reached in a
fve-minute walk
WHERE JACKSON PARK rs.
Now. Jackson Park is really about three miles
from the center of the ''south side" OF Chicago,
about six miles from the central business por-
ton OF the city. about nine miles FROM the CEN
Ter OF the north side" and the same or a
greater distance from the west side" II this
enumeration OF SIDES carries no distinct idea to
the mind OF the reader he must know that II is
way Chicago has Of locating itself. The
boundary line which e2arates the sides is hard
TO define, but is, IN a general way. the
business section of the city. where the big Office
buildings and shops are located Going away
from there toward jackson Park you go south,
but the streets. when they are numbered run
| from a small to large number. 1t is gener-
ally considered proper to say you are going
down town when YOU are going south, although
the numbers are running up. IL may be asked,
where is the least side?" There is none Chi
cago. it must be remembered. is built on Lake
Michigan. and the streets and business houses
and railroads and dwellings begin right at the
waters edge.
HOW TO GET THERE.
Having explained this much it NAV prove
useful TO visitor to know how TO get from one
of the sides of Chicago out to the worlds fair.
The north side and west side are
the farthest away. There is no possibility
of reaching the fair from either OF these points
IN less than three-quar.ers of an hour or more.
lou must ride in one car until you reach an
other, and from some locations three changesare
necessary. You can come from the north side
to the business portion of the city in Q horse
car. cable car, or carette. the last named
being an antediuvian conveyance similar to
| the charming old herdics used in Washington
| and fully as slow. On the horse car and carette
you have to cross over the Chicago river, and
| n. as often happens, the drawbridgs is open
there Is nothing Tor you to do but TO sit still
and wait until it closes. On the cable cars you
run under the river. using tunnel which has
been constructed fo- the purpose.
To reach the fair from the central part OF the
city is an easy task. You have your choice Of a
| boat, railroad, cable road. or an elevated
railroad. IL you are in hurry the Illinois
| Central express trains are the best means Of
conveyance. They run from Van Buren, street
out TO Jackson Park without stepping, and &C.
cupy not longer than twenty minutes in the
journey and usually accomplish it in fifteen
| minutes. These are the famous cattle cars that
! have been made such fun Of by the ne wspapers
and they constitute a mems of transportation
| which is remarkably perfect under the circum-
1 tim hos "A
| low, and seats run from side through to the
other side as they do in summer streetc with
| out any aisle through the middle. Oneach side
are small iron gates. and before the start all
these close at once. There is practically no
| crowding. as the seats only hold q certain num-
Der. and any more people there may be must
wait until the next train goes. which Is in about
fifteen minutes. You buy your ticket at Que
| window and passing through a turnstie YOU
drop il in boz before you get to the trains.
he full capacity of these trains is hsrd TO cs-
innate, but they carry thousands of visitors
every dav. The fare is 10 cents each way.
which is Just double what il is in the cable cars
| or on the elevated railroad.
As for the cable cars they make very fair time
but their stops are frequent. aud in the morn
ing or in the afternoon about O'Clock they are
| so crowded that il is impossible almost for any
one who is not in active athletic training get
place in them. or. having got il. to hold Il
| IL. Naturally they share the fate usual witt
street cars and have abuse heaped upon then
by the newspapers and the public, but it ma,
very justly be asked why. If they are SO bad
thew are used much.
\ The next means of conveyance TO consider i
the elevated railroad. This is not as quick a
the Illinois Central express train. but ii cost
half much. 1t is, too. quite clean, for tn
cars are new aid no one is permitted to smoke
This road has further advantage in that i
| runs into the grounds Of the fair itself. and
passenger, alighting, has simply to buy a tickle
where he is and go out into the roadway an,
see the sights. No other railroad runs into tn
grounds.
Another means of transportation is BY tn
boats. The run from the whi r: near the depo
of the express trains and take half hour o
longer TO make the trip to tire worlds fai
wharf. They afford the passenger not only
good view of Chicago. but OF the buildings TN
| grounds of the fair as well. Indeed. it is i'm
possible 10 gel such a view by any other mean.
The fare is only twenty-five cents for the roun
, trip. and while some OF the boats are small an
inferior, others are good. and the grea
wLaleback steamer Columbus probably hold
as many passengers as any steamer afioat Thi
is the first whslcback ever used ms a passenge
boat. although a number are in on III
great lakes for freight purposes. and it will b
recalled that one made a successful voyag
across the hcTan some time ago.
If visitor scorns TO use the steamers or an
of the railroads he may SO by other means. til
| most popular OF which are the taily-ho coache,
They have booking Offices" at the princip,
; hotels. aud they charge from So TO IS for carry
ing you to and from the fair The whole re-; &c u
to the very end lies along smooth boule Yard,
lined with splendid residences. The coachc
are equipped with all the latest fashionable cor
veniences, and the horses are well trimmed an
stylish
1t must not be inferred from what has bee
written here that there is not ample opportr
nifty to hire a private conveyance to carry 70
to the fair. The livery stables numerou
and are well stocked. and the charges are no
under the circumstances abnormally high.
Now, il you live not on the north side. bu
| on the south side of Chicago. You are nearer I
the fair grounds. but you cannot avail yourse
of the Illinois Central express trains or th
boats unless you go down to the business POI
ton OF the city TO do so. You can only 60
the far by the elevated railroad or by the cabl
road.
1t can easily be seen from what has been 81
down here that there is no necessity of living
what are known the worlds fair hotels. whic
nre very near the park itself. Although a goo
deal of inconvenience is avoided when ii
question of transportation is eliminated, at III
same time the getting TO and from Che park is a
experience that is not without its pleasure
, Moreover, unless you live at a distance from ii
park it is probable that yon may go home with
out seeing anything of Chicago itself, aud it is
town well worth studying.
Having got inside the gates Won have O nun
= Der of different means Of conveyance at YOU
disposal. but they arc all rather expensive lu,
uries and If the weather is Dleasant and We