The times., 1893-06-30

next month. The vacation season will
bring to Chicago thousands upon thou
sands of people who work for salaries, just
as the lull in farm work after harvest will
bring thousands upon thousands of people
from the agricultural communities.
Considering that the exposition was not
complete till about the first of June, and
that May was a cold and wetI month in
Chicago, the attendance at the exposition
has been surprisingly large. The paid at
tendance during May was about ], ,0O0, 900,
or an average of nearly 80, 600 a day, while
the attendance at the Philadelphia expo
sition of 1876 during the first twenty-eight
days it was open averaged only little
over 20, 900 per day. AS the season wears
on the contrast between Philadelphia and
Chicago becomes even more striking.
During June at the Centennial the attend
ance averaged less than $1,000 per day,
while this month at Chicago is likely to
show an average of S0,000 1t is q remark
able fact that in the week just closed the
Chicago exposition showed an attendance
as great as that at the Centennial during
the whole month of June.
There is some doubt as to whether the
attendance for July will be very much
larger than that of June. 1t surely will
be if the weather proves favorable, and if
dreaded cholera or other menace to the
health of the people will be good enough
to stay away. AT the Centennial they
were much surprised when the attendance
for the month of July amounted to only
two-thirds the attendance during the pre-
vious month. I asked Major Handy, the
chief of the push and puff department of
this great enterprise, how that happened
at Philadelphia, knowing he could tell me
because he was there. 1t was on account
of the extreme heat. he said. That july
was ABOUT the hottest July Philadelphia
has ever known Besides the heat, there
was much sickness, and people were afraid
to expose themselves to the sun while go
ing to the fair. The result was the attend
ance diminished instead of increased, as
everyone had thought it would.
I was talking the other day with
prominent Chicago man about his invest
ment in Worlds fair stock. He had sub
scribed for $50, 600 worth and paid in the
money.
'I will sell you that stock, today" he
said, sat 10 cents on the dollar. That Is
more than expect to get on it when we
come to wind up the affairs Of the exposi-
tion. The best Of it is, don't care snap
whether get even 10 cents on the dollar
or not. So far as know that is the way
all the Chicago stockholders feel. They
did not expect to get their money back
when they subscribed to the stock, and
they will not be bit disappointed. It
was gift with them, and they are not
sorry they made it, either"
And yet the chances are my friend would
be throwing away money II he sold his
stock at 10 cents on tho dollar. believe
he will get back 40 or 30 per cent. Of his
subscription. The crowds Of July, August,
and particularly Of September and Oc-
tober, are going to put up the value Of that
stock perceptibly. During the six months
the exposition should take in from ten to
twelve millions Of dollars at the gates, and
half as much more from concessions; and
II it can do this 1t will be able to pay its
debts and return to stockholders, includ-
ing the city of Chicago, which put up five
millions in one sum, about 80 cents on the
dollar. WALTER WELLMAN.