The herald., 1893-06-14
HIGH PRICES ARE OVER.
CHICAGO PEOPLE ARE BECOMING
REASONABLE.
The Experience Of Los Angeles Man
in the Early Part of the Show.
Rooms and Board Are
Cheap Now.
Correspondence t, the HERALD

CHICAGO, June 8.-To q stranger 1t
looks as if majority OF the people OF
Chicago have been expecting to reap a
rich harvest out Of the visitors to the
fair, If not by fair means, then by any
other, even to downright swindling. 1t
is we'll known to all Californians who have
read the papers that prices for rooms and
board at many hotels and restaurants
were twice as high at the opening of the
fair than formerly. Chicago is q large
city, and when one-half the private
houses are open to strangers, and that is
about the way it appears, large num-
Der of people can be accommodated.
Then the new hotels that have been
built within mile of the fair grounds
fould lodge every man, woman and child
in Los Angeles. Now let US look at the
result of all this speculation. The good
people OF other states do not like to be
swindled any better than we do. Instead
of 200, 900 visitors at the fair daily dur
ing the month of May, as they expected
and might have had, there was not
one-third that number. Fourteen
miles from the fair grounds and
just outside the city limits (for Chicago
is great in more than one way at Har-
vey on the Illinois Central railroad, q
company was formed year ago to bnild
and run hotel to accommodate 25O0
guests. Circulars were sent everywhere.
saw them in Los Angeles as early as
February. Agents went to all the cities
and large towns in Illinois and adjoin-
ing states soliciting patronage. They
were asked to pay $40 which would Sc
cure room for any time agreed upon,
at very reasonable rates for good accom-
modations. | know a good business
man of LIS Crosse, Wis, who paid $50
to secure three rooms for himself and
family, and many hundreds OF dollars
were paid out in that and other cities in
the same way. When the fair opened
some La Crosse people were there to
get the benefit OF the money they had
paid, but sent back such reports of poor
accommodations that very few if any
are going there. My friend is today
here in this house with his family and
his $50, and ! am sorry to say the W.
@. t. U. are responsible for this swindle.
| was told before leaving home of a
good business man of Los Angeles secur-
ing two rooms in large hotel near the
grounds, in order to save the trouble of
crowded cars and be sure of good accom-
modations, who expected to be here the
middle Of June. We pass that hotel
every day, but there 10 no signs of life
about it, and evidently it is not open for
business. One of our fellow passengers
went to one of those new hotels, and
from damp plastering or some other
cause was in bed several days from q
severe cold; soon as able he found
quarters elsewhere and is now well.
A lady friend, who has been stopping
at the fremont hotel for five years and
paying $40 per week for three rooms and
board, told us che was notified before
the fair opened that the price of her
rooms after May let would be $50. She
vacated, and those rooms have never
been occupied since. The proprietor
doubled up on all his guests at that
time. All these things and the slight
reduction in railroad rates have kept the
crowd away, and none saw it sooner
than these living here; 90 that at the
time we arrived (the latter part of May
these people who had opened their
houses of ak to ten or more rooms, ex
pecting to rent portion for $40 to $40
per week each, came down from their
high perch very gracefully and were
ready to accept almost any price. Our
party of nine found no difficulty in get
ting good, well-lurnished rooms in
good neighborhood cloHe to cable and
electric or elevated roade, taking ua to
the grounds in 20 minutes for one fare,
for $5 per room for two persons.
[ received two teleersms one day from
Wisconsin and California friends, say
ing they would arrive next day, and to
secure five rooms. found them at the
same price as ours, within one block OF
US, and they are oil we'll satisfied.
could find as many more today if they
we're wanted. Instead oi costing 81 to
$3 per meal at the restaurants, we get
good meals for % to 80 cents.
When the people all over this country
learn they can spend week here at q
cost not to exceed IS or $40 for board
and lodging, there will be such crowd
aa no worlds fair ever saw. And the
fair will pay them we'll, for it is g grand
exhibition and an education no one
should miss who can see it,
j. M. STEWART.