The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-05-13
WORLDS FAIR MELANGE.
The Problem Of Living on Three
Dollars Day in Chicago.
City of Hotels-Dangers of Premature
Contracts-Black Flags on Board
Ing Houses - The White
Horse Inn, Etc.

Gratis special correspondence from Chica-
gogives the following interesting gossip
1or the benefit of intending Worlds fair
visitors:
What will 1t cost?" truthful answer
would be, What you please" 1t is possible
10 spend great deal Of money in seeing the
Worlds fair 1t is also possible to save con-
siderable If one knows how before beginning to
pay 1or experience Those who desire to
manage can find fine for effort here
Ing nrst problem that confronts the intend
.s Vlsltor Is the place to STOP The general
IMPRESSION outside of Chi ago seems to be that
sioiCer must he engaged now or never There
IS no doubt this impression Is being fostered
llnoustrlously by Interested parties In Chicago
every hotel-keeper is reaching out for con.
tracts with all his might and at the same time
10 conveying the idea that there is Found to be
oearth OF accommodations. This will proba-
riy result In the American public paying some
hundreds OF thousands Of dollars more than is
necessary. Contracts made now are snare
ana VIII prove delusion nine times ont of ten.
better accommodations and better rates will
pe ohtained by those who do not make engage
menus nciore coming here. There will be no
crush. This is the best Judgment OF those who
nave no personal interest in high prices.
Inc wise fair visitor will give himself little
OF no concern about his stopping place until he
reaches Chicago He will leave his bag" in
the parcel-room at the depot He will set out
ior that part OF the city which he prefers and
IN couple of hours he will find something to
suit his taste and his purse He need not take
tne hrst or the second or the third thing shown
MIN. Ihere will he vast opportunity for selec-
tlon and there will be wide range of prices
The ease with which this can be done will sur
prise everybody.
Chlcago always was city of hotels. It Is
of OH
chicago has tecn building hotels for two wears
In anticipation of this Worlds fair In the
past SIN months the hotel mania has assumed
auoltlonal phases. 1t has prompted the hasty
transformation OF stores and of manufactures
INTO hotels. Groups OF residences and rows of
hats nave betn erected on plans which will
permit their use for hotel purposes while the
Ialr lasts. The exaggerated development of
the caravansary idea is one OF the things worth
seeing. 1t is Chicago's exhibit for the Worlds
fair. Most of this hotel building and trans
forming is OF such character that no one
need have any fear of safety.
The papers have sounded some warnings
about mushroom structures Down near the
grounds there have been erected mammoth
buildings OF which little more Is expected than
that they shall stand till the end of October.
But in the city the new hotels are well built
and we'll supplied with modern conveniences.
AS rule 1t will be we'll for the visitor to think
twice before deciding that the best stopping
place Is that which advortisos daily as "in
close proximity to the grounds" All of the
hotels near jackson park are new. Some are
substantial enough. Some are not There is
no particular advantage in locating within
walking distance of the gates. The transporta-
tion problem no longer exists, For ten cents
one can go by steam cars from the heart of the
city In fifteen minutes to the gates of the fair
For nickel the trip can be made by cable or
by elevated road. There is going to be no diff
ficulty in reaching the fair from uptown y
The opening day with its 260 900 visitors settled
that
Another point may te worth considering
The visitor who locates up town will have
larger field In which to exercise selection of an
eating place. II there is any extortion in res
taurant charges, and any diminuition OF the
diameter of pie, 1t will be found in the vicinity
oil the fair grounds. Up town the stranger will
eat with the Chicago people. He will fare as
well and as cheaply as they do Down near the
grounds, If anywhere, tho transient is in dan
ger OF being marked for special victim
The European plan prevails in Worlds fair
hotel management. Nine out of ten of the Chi
cago hotels keep tho rooming and the feeding
separate. The contract applies only to the
room. The guests eats where, when and at
what price he chooses. This is the plan of
living which four-fifths of the people who
come to the fair will find it best to adopt. II
may not seem the most economical at the first
calculation, but it means no meals paid for and
missed. 1t means greater freedom of action.
There are 50 and SO day hotels, including
board and room, but the Worlds fair visitor
who tries the American plan will miss the CHIEF
meal OF the day and he will find his expense
account running higher than that of the one
who lives just as well on the European plan
AS to prices! The charge for a room in Chi.
cago-hotel or boardinghouse-range from 81
to IS day. The average price for an aver.
age room is now 81 day. Some hotel-keepers
are willing to contract to give their two
dollar rooms at any time during the fair.
Most OF them, however, expect to advance two
dollar rooms to 80 and 81 in june and il
they make contracts now they insist on such
rates. The chances are that the two-dollar
rooms can be had for s. a day at any time dur.
ing the fair, and it is more probable that they
will go down to 81 and Fl 80 than that they will
advance to 20 and "a. Put down, therefore 50
day for your room and exercise the privilege
OF selection after your come. The chances are
strongly that you will do even better than this
If the money is an object. If you do not come
until after June these chances amount to almos,
certainty.
For two people in room the Chicago land
lords do not intend to double charges. The two
dollar room becomes three-dollar room when
two occupy 1t. And where four people are will.
ing to crowd in together the per capita will be
reduced still more.
THAT" said typical landlord who Is Just
opening house with $50 rooms. lis the way we
expect to make money. These Worlds fai,
visitors will want the rooms only for sleeping
purposes. They will be out all day They viii
submit to little crowding at night to reduce
the expenses. They will come in parties, and
will not mind Doubling up. AS for me, would
rather put four into one room at "a than two in
two rooms at &2 apiece. 1t means only little
extra for towels and service. So you see We
can all be suited, and the expense will not be SC
great after all.'
1t is well to beware of the average boarding
house as distinguished from the hotel The fol
lowing is from reputable Chicago newspaper:
1t may be unwittingly, or 1t may be with q
mean malice, but whichever is the inspiration
the fact remains that boarding house keepers
are throwing unenviable discredit upon Chica
go in the exorbitant prices they ask for board
or lodging.
Rates of living for visitors to the city are
double and in some places just three times
what they were Mt the same time last year Nc
mercy whatever is shown, and the unfortunate
who does not care to go to the hotels is Obliged
to see himself ruthlessly robbed Private land
lords seem to have lost all municipal patriotism
In their abnormal craving for money and dis