, 1893-08-05

" 49,
Money is tight is an expression often
heard among the business men of Chicago
Just cow. When you come to understand by
this that it is scarce, you naturally ask how
is this possible with such enormous crowds vi
sitting the city from all quarters of the globe,
and each of the units Of which they are COM
posed spen ling money at a rate he never be-
. Tore did in his life?
Nevertheless. the fact is there, and you are
left to wonder at it, in face of the unceasing
activity, the countless .'multitudes t%hronging
the stores in the city, every one buying, every
one spending money.To a West Indian the idea
of a scarcity of that useful commodity, under
such circumstances, seemsl inoomprehensible
though, as he sees his own little pils'
diminishing daily, under repeated encroach-
ments for car fare, board bill. lunches at the
Worlds Fair and laundry bills, not to speak
of sundry purchases in the line of Souvenirs
from the Worlds Fair, and if he be an Ex-
hibitor, in installing his exhibit, some of his
wonderment becomes less and lsss, after a
few weeks residence-and it Ia not unlikely
that with a vision Of approaching impecuni.
osity before him, he may u ddenly pack up
his things and turn his face homeward for
fear he may be stranded in this great city of
the west.
A sorrowfLl thing to do, to turn homo
wards now thai the weather is delightful and
the beautiful "white city" for so the Chioa-
gosn has christenod the magnificent buildings
of the Exposition, is completed, and over a
hundred thousand paid entrances are counted
every day, And yet there are people. West
Indians, too among them, who come here for
q week and after rushing through the Worlds
Columbian Exposition, will rush home again
- j IN IT.. id. 4La4 4Ioy &ovo aoo -
AS if it were possible to do so in SO short q
period. Not in three months, not in
six months, do l think it likely that anyone
could go through it extensively. Why, the
exhibit of Jamaica, which is a splendid one,
by the way, would take more than a week, not
to speak of that of Trinidad, where they re-
gale YOU with a cup of delightful chocolate,
nor those of Cuba, Porto Rico and Hayti.
q - u Il q"
Speaking of Hayti reminds me that it's
building was opened a few days ago, by the
Honorable Frederik Douglass, who is the
Chief Commissioner Quite a crowd was present
as theirs alwaysi ,whenIthis gifted and remarka-
bic m IN conducts a public function. | was not
there on the occasion, but no sooner did I
hear that it was open, than took the first
opportunity to inspect it. And | am
clad to say it was a most agreeable surprise
to me. as it has been to most people, who
have been accustomed to hear the island mis-
represented. The building itself, is a fine
one, in the southern colonial style, adapted
from the Grecian. 1t has handsomely furnish
ed rooms for the commissioners the exhibits
are carefully displayed iand are mostly pro,
ducts of the soil and specimens of native hand
work, all highly creditabie to the Haytians.
The needIework, under elegant showcases, is
simply exquisite. There were many things
to interest me, as | am sure they did the visi-
tors Who thronged the pavilion. While
there, I met Mr.. Charles Preston, Haytian
Commissioner who, glad to see some one he
knew before in St. Thomas, took me inside
and presented me to the Honorable Frederick
Douglass, the Chief Commissioned, with
whom / spent a memorable half hour or so,
during which We conversad principally about
the D4nish West Indies, for whose govern
ment he protested a warm admiration and
ebout whose people and their welfare he ask
ed a great many questions. This reminds me,
that | have beeu fortunate in N meeting and be-
ing introduced to many of the hrst men and
ST. I4 Am ,rican officials authors