The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-09-22
CORRESPONDENCE.
THE "WHITE CITY"

BERWICK, ILL.,, SepJ. lUJn, 1875.
To the Editor of the BANNER: Dear
Sir-I have been intending to give you
some notes of my sOjourn in tine white
City," but one thing and another has
crowded on my time and attention until
over two months have passed since my
visit, but now will get my note book
and ask you to accompany me during a
rapid trip through the wonder land of
the Columbian Exposition.
The only person that | saw in Chicago
that l had ever seen before was
Mrs. Nancy Hinsdill of Grand Rapids,
Mich, and 1 did not recognize her until
she introduced herself. made a num-
Der of pleasant acquaintances and had a
good time. | will try not to weary you
with what everybody has talked about,
but will select such things as interested
me.
First, W uld like to compare notes in
the items of expense account. / was
comfortably lodged, some nine miles
from Jackson Park, at Is cents per day,
and restaurant ticket that cost me So
furnished me with an abundance of food
for week. My entire expense during
my stay of 10 days was $2l.50. | could
easily have spent more, and could have
got along with less. One morning at the
breakfast table l noticed the experience
of an Indiana farmer the day previous
He had his little grandson with him,
and was in search OF room with two
beds that he could rent for a reasonable
price. He passed by number of hotels
that he thought looked too expensive for
him, but at last he found one of modest
appearance where he ventured to enter
and inquired their rates. He was some
what startled by the answer of the clerk
that it would cost him SIS day. In an
swer to the clerks inquiry as to whether
he wanted the American or European
plan, he said, 81 want the Indanny
plan" Here l will leave our farmer
friend with the wish that he found suit
able quarters within the limits of his $35
purse.
In area the Fair grounds comprises
about TOO acres, and in altitude the Fer
ris wheel was the pinnacle of my explor-
ations, being 264 feet. Those who pat
ronized the balloon went up 1903 feet, in
honor of the occasion, of which this is
the quadra-centennial anniversary.
have not met any one who took that
trip, so | can't speak with any certainty
of their impressions, but the day took
my ride our conductor said that as many
as 5000 had taken the trip in a day. On
our car were n number of women and
children, all of whom seemed to be per-
fectly at their ease, and we all gave the
conductor the assurance that we were
satisfied with the two circuits to which
our 80 cents admitted us; we were on
nearly half an hour, and if had h ID the
money to spare | should have gone back
another day. presume the description
and history of the wheel are familiar to
most of your readers, but will venture
to give few statements: The inventor
is a German and is said to be native of
Galesburg, near here. The two skele-
ton wheels are of somewhat the same
build As those of bicycle, and are hung
S21 feet apart, on an axle over As feet in
length, which was made at Bethlehem,
Penn, and is the largest steel forging
ever made. 1t is 33 inches in diameter
and weighs So tons. The axle alone cost
700, and at the time of my visit $435,
600 had been expended on the whole
structure. 1t was contemplated as a
finishing touch, to illuminate the wheel
with 2s00 electric lights. One hundred
and sixty men and two engines of 1905
horse power each are employed. A full
load for the SO cars was 2l60 persons, but
it never had over half that think.
The typical New England log cabin Of
ITO contained numerous articles thai