The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-07-22
SUNDAY CLOSING

| or the Worlds Fair Finally and Definitely
Decided Upon, No General Demand BeInR
| Shown. and the Lack Of Co-Dperatiou Of
the Religious World Being Seriously
FeIt-The Las. Open Sundays ReceIrtS
f-r the Dead Fircmen's Fund.
CHICAGO, July I5.-After Tomorrow,
July l6. Sunday opening of the Worlds
fair will be thing of the past. At
yesterdays meeting of the local diree.
tors by vote of "a to resolution
was adopted ordering the gates of the
exposition closed on the first day of
the week, after tomorrow. The entire
receipts of tomorrow, "Hero's Day."
are TO be donated to the families of the
firemen who lost their lives in the Cold
Storage warehouse fire. The directors
were reluctant to admit that Sunday
opening had proved a failure, but
the dwindling attendance and
the opposition of many of the
exhibitors who were unwilling to meet
the extra expense entaiied by a seven
day fair. has forced the conclusion upon
the local managers of the exposition
that nothing was to be gained by
Sunday fair. The working peopls
who are unable to attend on week daye
have not taken kindly to a Sunday
fair with motionless machinery and
covered exhibits. While the Art pal
ace and the plaisance have been well
patronized on Sunday the other fea-
lures of the exposition have offered
but slight attraction to visitors.
The persistent opposition of the re-
ligious element throughout the coun-
try has without doubt had powerful
influence in bringing about the action
of thedirectors- Hundreds of petitions
have been received from religious bod
les and prominent preachers praying
the fair be closed Sundays, and prom
Using all the aid in their power to make
the exposition financial success il
such action were taken.
Yesterday letter was read to the di-
rectors, signed by large number Of
Chicago's best-known preachers, in
Guiding such names as those Of Bishop
Merrill, of the Methodist Episcopal
church: Dean Hulburt, of the Divinity
school of Chicago; Arthur Edwards,
editor of the Christian Advocate; Rev.
DIR. Barrows, chairman of the general
committee of the religious congress;
Simon Gilbert, editor of the Advance;
Ed Gonsaulus, DIR. Mcpherson and
others equally well known.
The address declared that fair trial
had proved that there was no general
demand for an open Sunday, and the
highest success of the exposition was
imperiled by the alienation of mill
lions of people who were opposed to
Sunday opening. 1t appealed to the
directors to close the fair on Sundays
so that the religious element could be
free to cooperate with them in max
ing the exposition as remarkable for
its attendance as It was for it's mate
rial grandeur.
This appeal is a sample of hundreds
with which the directors have been
flooded for the past six months, and
the conclusion was forced upon them
that much was to be gained and little
to be lost by proper res spect for Sun
day. --r.
Yesterdays action of the directors
will deal a severe blow TO the interests |
of the concessionaires, many of whom |
count upon Sunday as their most prof.
liable day, but the majority of the ex.
hibitors, so far as could be learned last |
evening, are satisfied with the change. |