The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-09

to the public, and must be protected and
watched. There are thirteen main EXPOSE
! ton buildings and some eighty smaller
ones. Two hundred and fifty guards are
needed in the great Manufactures building
alone, during the day; and 100 are sta
toned there at night. In the day time 100
are assigned to the Art palace. Besides
the buildings and their exhibits the walks
and all other parts of the grounds must be
patrolled.
Study the situation as have done and
you will see that 1850 is none too large =
number of guards for the White City.
You must not forget that vast crowds Of
people come here every day, and that it
would be simple madness to leave them
without police protection. AS long as
everything goes well perhaps there is not
much need of the presence of the guards.
But suppose fire breaks out, or there is
panic from any causes These are tho
things the management has had to think
of. Though the fault-fnders may be
thoughtless the men who are responsible
for the conduct Of this great enterprise
cannot afford to be. And must say they
appear to have thought of everything.
It would require many columns TO ex-
pOSC dl1 tuc lies L lave Sccu Ill GdSUSCu
papers concerning the Worlds fair. Life
is too short to devote much of it to this
purpose. There are too many things here
to admire and praise But I wish to re-
assure my readers on few points. The
fair is now finished. 1t is complete and
perpect. If an exhibit here and there is
not just as its owners or managers desire
to have it, probably it will be by the time
this reaches your eye; and at any rate, all
these exhibits together do not amount to
drop in the great bucket. The fair ia
clean and orderly, as have shown you.
So much attention has been paid to the
comfort of visitors that every one is aston
ished at the completeness Of the arrange
ments.
There are seats within the buildings and
without. The toilet rooms and layatories
are everywhere-free. There are rest
rooms in various buildings. If one is
taken i'll or overcome by heat an ambul-
ance service attends and a good hospital
awaits. Drinking water-free and good
may be had at every turn. There is no ex.
tortion within the grounds. Those restau-
rant keepers and other providers who
started out to gain. riches quickly have
found they were on the wrong road. The
transportation facilities to and from the
fair grounds are almost perfect. No pre-
vious exposition was so well served in this
respect. On the days of greatest attend
ance there is no uncomfortable crowding.
Let me give you little personal exper-
fence that you may judge of the conditions
existing in Chicago and at the fair.
board at the Grand Pacific hotel, where
pay only regular rates, es every one else
does-the same rates asked last year and
every year. This is true of nearly all the
hotels. One large hotel served notice in
the latter part of April it would double it's
rates May l. The guests didn't complain.
They did not go to the Office and growl,
They simply said to themselves: ''This
landlord has the right to charge what he
pleases. That is his business" But on
the morning of May l there weren't a
dozen guests left in the house. A vast
hotel was empty, cavernous. Cafe, bar,
barbershop, bell boys, cigar stand, cashier,
room clerk, everything and everybody had
a holiday. The next day was no better 1t
was even worse, for only half a dozen
guests remained. Then the proprietor
He came down to his old
scale of prices. Gradually his guests re-
turned, but even yet the house is suffering
the effects of that mistake. It cost that
$4,000 to learn the people will
not be robbed. This is the lesson which
a great many people have learned in Chi
cago.
Well, five minute walk takes me to the
Illinois Central station. In two or three
minutes an express train starts for tia
fair. 1t makes the journey in fifteen min
utes, without stopping. The fare is 10
cents and the cars are comfortable. In
two minutes walk to the fair gates. Dur
ing five or six hours in the exposition my
may be something like this:
Ride on an electric launch from one end of
grounds to the other, p cents. Two cata-
logues, ~ cents. One glass of mineral
spring water. l cent. Luncheon. from 30
cents to IS cents. One pretty souvenir, %
cents. Admission TO two sideshows on the
Midway plaisance, 30 cents. One glass OF
soda water. 10 cents. Ride to top of big
building, % cents. One ride On elevated
electric road. 10 cents Fare back to Chi
cago, 10 cents. Total, -. IS. And see how
much l have had for my money.
WALTER WELLMAS.