Milford chronicle., 1893-06-30
no HOUSE VISITORS
Ample Accommodations at the
Worlds Fair City.
THE MATTER OVERCOME IN FACT

Hotels on the Route to the Fair and
Verit,bIe ThicI1et OF tile Structures
About the Grounds.
WoRLD's FAI2, June 20. - Special -
On the way TO the exposition today was
much amused by the sign which the owner
Of q schooner from Racine, Wis, now an
ehored in the harbor not far from the
steamboat landing, had hung over his
craft. 1t read like this: "What is the
matter with these for cool rooms? Airy,
nice hunks and rooms for rent here" On
the deck of his vessel he had built large
cabin, as big as an ordinary two story
frame house, and it was within this, we
were left to infer, that he had his airy
rooms. The berths, mice and comfort
able" consisted, no doubt, of hammocks
slung tive II decks.
This floating hotel serves as n very good
Illustration of the manner in which every
thing has been converted into hotel in
Chicago. For once it looks as if Chicago
has oyerdone it. She has gone too far. At
this date not one room in ten in her un-
paralIelcd hotel equipment is occupied
The most remarkable development Of the
hotel system of city ever seen in the
world has taken / ace right here within
the last year. II is simply amazing Sup
nose YOU start from the center of the city
and ride TO the south, toward the Worlds
fair grounds. Why it IS hotel after hotel,
either side your route OF travel, as lar as
the eve can see. Not little hotels, either,
but great monsters rising above the roofs
OF all the surrounding buildings. The
nearer Won get to the Worlds fair the
thicker these structures are. Some Of
them are among the largest hotels in the
world: larger even than the big zones which
Chicago had before the Worlds fair struck
the town. Around the fair grounds 4 dis
tance of u mile or less from the gates IS
thicket of these vast structures, besides
scores and scores of smaller ones.
Most OF the men who went into these
hotel speeuiations are going to lose money.
Scarcely day passes now without mark
ing the failure Of some man who has got
into water over his head. There will bs
more failures before the season is over
Not one in ten OF the landlords Is likely to
make any money. Already nearly one
third Of the exposition period hats passed,
and there s. no crowd in the city. The
great inns yawn for the guests who do not
come. Bankruptcy stares many of the
proprietors in the face.
It is true that the crowds are coming
Next month, and the following months.
will no doubt, see n vast asscmblage OF
people in Chicago. The railroads are now
making some concessions, and the yaea-
tion season approaches. Perhaps there
are 10000 strangers in Chicago now. a
month hence / shouldn't be surprised if
there were 25GGO0 In September and
October there will be q jam. There is no
doubt ab0lt that. When tho harvest is
over and the cooler months of the autuma
have come, Chicago, with all its wonder
full facilities for accommodating vast
crowds, is pretty sure to have its hands
full. But think the hotels will still lose
money, or at least four out of five of them
will.
The landlords have to pay rent for six
months, or from the date they took pos
session. For six weeks they have run
with very little business, and at consider
able expense 1t will be at least another
month before they will be able to earn
large profits. Only the last two months
will pour into their Golfers the golden
stream which they have been looking for
ward to.
In my opi;ion the hotels will hs4ounl
wait till many Of the 49, Cg4 .Tain i'''gs li7ggss
filed with gaestsz.sf..se saw s,t,, VIC uhe1
anything liAs MI. saAssg.,1 .o ,,.o so'f'
rooms th ,,q finished IGoi,is 'l'',.a. ~
from 80 never any " M W
- t3uiIdine display of furnished
- - a'e1sis4eago today. In going
IL opel.ses,ii l..e,itcr OF the city to the fair by
at tlniie line, we have Il ride OF eight
miles or very nearly eight miles, and there
isn't u moment in the Journey oullus
which one may not look out and see all the
,,,av from one to a score Of signs OF rooms
or snartfnents to let They are rs thick 1
as bees in a clover field. They are on the |
principal streets and in the intersectlng |
They are lnthe Easements |
and up TO the sixth and eighth stories Oh
tall blocks They are in humble cottages.
and in the handsome, stylish houses OF |
well-to-do people. There appears to be |
craze for letting out rooms
on the south side of Chicago there IS q
Dopulation numbering more than half a
million souls. 1t is my candid Judgment
that these half million have laid their
nIans to take in fully half million more
a. roomers during the World fair. Ihey
won't take in that many, of course, Tor
there aren't likely to be enough people IN
Cbicapo. even in October to fill so many
rooms. but the fact that the rooms are
ready and waiting for guests, and that
there is the keenest sort of competition for
customers, is encouraging to the man or
woman who lives out Of town and who Is
thinking about coming here later on for
week or two at the fair. Already we see
the effects Of this competition. Rates are
coming down all the time. One may now
oct rooms here almost at his own price, II
6e Is willing to 20 some distance from the
fair oates This is not an objection, at
least not a very serious one, for there are
DIentv Of cable and horse car lines, and
these are admirably supplemented by a
large number OF omnibuses, carry-alls and
c1gSbes which run from the whole hotel
and rooming district to the fair, charging
passengers from Is. to % cents ridf.
Tbere are restaurants scattered An
throttgb this distriRt,, too, gsRa~hence one
nav live within convenient distance OF the
fair at about any price he IS willing to
pay. ,...,. a5,.ioo'i, =,
Let me give my readers a little advice IN
the matter of room hunting. Don't pay
more than one-half the price thai Is iirst
asked you. was cut few days ago LOOK
Sno, Tor two rooms, communicating. The
ge1tIeroan / was getting them for wanted
something pretty nice, and was willing to
nav for II. In a moderate-sized hotel not
more than three quarters of mile from
the fair found rooms which l thought
,vnnld suit, and asked the price.
ssThey are $40 a day, or SO a week, said
the landlord, 'and cheap at that. Later
in the season we expect to get twice as
much for them" 49,
NV only response to this was to bid the
gentleman good-day Two minutes later
willie 1 was waiting for car on the cor
ner. who should come running up but the
landlord, bareheaded and out OF wlnut
"Say," he began, II you IKE 'n,s5g ,,,1
,oor,,s III make a discount for You. III
ist Won have them at $50 a week"
Then we had quito long talk. Land
Lord xvas eaeer and was coy. was
loIu -. ......,lli,tt s,iih nv friend.