Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-13

~IMIVNH anu true. oue
STNAy is equally misleading to
IFkNIe1S say that day at the
FS fair costs no more than
the price of admission. OF course a man car
spend $50 in day and he can spend a day
there for 80 cents too, but in the former case
he will have bought a good many things for sale
and in the latter case he will have bought
nothing at all
If visitor insists upon taking two or three
meals In the grounds he can spend any
sum he likes for them. There are lunch
counters where tolerable good sandwiches can
De bought for 10 cents, coffee for the same
price and large slice of roast beef for IS
cents. This is no more than coed restaurants
charge elsewhere. but there are other restaurants
where the prices would make Delmonico's
establishment in New York blush with shame.
Here there are charges made for the use of the
crockery and knives and forks. and piece of
meat costs rs cents. This is extortion,
there can be no doubt of that, but no visitor
has a right to say tina. it is forced upon him.
II he doesn't like the prices he need not buy
the food, and. coming the next day. he is at
liberty TO bring his lunch with him and sit on a
bench and eat il when he is hungry
WITH GUIDE ATTACHMENTS.
Then. again, visitor may wish to take a
wheel chair and guide He can get them for
rs cents an hour or "a for a DAY. At present
he can enjoy the sights with the guide and they
can ask questions together. for thus far but few
of the guides have had chance TO learn much
about the exhibits, and being interested young
men, many Of them students, who have
taken up their occupation SO as to see the
show and to be paid for doing SO.
they are companions rather than guides. There
can be no doubt that this charge is pretty
steep, but here again the visitor is not obliged
IN tai lie n uhaeI chair Sc ar "A
him for walking. and il costs him nothing.
But a truly ambitious sightseer NAV relish a
ride in a sedan chair with a couple of natives in
Turkish trousers to carry him. If so. all he
has to do is to 60 into the Midway Plaisance and
Id e one. 1t costs him more than a two-horse
carriage at home, but il is a novel wav of get
ting about. and most novelties are ex ensive
You can, if you choose, ride in gondolas. steam
and electric launches. and all cost n pretty neat
figure.
IN THE MIDWAY PLAIsANCE
you are not. strictly speaking, in the exposition
grounds. for it is to the fair itself what side
show is to . circus But in the plaisance YOU
must look to yourself. for there you are in a
place where the residents are at liberty to sell
anything for any price. You may, il You are
easily gulled, be cheated in Arabic German
Irish and Turkish all within half miles walk
The strange races are not here for fun. and
they hold all visitors to be their prev. You
are not, however, under the slightest compul-
sion to buy a single thing unless you
choose. You will be charged a small admission
fee to enter some of the places. but there is
plenty to be seen without paving il. II you
remain long enough you are apt TO see free
scrapping match. for the variegated residents
Of the plaisance are beginning 20 quarrel like
cats and dogs The Arabs appear to be the
ringleaders in these disturbances. and already
the city Jail is enlivened by the presence of sew
~ fbaea chi nfs bo
THE CATALOGUES WOULD MAKE LIBRARY
You can, if you choose. pay out good deal
in buying catalogues, too, for there is a small
army Of boys clothed in raiment Of a brilliant
scarlet, who offer you catalogues separate and
bound together. The large bound ones cost
81 and the separate ones are IS cents. They
tell YOU a good deal about the exhibits that You
would never. otherwise. be able to learn. and
they are good things to carry home and
to read afteruard to stamp what you
have already seen upon your memory. Nearly
everything shown has. however. a card
attached describing what il is. so that cata-
logue is not by any means a necessary arti-
Gle. although ii is a most desirable one. At
any rate the man who undertakes to buy every
catalogue issued will have a small-sized library
to carry home with him.
There is an opportunity also for spending
money in guide books, which are offered at
various rates from Is cents upward. They are
all alike. however, being printed by one man
and compiled by one editor. They are more
useful probably than catalogues. but thew are
not essential to an enjoyment OF the buildings
and grounds, all the hundreds Of guards
scattered about can give YOU any information
you nav ask for.
ALL UNNECESSARY EXPENDITURES.
Having made use of the various foreign res
taurants. having ridden in wheel chairs and
sedan chairs, having paid the admission to the
different shows in the plaisance. having bought
guide books, you have really spent all the
money that is possible in the grounds. and very
likely you will not have much left. but COM
paratively little of this expenditure can be
called necessary.
TRANSFORMATION.
In going to and coming from the grounds
again you have your choice among a number
of different means OF conveyance at different
prices. You can go out bowling along the
boulevard in a tally-ho coach, paving as for
the round trip. or you can hire carriage and
pay $40. You can ride another coach line
for 81 or You can take bus for less. You
have the privilege of berg squeezed or of
hanging on to the platform if you wish to use
cable for five cents, or, if you live anywhere
near il. YOU can be carried into the grounds
themselves for the same price by the elevated
railroad. If YOU want to take a rapid
little railroad journey YOU can be
transported from the heart of the
business portion of Chicago without stop
ping on the way TO the gates for dime by
using the Illinois Central railroad. This lat.
ter route is very popular and really places the
center of the city nearer 10 the fair than other
localities which are much less remote in point
of distance. but which are without the through
train facilities. You can take a journey in a
new boat for 25 cents.
THE ACTUAL COST.
To come now to the actual cost of living in
Chicago. il must be confessed there has been
an increase in the past ten days which is cal
culated 10 strike tenor TO the heart of the poor
man who is obliged to live in the same place
with the largest exhibition the world has ever
seen. Rents are high. room rents are high,
and the restaurants in the city, like those
in the fair grounds. have heavy tariffs.
1t must be admitted that not all have
increased their rates. but most of them have.
and regular customers have been obliged to
give place 10 the temporary customers
brought here BY the exposition. The in
dependence of the walters too. has increased
yislbly. They receive wages that would
make a government clerk green with envy and