Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-06-08

~ Nsvsd b ~ lsssaal naa-Priess q ~
uoeld's Fair.

| SHitAsO,June - Spec1A. = he grea
question of Sunday closing of the Colum
bian Exposition appears to be sttractin,
more attention and creating more discus
sion in other parts Of the country than il i
right here in Chicago. 1t 10 Astonishins
how many people, great number Of then
prominent church members-who eomi
radically and vehemensly opposed to Sun
day opening of the big Fair. change then
minds upon the subject after brief stay il
the city.
| The reason 10 obvious to any visitor here
Such people find the conditions surround
ing the Exposition very much different thar
they had anticipated. They find, first OF
all, that the most ardent advocates of Sun
day closing are the Chicago saloon keepers
gamblers, dive owners and the managers Of
4 long list of cheap shows, dance halls and
museums. They naturally ask themselves
why this class of people is so greatly in
terested in this question. 1t certainly can
not be from any patriotic motive to sub.
serve the public morals.
Why is it then? The last Sabbath thai
the Exposition gates were closed showed
very clearly. How did the vast crowd Of
visitors in the Windy City pass the day
Some of them attended the city churches
This element would have done the same un
der any circumstances. Twenty thousand
people sought entertainment at Buffalo
Bills Wild West Show just outside the
Fair grounds.
| Fifteen thousand were present at the Ma.
| tional League ball game. All the dime
dance halls, the circuses and the museums
had crowded attendance. and the saloon
keepers reported that they hadn't done such
a rushing business for years. This was
what Sunday closing of the Exposition ac-
complished for the cause of public morals.
| What is there in the record to enlist
Christian people, aud especially Christian
ministers with their large influence for
good, in policy that brings about such un-
happy results! Is it any wonder that thous-
ands of such people when they arrive in
| Chicago and see the true condition of affairs
experience decided change in heart on
the Sunday closing question.
Sunday, May 2sth, the gates were thrown
open. There were no fires in the boilers,
and no machinery was in motion. Every
thing was quiet and orderly The people
came to drink the scene of beauty that
opened around them, and they went away
better men and women because of it. The
saloons have not done so poor business
for years. A large number of them were
closed in the afternoon. The outside
shows had small audiences. Everybody
who went out at all seemed to go to Jack
| son park.
Over 200, 900 people entered the grounds,
and more quiet, orderly, reverent crowd
was never assembled together. There was
no disturbance Of any kind, and the writer
has yet to hear of single case of drunken
ness. The people, large proportion of
them of the working class-went quietly
home at the close of the day better and
wiser for its experiences. Here we have
the results of the two policies. Which one
will Christian people, and those who be-
licve in the promotion of the public morals,
endorse?
Visitors to the Fair are quite prompt in
reaching decision. Those at a distance
are somewhat behind, but perhaps it is be-
cause the light is slower in reaching them.
There is nothing in the world more ia
tiguing than sight seeing at great fair.
People who will stand long days shop
ping trip to Chicago without much weari-
ness, will return home from days sight
seeing at the Exposition quite exhausted.
There are so many things to engage the at
tention that one does not realize how many
miles he has travelled until tired muscles
and aching bones painfully recall him to af-
fairs of the flesh.
New comers usually plunge in medias res
with world of enthusiasm. The first night
finds them footsore and worn out. Still
their courage is good. They resolve to rise
the next morning promptly at o'clock, eat
an early breakfast and hurry into the
grounds, to renew the round of sight seeing
so reluctantly postponed.
They are amazed when they awake to
find that it is o'clock. They feel as if it
is toss between another hours nap and
and an early start for the grounds but fin
again pursuing the round of wonders that
opens about them on every hand. About
the third day new programme is adopted.
! They take things more leisurely. They
have tested the limits of their endurance.
and have learned the wisdom of keeping
well within the boundaries.
| They hire light folding chairs-these can
be secured at a number OF booths on the
grounds for 10 cents day-and tax them
sightseeing leisurely and comfortably, in
dulging themselves in frequent rests. They
are surprised to find that they can zee far
more than they could by their first method,
see it better and remember it longer. Best
of all they return home at night with some
reserve strength, ready, after a nights rest
to renew their sightseeing without any un-
pleasant reminders of the previous days
experience.
| Many people find a great deal of restful-
ness in the use of a wheel chair. and moth
ing could we'll be more refreshing than a
gondola ride about the lagoons, trip that
affords an excellent viev of every promi
nent building on the gr )unds.
| Since he has been in attendance upon
the Exposition the writer has tried restau-
rants in nearly all the leading Exposition
buildings, and in none of them has he
found the prices unreasonable. Outside
the grounds the prices are naturally lower
for the proprietors there do not have to pay
10 per cent of the gross receipts fer con
cession privileges.
| Thursday evening ran into little res
taurant directly across the street from the
Exposition grounds and about two rodi
from the Ffty-seventb street entrance
wttre the prices were so modest that
could not refrain from making note Of
them for the benefit Of friends who nigh
be haunted by the nightmare of ''e1tor
ton" The place, while not pretentioui
| was scrupulously neat, the food was fresl
and wholesome, nicely cooked and vel
| served. The orders were the most gener
Gus in size of any that had been placed be
fore me since came to the city. Here il
the scale of prices:
Pork and beans, 10c. ham boiled, 10c.
beef boiled, l0c, corned beef, l0c,; han
and eggs, 25c.
Eggs-Boiled (3), l5c.; poached, (3)
l5c.; fried, (3), Is; plain omelet, ~
zoe.
Sundries--Dry or buttered to.s'. sc.
milk toast, I0c. cranberry or apple sauce
| sc.
Pastry--Five cents a cut.
Drinks-Milk, &c. coffee, &C.. tea, SC.
cocoa, l0c.
The glory of this place was its bake,
beans. They were the genuine down Eas
article, the only Yankee" beans had seer
in the city. One order carried enough fo
a square meal for two men--though VI
imagine that the proprietors would not un
essonably object to such division Of th'
spoils.
at makes me tired said one of tn
hotel BARRIERS to the writer. "to see SOM
people scouting about with the idea tha
everybody here wants to rob them. Yes
terday morning an old fellow thrust the eni
of his nose around the angle Of the doc
ard inquired, How much dye ask for
shavef' Oh, he was shrewd, He WASH
going to let any one get the drop on him i
he knew il.
He didn't come in until l told him !.
cents. I suppose he thought would hav
squeezed ten dollar bill If he hadn't ixe'
prize before hand. Such fellows II,
about the only ones who get feeced and
don't know a. have much sympathy Wit