The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-08-02
THE FAIRS FINANCES.
The First Half of the Big Show
Not Entirely Satisfactory,
NO PROFITS FOR STOCKHOLDERS

Exposition OmciaIs charge the Railroads
with Responsibility for Smaller Attend
anoe Than was Expocted-Presidont
Higinbothem Hopeful for the Future.
CHICAGO, Aug. with the closing of
the gates Monday night the first half OF
the Columbian exposition passed into his
tory. The number Of paid admissions dur
ing the month was 2, 2,750,97l, and the larg-
est number of paid admissions was regis
tered July 4, when 2S3 ,273 people deposited
the admission fee with the ticket seller.
The smallest number was on Sunday last,
when only 1867 paid admissions were re-
corded. The paid attendance for May was
1,050.037 while that of June more than
doubled this figure, reaching total of
2,675, ll3.
Officials Of the fair are greatly pleased
with the artistic success of the exposition,
but this much cannot be said Of the finan-
cial end of the enterprise. The enterprise
has failed largely TO reach the mark it was
expected to attain during the first half of
the fair, and especially during the month
of July. For this the railroads are in the
main held responsible, and the officials do
not hesitate to criticize their stubbornness
and meanness in refusing to make one
fair round trip at the beginning of the
fair. The present hard times have had
much to do with the poor attendance, but
the management thinks the people could
have attended largely had the railroad
fares been reduced.
There must necessarily be large at
tendance during the remaining period Of
the fair if the management expects to pay
its debts, and this is all they now hope to
| do 1t is foregone conclusion that the
stockholders of the fair will get nothing
on their inyes tment nor will their sub
scriptions be returned, as the money for
which the exposition is legally liable
amounts to so much that it will take a
tremendous daily average of paid admis-
sions to release the obligation.
President Higinbotham is as hopeful rs
any of the officials in the matter of finance.
I He said today
81 have only one fault to find with the
first half of the fair. The attendance has
not been what it ought to have been. In
all other respect the exposition has been a
success, rs no one can reasonably deny, but
in that respect The first half is by no means
the better half l believe that the attend
ance from now on will steadily increase. !
believe that the admissions this week will
exceed those of last There have now been
I
than that many will be registered during
the remainder of the fair, and the total at
tendance will more than double those fig
ures The latter half of the fair will sur
prise us as much with a large attendance
as the first hal has disappointed us witt
bad"
The retirement policy will be renewed al
once with increased vigor. One of the lirs
effects of economy is felt in the elimina
tion of one special night per week
Heretofore Tuesday, Thursday and Satur
day were designated as special nights, ant
were rendered attractive by band concerts
fireworks, etc. This feature has beel
abridged to two nights, and Wednesda!
and Saturday will hereafter be known a
special" nights There will be no musi
at night except upon those days, and tn
hours for the day concerts have beel
changed so as to divide the music equal!
between the morning and the afternoon
The free orchestra concerts will be giYeI
as usual, when the orchestra is not en-
gagged in rehearsing for au afternoon pro
gram, at least for the present. The new
arrangement will work saving Of few
hundred dollars daily.
The paid admissions at the fair yester
day were 1S,4lS.