The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-23
a. MILLION PER WEEK.
AND STILL THEY POUR INTO THE
GREAT WHITE CITY.

where tho Visitors Mostly Como From.
The wretohed Climate-The Wonders
and Delights OF Rorticulture-Land
Enough to support 500, 900, 900.
WORLDS FAIR. Sept. 22.-[Special.1-I
am still of opinion that majority of the Wis
itors so far have come from within circuit
OF 2o0 miles around Chicago. This was my
guess ut the end OF my first fortnight here,
and~further observation has confirmed it.
But there is just now great change in
progress. New England and New York are
doing much better, and occasionally meet
an acquaintance from the far south On
the LIST of this month made an estimate
from various sources of information and
decided that all New England had not sent
as many people here as two congressional
districts in central Illinois; that all Indi-
ana and Ohio south of the National road
and outside of Cincinnati had sent fewer
than two districts in Michigan, and that
all the states south of Kentucky and Vir-
Rinia had not yet learned that there was n
Worlds fair.
But so early as Roman Catholic day.
Sept. 2, there was a noticeable change, and
on and since New York day that state has
been fairly represented. Last week long
trains crowded with people began to come
In from New England, Kansas and the far
southeast, and now the attendance really
has national and gratifying appearance.
Nevada and New Mexico had their Joint
day, but no one would have known it by
the increased attendance. But Kansas and
Iowa have done nobly. 1t is not now ex-
pectcd, however, that the highest figures of
the past will be excelled before Chicago
day, unless the Irish do It, and so a com.
parison of attendance can be made. The
contrast is somewhat. curious On openinp
day there were but 12S,9G5 present, and at
least 100000 of them wished they had not
come, for weather and mud were distressful.
All Kinds of Weather.
And here L may as well say that the
proposition to keep the fair open through
November strikes me as foolishness and if
there is any crowd here the last half of Oc
tober twill surprise me. have lived and
travelled in many climates, and this is be-
yond comparison the worst On Ohio day.
the l4th, the heat was simply uncomfortable.
Twenty persons were Frustrated in the
grounds, and even in my room l was
half smothered. On the afternoon of the
18th heavy overcoats were necessity to
sensitive people, and for three days there.
after fire was comfortable in the morning.
Sometimes it is oppressively warm in the
morning and chilly in the afternoon, or
vice versa, and just as often one will wake
in the morning in sweat and lie down Mt
night thoroughly chilled.
And still they come. The attendance now
exceeds 100000 per week. The first day
OF noticeably large attendance was June Is
German day-when 1G5,060 were present.
On July there were 2S3, 273, and that re.
mains the best on record. On British ,lay
there were 16S,SG1, on Illinois day 243,95l,
on Machinery day les, 030, OH Pennsylvania
day 2O3, AGO, on the 9th (when SO many
states and interests joinedD 231 ,522, ON Ohio
and Kansas day 19S,770, and on Texas
day-the 16th-199,S21. The Irish have in.
sured n crowd on their day, Sept 80, in the
same way the Democrats of Indiana used
to insure victory-by starting the cam
paign with big row among themselves. 1t
has long been noted that the harder the
Democrats there fight each other in and be-
fore the convention the bigger vote they
cast, and on the same principle the Irish
are justified in their promise to have so, 900
men in line-their uniformed societies
an attendance of 100000
Amid Waving Palms.
The Horticultural building is one in
which there is very much to sec and very
little to report that would be novel, for
there are but the same palms, fruits, flow
ers, cacti grasses and other growths seen
IN all such collections, and all that can be
said is that there is larger collection of
larger specimens than was ever before ex-
hibited. 1t is moreover, n strangely rest
full place, especially on n warm and sun
shiny day, The eye. wearied by long gaz-
ing on the crowds and white buildings, is
suddenly cooled and charmed by the long
vistas and almost mountainous masses of
dark green, while the senses are soothed by
the murmur of streams flowing down the
artificial hills In it are eight greenhouses,
"A by 100 feet each, and in front of it is n
large flower terrace with tanks for
nymphnas and water rcgias. In the center
and under the crystal dome, which is 1l3
feet high and 1S7 feet in diameter, is the
much praised miniature mountain, 20 feet
high, and thickset with such things as
giant tree ferns and palms.
Under this IS an imitation of the great
cave recently explored in the Black Hills of
South Dakota, n cave having SO miles of
winding passages. In this cave are many
curios and other things for sale Mt prices
warranted to take n common mans breath
away. After going through there and pric-
ing the articles, everything outside seems
dog cheap" which is great relief For
an ordinary quartz crystal-and an active
man can gather 10 bushels day in any one
of hundreds of places out west-the price is
81. For plain stalactite the size of your
little finger, the same. For polished bit
of ribbon agate utah has mountain or
two of the materially or for cateye fire eve
Or any similar and equally plentiful arti-
Gle, the price is from 80 cents up-and a
long ways up. A small cross section of a
petrified tree, nicely polished, can be had
for only SOL In one small district in Colo
RADIO are at least 10000 600 tons of It,.
Food and Population.