The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-20
ROOD An THE FAIR,

one Time on the Worlds Fair Grounds.
CnIcAGo, LIS, Feb. l0.-Fifty-nine
thousand four hundred people can dine
at one time in the Worlds Fair
grounds next summer. They will have
their choice between thirty.iye places,
No city in all the world with half mil
lion inhabitants approaches the Fair in
the extent, spaciousaess, and luxury OF
club rooms, restaurants, and cafes
Private enterprise has done as well, II
not better, than the exposition would
have done ii its officials had not been
relieved OF the task. The amount OF
capital which private ENTERPRISE has in
vested in Jackson Park and on Midway
Plaisance is very large, IT has been
expended in that full confidence in tho
success OF the fair which ChIcagoans
have felt always.
A cosmopolitan visitor at the fair
next summer can partake OF the viands
OF all nations rs prepared and
served at home. He can, in this
respect make tour OF the world within
radius OF mile. 1t will take some
time to do it, for the foreign restaurants
are as numerous US those whore food
will be served in purely American ways.
Ii bent on economy he will find lunches
as cheap as ii he were at home, When
the craving for first class meal pos
sesses him he need not go but short
way until he comes upon cafes where
the best that nature and art can con-
tribute will be at his order
l.. ii /. III
be served in nearly every restaurant,
but with meals only, Out OF this vast
business tho exposition takes one
fourth OF the gross receipts for the con-
cessions. The income to the Fair from
this source alone will run into the mill
ions, Like all figuring on the business
OF tho Fair, the estimates are guesses.
But shrewd guessers, who have had the
statistics Of other worlds fairs before
them, state they would not be surprised
il the Exposition reaped between 81
100000 and S5,000,0O0 for its share OF the
money paid at the restaurants.
Sunday closing has had the effect oil
shading many estimates OF concession
aires on the amount OF business they
would do On tho other hand, much
announcement has come from the an
nouncement that the fair would be
kept open evenings whenever the at;
tendance would pay Tor tho lights and
kindred expenses, This meant a great
deal to the restaurants. 1t would nearly
double their business on ordinary days.
With the exposition closed at night 1t
was to be supposed that comparatively
few people would got their supper on
the grounds. When sight seeing did
not cease with the sunshine, the resting
places OF visitors would DO tho roof
gardens and the airy dining rooms OF
the cafes. Night opening quite coun-
terbalanced Sunday closing.
NUMEROUS ON THE pLAIsANcE
It is on the Midway Plaisance that
dining rooms, restaurants and lunch
counters will be the most numerous. In
fact every company which secured n
concession along the plaisance at once
proceeded to add restaurant features
whenever it was possible to tack them
on. OF course restaurant in q piano.
rama would not be entirely fitting nor
could one be attached 10 the great
wheel, which will carry oeople skyward
asort OF Titanic perpendicular merry
go.round, But restaurant could be
added easily to the captive balloon, and
there was the best excuse in the world
for them in the numerous villages. And
SO restaurant after restaurant hasspruug
into existence until the dining capacity
along the piaisnnce alone is OF most
subs antial magnitude. On ordinary
days a big majority OF the visitors ut
THE pack could be fed on the plaisance
without much crowding, even ii Mr..
Gage and all tho other concessionaires
in jackson Park should go on u strike.
Some people who have gone ahead
with their arrangements for restaurants
on the plaisance are beginning to think
that tho business may be overdone. At
best tho plaisanCe is considerable dis
lance from the main buildings OF the
fair, where the crowds will always con-
gregate. It's quite walk from the adj
ministration building, which is the
practical centre of tho Worlds Fair, to
the plaisance. So long as the restau-
rants at tho heart OF the exposition are
not overcrowded and do not charge
more than most visitors are willing to
pay it is said that it will DO natural for
people to dine where they are sight
seeing, and it is thought TINT tho con-
cessionaires along the plaisance will be
at material disadvantage compared
with their competitors who are located
in tho midst OF the park
1t Is claimed that tho visitors along
the plaisance will be sufficiently ,numer-
GUS TO sustain most OF the restaurants
located there. This ia n mooted Ques-
ton. The views OF the concessionaires
who have invested millions OF dollars
arc naturally roscato, Their estimates
OF business, however, are larger than
those OF many officials OF the fair who
have given tho subject the most study.
There will be so much to see in Jackson
Park for one admission Of fifty cents
that the drawing powers OF tho exhibits
along tho plaisanco, where an addi-
tional admission is charged, cannot be
forecast until the crowds come and go
their way with their own sweet will
Counting six changes OF plates for
every one Of 50, 400 places at table the
fair will be able to serve 400 meals
every day. Even on the big DAYS the
crowds can be cared for without dis
comfort.