The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-22
gpeofal corre,pona,.cs or he nlaIyae'l.

SafNfttl tNfI ~
running along these days at the rate OF
about $1,000 paid admissions per day.
This is a great Improvement over the
comparatively meagre attendance OF the
first month. Tho average OF May was
only about $4,000 per day. There were
those who then thought, or at least
said, that the fair would so into the
hands OF Il receiver; its indebtedness
was so large and its receipts so small.
June brought an increased attendance
but still there was an immense arrear-
age OF debt, July has seen n still bet
ter average daily attendance and agreat'
or return IRON the concessions granted,
and also an important reduction in eX'
penses, The balance sheet OF the fair
company on the first OF July showed q
floating indebtedness OF nearly q million
and u quarter OF dollars. Since that
time, however. according to the official
paper OF the tair, the principal part OF
this floating debt has been paid. 1t Is
to be presumed therefore that We shall
hear no moro limitations about a
receiver, From tho first OF August tho
receipts will bo presumably available
for the reduction OF the immense bond
ed indebtedness OF the company, some
five million Of dollars, after the pay
mont OF which the stockholders may, ut
the wind up, get Il small repayment OF
their subscriptions, which amount to
over five aud IL hall millions. Of course
the city OF Chicago will lose her sub.
scrip,ion OF five millions, which really
was nothing more than n gift to the
fair. The lair company will BIO lucky
II they are not left in tho same cate
CORY. You can buy tho stock at most
any price to-day, from one'tenth to ono
half OF its face value. II August, Sep
tember and October should turn out to
be immense months in the way OF at.
tendance tho stock may risG decidedly
in quotations. Tho prevailing view is
that those months will add materially
to the chances OF the stockholders. Net
receipts IRON admissions and conces.
sions Of 100000 per day, or say two and
n half millions per month, would in
those three months pay Oft the bonds
and leave 20 per cent or more Tor the
stockholders. But somG days must be
rainy, especially in September and
October, and otherwise uninvitlng,
and therefore. on this account,
saying nothing OF tho financial
and business outlook, it is not
likely that more than the merest Crumb
will DO left for the stockholders. Tho
estimate ut the outset OF the fair was
that thirty-tive millions Of paid Ndmis.
sions would DO registered during the
six months. This would necessitate an
average attendance OF nearly six mil.
lions per month. 1t ims not begun to
average this up to the present Tho
admissions for May were a million and
q hall, and for juno about 100000.
This month does not promise to exceed
June. Even ii the remaining three
months should come up to the original
average estimate per month, still
would the aggregate not nearly reach
t~hirty.tive millions OF admissions. Tho
estimate was altogether ex%travagant,
seeing that it is nearly four times that
Of tho actual attendance ut Philadel-
phia in rs.
A GREAT SUCCESS.
The fate OF the stockholders, however,
has nothing in particular to do with the
fate Of the fair. The fair is u fact nc
complished and q great success, let who
may suffer by it. Whether tho attend.
ance shall be twenty millions or thirty
FIVE millions has no bearing upon the
great exhibition itself as u splendid and
worldwide show. The vast millions
raised and spent hero have done their
work and the people who come US
visitors will got their dividend whether
the stockholders get any or not. For
that matter most of the worlds fairs
thus tar held have been held ata loss to
the gHaFantoFs or stockholders The
Philadelphia Centennial netted q large
deficit and so did the two British fairs,
as also the Vienna fair. 1t was the in
direct results that compensated those
communities for the losses sustained,
Chicago must get her dividend in tho
aame way. There are, however, those
here who say that in q business point
OF view tho fair has not only been OF no
benefit to Chicago, but a positive detri.
ment. They point to the ten millions
that will probably be lost (the capital
stock and the city subscriptjon) and tho
countless business ventures dixie tho
Spectatorium) that have aud will come
to grief, including innumerable hotels
and boarding houses, and in addition to
q stagnation in real estate that has oC.
Cured, aud these, they claim, will more
than offset any beneficial results, even
the immense amount OF free advertising
that Chicago is getting throughout the
four quarters of the earth. This latter
they regard rs mere cheap and useless
glory, and Of no account practically TO u
community that Is already in every
market OF tho world with Its meats and
cereals.
While writing on this special phase
OF tho lair | am reminded Of u recent
conversation that | had with Potter
Palmer, OF tho Palmer House, tho ho.
toll at which tho lnfanta Of Spain put
up" when here. | was Congr0tulating
him ON his groat run OF business and
expressing tho opinion that for him at
least the fair was agood thing. He ad.
mittod that, looking simply to tho
present time, tt might DO SO coustd.
cred, inasmuch aH his house was full to
Overlooking two to four in every room,
but looking to tho future OF tho bust.
moss tho casO presented an entirely diff.
feront phase. Look" said no, "at tho
crop oil hotels that have sprung up In
this city rs n result OF tho fair. / do
not mean tho ophomOrals, but the vol.
built, wOll.locnted aud fairly good Ito.
tells. They will remain aud do business
after tho fair Ia 1T end, and they will
DO competitors with tho Palmer House
for all time to come. Every hotel, like
every man, has aome friends, and they
must, each and oyOry one, divert some