Evening journal., 1893-07-10
SUNDAY BUSINESS BAD.
People Do Not Patronize the
Fair on the Sabbath.
MAY BE AWAITING A REDUCTION.

OficiaIs Perplexed About the Sunday
Opening Question Now That the Attend
ancs Has DwIndled Far Below the
$4,000 Mark-A Fine Day But
Small Crowd Yesterday-Half Price
Now Talked OF.
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, CHICAGO,
July 10.-Since the Sunday attendance
of paying visitors at the fair began to
dwindle below the $4,000 mark the
directors have been doing considerable
thinking as to the best course to pursue
in the interests of the exposition and
the wage working multitude for whom
the officials have born the denuncistion
of SabbatariaDs.
Can Only See Half Show.
The principal reason for the decreased
attendance on Sunday is the discovery on
the part of the Worlds Fair that the
working people and others who have time
only on Sunday to see the fair
cannot see more than half the show
for the price of admission charged on
week days when every section of the fair
is open to the public.
May Be Awaiting Reduction.
The people have decided to stay away
altogether on Sunday and try to see the
fair on other days, or they are waiting
for the directors to red uce the admission
fee to 25 cents on Sunday. Many of the
broad minded directors have come to the
conclusion that the people will come
with their families in larger numbers
than on week days IL the uniform price
of admission Sunday is fixed at % cents.
Only Forty-three Thousand Yesterday.
The Chicago press which is favorable
to Sunday opening with one exception
is advocating half price for half a show
Yesterday, still smaller attendance of
43, 500 in spite of the fue weather until
evening, will bring the directors to the
aeting point this week.
To Again Discuss Sunday Opening.
special meeting of that body will be
held, it is understood before next Sun
day. The whole Sunday opening situa-
tion will be discussed and the financial
aspect considered. Some directors will
be in favor of closing the gates Sunday
because they believe a Sunday fair is a
failure, not from any fault of their own
but because the exposition company can.
not compel state and foreigners, Individual
exhibitors and the United States
Government offisisls to keep their ex-
hibits to the public on Sunday.
Midway Plaisance People Meet and Com.
plain.
The men in charge of buildings and
exhibits need a rest on Sunday and
their employers will not engage helI
especially for Sunday work. For this
reason many Of the exhibits are closed
Pressure will be brought to bear Oh
directors, also from the concessionsires
on the Midway Plsisance, who are COM
planning more vigorously than last
month that they are losing money anf
cannot continue TO pay the % per cent
of gross receipts to the exposition.
May BE Satisfied with 25 Cents.
These concessionaires will meet som,
time to-day to present an ultimstum Il
the directors. They say that they viii
practically close their attractions il thel
do not get reduction in their percent
age. but it is probable they would com
promise If the directors would make the
Sunday admission 25 cents, bringing
two or three times as many people into
their section of the park which is tn
favorite resort for most of the Sunda,
crowd
E. L Roche, alternate national com
missioner from South Carolina, has al
ways advocated Sunday opening, but b.
told United Press reporter thus morn
ing that he had changed his mind 81
seems to me, said the southerner, ''tha
after the fight that was made in th
commission to secure the Sunday oper
ing that people would show their apprs
citation by coming TO the fair on that day
The attendance, however, is CROWN
smaller on the Sabbath, and l fel
much chagrined over the failure of SUI
day opening Everybody that comes i
the grounds goes right to the Plaisanc
to spend the day. The visitors on SUI
day seem be pleasure seekers rather ths
sight seers. hope the National Con
mission will require the local director
to act in the matter some time durin
the week. We should have think
25 cent admission It would pay in n
opinion. to have the Plsis ance on
open, and charge an adm ission fee
20 cents to that part of the fair
nunuoUur nHprf or nnrnn MN M,