Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-18
Attendance at the Atlanta EXPOSE
ton Not Up to the Expectations.
NOT MORE TEAM 5000 Per DAY
Some of the Attractive Features
of the Great Show.
MID W Az TIL E R E
,r, espondence of The Evening Star.

national exposition are rather respondent
at present on account of the light attend
ance and it is the general opinion that
unless interest in the enterprise increases
to a considerable extent within short
time the exposition is almost certain to be
financial failure. This, the directors say,
will not pe the case, and they assert with
much positiveness> that as soon as the
working machinery gets to running it
tie more smoothly the expectations of a
large attendance that were entertained at
the beginning of the fair will be realized.
Thus far the average number of persons
visiting the grounds each day has not ex-
ceeded 5000, and these few scattered over
the large area occupied by the exposition
gives the place a desolate and deserted
air. The banner day in the matter of at
tendance was liberty bell day. when about
$4,000 persons passed through the urn
stiles. large percentage of these how
ever, were children, who, a special in
ducement, were admitted on that day for
ten cents.
One Of the reasons for this apparent lack
Of interest may be found in the fact that
surprisingly large number of firms who
secured valuable concessions in the way of
space have failed TO take advantage Of
their allotments, and have not yet pre-
pared their exhibits. This is particularly
the case in the transportation building.
"
in the agricultural and manufacturing
buildings the same condition exists. The
directors Of the exposition have repeat
edly urged the delinIuents to hurry up
their exhibits and their efforts have .een
rewarded by the employment of an IN
creased force of laborers, who were put to
work this week. opening cases and ar
ranging specimens, and it is now exposed
that within the next ten days or so things
will be in first-class shape.
One of the special features which was
expected to be great attraction mas re-
suited disastrously through the fault of
the contrac tor. This is the electrical foun-
tain, which was built in the center of the
big lagoon. The man who secured the con-
tract for the work made q miscalculation
in the power of his dynamo, and when the
current was turned on it proved to be too
weak to operate the stream. Just how
soon this will be remedied is not known.
Street Car Fares.
When the exposition was opened last
month the directors of the street car line
running out to the grounds. wishing to
become wealthy In a hurry. raised the fare
to 10 cents making 20 cents for the round
trip. This naturally aroused the ire Of
visitors as we'll as the citizens of Atlanta,
who Immediately, organized a boycott
against the railroad company and patron
lied the buses, herdics and private lines
which began to operate from the center of
the city to the grounds and which charged
but cents for the trip. AS these private
conveyances make the run without stop
ping en- route and are just as comfortable
as the street cars they are giving general
satisfaction and are we'll patronized The
Southern railroad runs line of cars into
the grounds FROM the depot down town.
charging 10 cents for the trip. but the bulk
of travel goes out by the buses.
The reports of the high prices charged for
hotel accommodations at Atlanta have been
greatly exaggerated, and comfortable quar-
tiers can be secured without trouble at
rates easily within the means of all. In
fact the big crowds which were expected
at the opening OF the fair having failed
to matcrialize a number of the hotels and
boarding houses have been forced to reduce
| the rates named month ago. At the
first-ciass hotels the prices range from -
to pay for the elaborate appointments af-
forded by these houses can be accommo-
dated at less pretentious hotels. where the
rates are from 81 to s. per day:
For the benefit of those who have but a
limited income and who desire to see the
exposition on a Cheap scale the public
comfort committee has obtained list Of
private boarding houses, where room and
board can be had for 50 to So per week.
These places have been selected with great
care after personal investigation by MEM
bers of the committee, and as almost every
| woman in Atlanta owning house has
gone into the business Of taking boarders
there has been no lack Of accommodat1ons
offered. This list is open to inspection
without charge at the office OF the commit
tee, near the depot.
disappointment Along the Midway.
The ones with whom the light attend
| ance at the exposition grounds Is playing
the greatest havoc are the managers of the
various attractions along the Midway, many
of whom are losing money right along. On
| Wednesday and Saturday evenings very
| good display of fireworks is given at the
Lagoon and this always serves to draw
big crowd to the grounds but on other days
| the Midway has a decidedly deserted ap-
! pearance. The worst Of it is that the ma
| jority of those who do visit this part OF the
seeing, for they spend very little money
on the many side shows. They collect In
| front of the theaters, and after listening
to the long harrangues of the spoilers or
| 'barkers," few drift inside to witness the
performance, but most Of them move on to
| the next show.
| The spoilers are in despair over the slow
ness of things. They expect that matters
the north begins, and as cotton Is bringing
| higher prices this season than for many
years previous they hope that the farmers
will be a little more liberal after dispos1ng
of their crops.
The ruling rate for admissions to attrac-
tons on the Midway Is ten cents. but few
| of the theaterS make charge OF quarter.
which is reduced to fifteen cents ON special
days. They all have several side shows,
however, and after seeing them all the VS.
| tor finds that the total cost is in the neigh
borhood Of fifty cents. There are very few
| exhibitions of really instructive nature,
| such as representative villages of foreign
nations, most of the managers having in
vested in vaudeville performances of more
| or less startling character. Probably the
| best patron:zed attraction here is the streets
| Of Cairo, which is q very good imitation Of
the affair produced sat2Chicaso.
An Imitation Bull Fight.
The same canels. and donkeys that did
service at Chicago are carrying passengers
| through the streets for 25 cents a round
| trip. AS the authorities refused to allow
the Mexican village people to have their
| bull fight the latter have supplied substi-
| tute in the way of a Jersey bull and some
matadcrs from Mexico. An overworked
| looking steer is released in a wooden arena
| and, after being tantalized for while by
some matadors, who flaunt red and yellow
| bunting before its face the animal is las
seed by big greaser and ANONYMOUSLY
| dragged from the arena. If the bull had a
| little more life and was more aggressive he
| could make it very interesting for some
| of his tormentors, but as it is he resents
| their insults in half-hearted manner.
The managers of this show say they are
still willing to carry out their original prop