The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-26
EXPOSITION FACTS
ATTENDANCE Is STEADILY
INCREASING.
WOrld-Herald Day, Wednesday,
August "a, Promises to Be One
Of the Biggest OF the Big Days
OF the Great Show.

Omaha, Aug. l5.-Ihe attendance at
the Trans-Mississippi exposition, as
shown by the last reports of the Sec
rotary, is increasing at a rapid rate,
n the first weeks in August are the
Up to the LIST of August the total
admissions at the exposition footed up
621, 035, of which considerably more
han one-half We're in the month Of
July. The largest day in July was on
the 4th, upon which day the turnstiles
seven other days that exceeded 10000
admissions each.
The average day of the exposition
may be said to be at this time about
5000 paid admissions and 5000 free ad-
missions. People are apt, however, to
get an incorrect idea of the admissions
by reading the figures, because the
free admissions always appear larger
than they really are; that is to say, an
employee of the exposition who has a
pass, generally uses it several times a
day, leaving the grounds for his meals
c"AN - = AAo "OAh) ~ IAA"S
of the passes are used several times a
day and counted upon each occasion.
The number of people employed upon
the Midway as actors, servants, wait
ers or attendants, and the number en-
ployed in watching exhibits or selling
different articles, foots up about 5000.
Many of these practically live upon the
grounds, however, and do not leave
them every day.
The operating expenses Of the expo
sition are about ST. 900 a day, but to this,
Of course. must be added the private
expenses of maintaining the attrac-
tions upon the Midway, caring for ex-
hibits, running restaurants. music
halls, boats upon the lagoon and other
expenditures of that sort which do not
belong to the exposition proper. Upon
the Midway there are now some thirty
four attractions giving shows constant
ly during the day and evening. 1t is
closely estimated that visitors spend on
an average some $1,000 a day upon the
Midway. Some of these shows are
mere fakes and cheap-John affairs, but
most of them are really interesting n
novel. Animal shows especially draw
large crowds. n so do the oriental
performances, with the camel rides for
grown people, the donkey rides for
children and the dancing girls for ev-
erybody. The Midway is a noisy place,
as in front Of each attraction there is
what is called a speiler or barker, who
constantly shouts out the virtues of his
particular show.
The Omaha Exposition is above all
things a night show, because of the
electric Illumination, which is the finest
ever yet held in the world anywhere.
The Worlds Fair not even had as
much electrical illumination as this ex-
position shows to it's visitors. The
Grand Court surrounded by the main
exhibit buildings and occupying forty
solid acres alone, is a perfect blaze of
light, and the beautiful lagoon, which
extends the whole length of the court
"a distance of half a mile-is navigat-
ed by gondolas and electric launches,
which contribute to the fairy-land ap-
pearanCe OF the scene.
WORLD-HERALD DAY.
One of the big days of the present
month is expected to be World-Herald
Day, which is August "a. The manage
ment of the exposition, out of regard
for the services which the World-Her-
aid has rendered to the enterprise, has
designated August "a as World-Herald
Day, and arranged for q, large attend
ance and fine attractions. On that
day bands of music will make both
the afternoon and evening attractive
in several parts Of the grounds, n at
. o'clock in the evening a grand display
of fireworks will be given upon the
grounds by special arrangement with
the A. l.. Due Co., besides a great
aerial display of rockets representing
the cost of hundreds of dollars. There
will be set pieces in honor of the
World-Herald, giving letters and fig
ures in lines of fire in the sky.
The Herald has invited the
editors Of Nebraska newspapers to
lunch with it upon that day and thus
celebrate the thirteenth anniversary of
the establishment of the Evening World
which was later consolidated with the
Morning Herald, thus becoming the
World-Herald.
The railroad rates for World-Herald
day will be especially low. A round
trip ticket from any point in Nebraska
can be purchased for one fare for the
round trip, n admission to the
grounds after six o'clock in the even
ing will be only. half rate, or Is cents.