The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-12
ARnuT loo VISITORS.
Probable Size of the Attendance fro m
Outside.

OutS1Oes
The registration of visitors to the Dig
meet has about reached end. Yesterday
Tomlinson Hall was practically deserted so
far as strangers were concerned. The at
tendance has been disappointing to the pro-
moters of the meet and doubly so to the
citizens of Indianapolis. While the blame
for it is not charged by anyone to the man
ayers, the feeling among all those inter-
ested in the enterprise is one of keen dis
appointment over the poor attendance. The
general opinion among visitors from the
East and South is that the poor attend
ance can be laid directly to insufficient adj
vertising and high railroad rates Several
members of the Cycling Club, of Philadel-
pha, in conversation yesterday explained
the matter from their standpoint by
claiming that the railroads refused to adj
vertise the meet in the Eastern papers and
charged exorbitant rates to passengers. AS
consequence most of the people there
knew little of the meet except what was
told them by the dyed-in-thewool wheel
men who would attend even if the roads
charged double rates to haul them. Mem
bers of the different state boards. from time
to time, visited the railroad managers to
try to secure a rate of 1 cent a mile for
the round trip to Indianapolis. On every oc-
casion their efforts were without avail The
railroad people refused to make the. rate
had no adequate anti-scalping law. by
which the roads could be protected in isssu-
ing cut-rate tickets, they could not afford to
handle the business and assume the risks
of having their concessions abused.
The Phladelphians claim that had the
railroads granted the rate of l cent mile
from several cities in the vicinity of Phila-
delphia, where now there is hardly cor
porars guard. New York Boston and Bal
timore all failed to send their crowds on
account of the high rates asked. All the
Eastern men feel badly over the poor show
Ing made at the present meet and say it
in the West. where it is now desired to
gain foothold. 1t will also in their esti-
nation. tend to detract from the impor
lance of the League of American Wheel
men in the eyes of the business men who
have been asked to subscribe to the ex-
penses of the meet. The impression gained
ment and will. unless the circumstances are
thoroughly. understood, give any future at
tempt 10 bring the national meet to this
section big setback
All the visitors are praising the work of
the local cyclists and citizens for the liberal
way they have been entertained and think
the public should be advised as to who is
to blame for the failure of the meet. In the
East. where meet can be held which will
draw on a district containing upwards of
five millions of people, all living within
radius of two hundred miles of New York
city, the present rates eXacted by the rail-
roads would cut a much smaller figure in
the attendance than they do here. Almost
any town could furnish delegation OF
generous proportions when the rates for
transportation are one fare for the round
trip. But when the jump is one of a thou
sad miles or over it becomes another ques-
ton and Indianapolis is now suffering from
this handicap. Had the meet conducted on
the present liberal scale, been held in New
York OF, any other of the Atlantic coast
cities. there would not have been room
enough in town to hold the crowds which
would come there. all because the railroad
fare would be an insignificant matter
From the best information obtainable it
was learned at Tomlinson Hall yesterday
that up TO last evening there had been in
round numbers / 200 visitors in the city to
attend the meet. Charles Cullom. OF the
Houston, Tex. Press who arrived yester-
day morning. said there bad been a party
of fifty wheelmen organized in his city some
time ago TO attend the meet. but that it
had been broken up when the railroads re-
fused to make a respectable rate for carry
ing them here.