Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-09-10

from three hundred thousand dollars
up. Every dollar of it was an addition
to the amounts usually spent, and rep
resents the reward for a little exer-
ton. The Merchants Day Committee
did not collect quite $1,700, and had
good deal of trouble in getting that,
principally owing to the shortness OF
the time Many people who should
have given SIS or $50 did not give a
cent, and yet reaped very large profit
A few who gave got nothing back, di-
rectly, but indirectly everyone profited,
and had the subscriptions to the fund
been twice as large it would still have
been one OF the very best business in
vestments. When man can subscribe
i've or ten dollars to a public enter
prize and get twenty or forty for one,
1t is good business, and he ought to be
glad Of the chance. The success of last
week, disappointing as it was In some
aspects, owing to insufficient money
and short time, is a pointer as to what
can be accomplished in this Direction,
and the thing to do next year is to get
together little bunch of $500 or So
000 and make display which will do
Wheeling half million dollars worth
OF good. The work will have to be
started six weeks before Fair time,
however and this will afford an oppor-
tunity for proper decorations, etc.
Yesterday afternoon a reporter for
the Register saw Mr.. F. C. H. Schwert-
feger, of the Finance Committee. and
he was justly and yet modestly enthus-
iastic at the success achieved He
said:
I'VE were crippled for time to pro-
duce the proper effect, and did not have
anything like the money we should, and
yet 1t was one of the best things ever
occurring in Wheeling The fire.
works display has been approved in my
hearing by people from big cities like
Boston. TO be srke there were some
mistakes There were too many set
pieces, which were largely obscurCd by
the smoke, and the barges were a little
too far from the VIII trf, bus next yaar,
If am living, we will fix all that and
give a display which will be talked
about for two hundred miles around.
We want great programme for 1900,
and have it well advertised. The peo-
pie will do the rest And the great
:Elng is to promise nothing that is not
20 be carried out. | believe in giving a
little more than you say you will. That
shows the people you mean to keep
Faith. 1t will pay the investors twenty
times over. | have an idea for next
year of fine street illuminations, string
both bridges with japanese and Chin
csc lanterns, down along the wharf on
wires, and on the Island side opposite
the wharf have a still better display OF
fire works, and a big lot of water fire
works, started away UP by the suspen-
sion bridge. Twelfth street can be
made a magnificent spectacle. at small
expense, and with other Examinations
through the central portion of the town,
we can keep people guessing Wednes-
day night from dark until midnight.
That is for the night display only. The
Fair Association ought to get two of
the best horses in the country here. for
a special race for about $4,000, and we
can have local railway excursions, and
other features to fill in the daylight
hours of both Wednesday and Thurs
day, including some souvenirs for the
people to take home. Wheeling ought
to wake up for once, and see how it will
pay, and besides it gives the people a
chance to see something without going
away from home. There are tens Of
thousands Of people within one hundred
this city to give them a little amuse-
ment once a year. They do business
with us, buy Wheeling goods, and come
to Wheeling when they 60 anywhere.
In that view of the case alone, We ought
to furnish a little amusement about
once a year Let's pitch in next year
and do it right.
Il have straight evidence of the bene-
Fl resulting from last week, not only
in our own business, but in other lines
Merchants in all lines tell me they
never did such a large amount OF trade,
and simply could not handle the poo
pie. Take the hotels They turned
people away by hundreds. and some Of
them after exhausting lists of private
residences PUT people to sleep on cots
IN chance found empty store rooms. The
restaurants were eaten out and had TO
close up. Mrs. Miller, up at the Deusch
House. a small hotel told me she had
four hundred people for dinner, and
people were sleeping on the floor.
am told the White Cloud had 1000 for
dinner alone on one day. Mr. Held
sent one man and his wife to six places
and he only got floor space in the last
one Mr. Greene. Of the Locke Shoe
Company, says there were scores Of
visitors he couldn't even shake hands
with. Bader & Maurer say they
couldn't get 10 bed. Mr. Maxwell said
they had to employ boys, Mr.. Lallance
says customers had to be turned away
Mr. Otto had to close his doors and put
out the lights The Windsor, Stamm
and Grand Central people turned away
customers by hundreds. Messrs
Schnepf and Clari, in the drug store
line. told me they never had such a
business, while retail stores were full
to overfiowing. So it was all along the
line Does it pay? Well. rather What
we want to do is to take hold of this
thing in earnest, and make it pay bel
ter still. It's good thing, and it must
be pushed along"
Mr.. Meyer, OF the Committee. was
also enthusiastic. and was very much
in earnest for a big time next year.