Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-28
Money Spent by Visitors.

1t will be even more interesting to know
the amount of money that has been ex-
pended by the public in visiting the expo
sition The total attendance to date has
been about ten millions and the average
per week is now about 10000. II this rate
Is kept up until the end of the season there
will be 100000 more. or a grand total of
100000 visitors. Each of those visitors
must have spent, or will spend. in railway
fares, hotel bills, lunches, admission to the
grounds and other expenses at least $40.
That Is very small average. but 1t repre-
SCENTS a total expenditure of $4,000. 900.
Inc Dank clear1ngS of st. Louis during the
entire summer have shown an increase of
ABOUT 10 per cent over the corresponding
week or the previous year, which repre-
SCENTS SCENTS only part of the money that has
been left by visitors to the exposition
Ihus. not less than $239 $50 900, and prob
aDly very much more, has been expended
ulrectiy In connection with the Louisiana
purchase exposition.
according to the reports of the railway
companies, the attendance from a distance
mas been about double that at Chicago
Whlie from that city and the suburbs has
oeen only about half as great. which, of
course. Is due to the difference in popula-
tion or the two cities. High tide In attend
ance was reached on st. Louis day. when
F4.9 tickets were taken up at the gates
put tnat represents only about 1856 600 per-
sons actually on the grounds because so
many paid for more than one admission in
order to swell the total. One woman. a
gatekeeper says, insisted upon surrenderinp
an the tickets that remained in her book
OF coupons. and he counted seventy-six.
Other enthusiastic visitors turned in fifteen
twenty and thirty tickets each Hundreds
surrendered their season tickets with many
admissions to their credit and bought new
ones There was great deal of public in
terest. Factories, mercantile houses banks
and offices closed their doors and pulled
down their blinds and furnished all of their
or r-r,ln toll
general holiday. The actual cash received
from admissions was $4,000 and $4,000
from cor cessions.
Two More Big Days.
Another big day Is coming early next
month, when the state of Missouri will
have her celebration, and at least SOC, 600
paid admissions are expected. The railway
companies are working up boom and will
bring big excursions from every corner of
the state.
Another large crowd is promised for Oc-
tober s. Chicago day. for which similar
preparations are being made and If the
weather is favorable the attendance on
those two occasions will increase the aver
age for the rest Of the season considerably
At Chicago the exposition company real
lied an average OF y cents net from each
50-cent admission. Here every paid ad-
mission nets the corporation e cents. That
Is due to the fact that the exposition COM
pany owns the intramural railway, u belt
line seven miles long. encircling the grounds,
for the transportation of both freight and
passengers. During the night it handles
freight; during the day trains Of two large
cars are run by trolleys at intervals Of three
minutes, and are usually crowded with pas
sengers, who pay 10 cents fare. This rail-
way Is the most convenient means of reach
ing the outlying buildings. and Other points
Of interest. and it earns big money, which is
all practically velvet, because the electricity
costs nothing and few employees are needed
in the operating department. The EXPOSE
ton company also receives a commission of
so cents per capita for every guest stop
ping at the big hotel within the grounds
known as the Inside Inn. That Is In addi-
ton to the regular admission fee. and
nets more than a thousand dollars a day. =
The sales Of souvenirs and merchandise
are much larger here than at Chicago. be-
cause times are better. People have more
money to spend and 25 cents out Of every
dollar expended on the grounds by any
body for any purpose goes into the EXPOSE
ton treasury.