Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-08-16
A MAINE PRESS ASSOCIATION PARTY
VISITS ST. LOUIS AND THE LOUISIANA
PURcHAsE EXPOSITION.
(Sixth letter.

Was uOu6, duu Wcil uOuo' Luz WohS va
one or two of the small buildings were
just going up, and some of the exhibits
were being unpacked and the spaces
prepared for them, but these cases were
80 rare as to make only an occasional
break in the completeness. When l say
the fair will never be finished, l refer
principally to some OF the external
features of it which the very magnitude
of the thing makes it difficult If not i'm
possible to bring to completion. Though
the main portion of the grounds is in fine
shape as to landscape effects, there will
be in less conspicuous places patches of
broken ground or struggling grass where
there should be velvety turf; there will
be-are INSTRUMENTATION of rubbish
which only heroic efforts on the part OF
the management can keep cleaned up;
and there will be some poorly-paved
streets where, after every rain, the
traveller will sink into Shiny, plastic
mud. This Missouri mud is queer stuff.
Your foot slides around in it in help
less kind of way, and yet it attaches it.
self to your shoes in chunks, till your
feet resemble elephants feet. There is
nothing in New England like Missouri
mud.
WHAT THE CROWD LOOKS LIKE.
In a strict sense there is no "crOwd, !"
or was not when we were there, though
there may be one later, when the cool
fall months and the approaching close of
the fair bring the people in with rush.
With so much territory as there is in the
grounds, a hundred thousand people
fairly we'll distributed leave plenty of
room for full freedom of motion every
where, unless it may be on the Pike, of
an evening.
All sections of the country are repre-.
sented in the attendance; it is no local
affair in any sense. This fact will be i'm
pressed upon you If You examine the
visitors register at one of the state
buildings, or those which are kept by
some of the exhibitors. / tried this in
several different places, and in running
through page of register ! never failed
to find the people scattered all over the
country, from Canada to California, and
representing all sections.
As to the character and quality of the
people, it is fact which impresses the
visitor that the mass of them are from
what may be termed the great middle
class in a country where classes are sup
posed not to exist. The very rich are
not here in numbers-they can travel
where they please, and see many of
these things in the countries from which
they come, and they do not care for
more than fleeing glance. The very
poor of course are not here. Pickpockets
would find it poor place to work in
grounds so we'll pOliced, and gamblers
have better field of operations in the
wide-open city of st. Louis and the
Mississippi steamboats,. Most of the
people who are here, though naturally
they spend money little more freely
than when at home, have had to reckon
the cost, and are bound to improve the
opportunity by seeing as much as they
can. They are on vacation, and are
amiable and genial, and you feel entirely
at home among them. They are clean,
sensible, intelligent-in fact, believe as
representative body of the great Ameri-
can people as you can find anywhere.
AS TO THE EXPENSE.
Two questions have been frequently
asked me since returned home. First,
"How much does it cost to 90 there and
stay week?" Well, "that depends"
OF course one may spend as much as he
pleases, and equally of course there is a
minimum below which it is impracticable
to go. Two people travelling together,
occupying the same room and the same
Pullman berth, may do it for $500
each, but they will have very little for
extras, and some extras can not be
avoided. A hundred dollars ought to
take you from Maine for weeks stay
quite comfortably, and give you a
chance to hire wheel chair occasional
ly when you get very tired, and also al
low you to purchase few souvenirs
though your purchases could hardly in
clude elaborate marbles from the exhibit
of Italian sculpture, or fine Persian rugs,
or beautifully carved ebony sideboards
from China.
AS for rates at the st. Louis hotels /
have no experience except with one. 1t
is said that all sorts of accommodations
can be secured at all sorts of prices. OF
one thing you may be assured, most if
not all the houses will reckon that the
normal capacity of double bed in an
ordinary room is two people. If you are
maidish, or old bachelorish, and want a
room to yourself, you can have it, but
you will pay for it as If you were two
people. The hotels have "got together"
on that point.
Restaurant prices in the city or on the
grounds vary as they do elsewhere.
Some of them are high, some are lower.
Although I did not try it.myself, I know
that some people got what they pro-
nOunced a good meal, on the American
plan, on the grounds, for 40 cents.
But do not expect things to be as
cheap at the fair as they are at home.
That is not in the nature of things. The
modest American coin called cent has
a use there, namely, to get from slot
machine a glass of artesian we'll water,
which is great Improvement on Missis-
sipri River water, even when the latter
Is twice filtered. The nickel also has
one very important function to perform.
1t buys glass of draught beer, averag
ing one-third foam-and that is the
cheapest of all drinkable fluids there
sold. If you want a glass of lemonade
or other strictly non. alcoholic drink,
you pay ton cents for it, and for any
more elaborate purchase in proportion.
A great many people who wish to at
tend the fair will find it most convenient
TO join one of the personally conducted
parties which make the trip. |
This relieves travellers of the care of
buying tickets, getting berths, looking
put for changes, finding the hotel, etc.
Mr.. Robbins, who managed our party, |
will take others later in the season, and |
will look out for them we'll. A postal
% C. w. Robbins, Old Town, will bring
you his circulars when they are issued.
Other parties will 60 at intervals, over
different routes, for different lengths of
tay, and under varying conditions.
hould be glad to do what l can to assist
my one desiring to 60 In obtaining all
he information possible.
'wILL 1T PAY TO COZ"
That is the other question which |
ave been kept busy answering. Briefly,
you don't particularly care about it,
10. But If you really want to see the
air, and can spare what 1t costs, 1t is
Vorth your while. II you have seen one
t the other great expeditions, you will
md much interest in q comparison with
his. If you have never before seen a
reat exposition, this will be really a
evelation to you, and your visit to it |