The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-29
MISUNDERSTANDING
Enormous Responsibility Is
Dawning Upon Her.
SERIOUS PROBLEMS TO SOLVE
Mushroom Hotels Gradually Taking
Care of the Multitude, but Trans
pOrfafiOn sfiII in "a Rnther Bad
Way-soon Things In jamestown
VIII Be Running Smoothly.

Norfolk. Va, April 2S.-One of the fea-
lures Of the jamestown Exposition not
down on the bills. and for that reason Of
fresh novelty, is the demonstration OF
how Norfolk is finding itself Last month
it was smooth-running old town with
a project to-day It is a startled c0mmun-
ity with q burden.
Norfoik's burden is one that may have
been anticipated in a theoretical fashion
when the exposition was in course Of
planning. but now that the gates Of the
grounds have been formally opened with
much pomp and circumstance, and every
incoming train and boat is bringing its
quota Of visitors to choke the streets and
jam the places Of lodging. Norfolk discov-
ers that it is hard for a city OF 1900 TO
be Chicago or a ST. Louis. and that
worlds expositions entail responsibility
A local paper guessed that there were
close on 10000 people in the exposition
grounds on the opening day. Presuming
that 0ne-half OF these were Out-of-town
folks. too far away from home 10 go
back over night. it becomes evident that
the provision OF food by day and pillows
by night for the transient half is some
thing to tax the ingenuity of a less hus-
Ting city than the new Norfolk.
Big Mushroom HOsteIries.
Not only has Norfolk, and in a lesser
measure Old Point Comfort and Ports
mouth, 20 feed and house the visitors. but
walking between the points of lodging
and the exposition grounds is not good
-, ,
daily practice; so the question of trans
portation is among the problems that the
Exposition City is facing
The lodging and food problem is under
way of quick solving The transporta-
tion question is yet vexing.
Hotels have sprung up with mushroom
growth in the heart of the city, big,
eight-story affairs with liveried bell boys
and tipping codes.
There are five of these large hostelries
crowded to the caves. and two or more
score smaller lodging houses on the quiet
brick-paved streets. The exigencies of
quick construction in the matter OF two
of the recently erected hotels has
been productive of some wholesome com
edy. One large hotel down in the busi-
ness quarter opened its doors only a few
days before the inauguration ceremonies
at the exposition. Two days afterward
the bedmakers and chambermaids went
on strike, because, they said. the hotel
management would not feed them. The
chaos that reigned above stairs for
few DAYS was terrific.
Effort at Rapid Transit.
The rapid-transit problem has best been
met by two enterprising citizens who run
miniature train. such as toots its pigTny
way about Luna Park. at Coney Island
on summer nights, down the length of
the new pine pier that gives entrance to
the exposition grounds from the ferries
plying from Norfolk to Old Point. This
three-foot engine with its foolish cars
furnishes the most rapid and most regl-
lar transit that can be relied upon al
present. OF course. one cannot ride in the
little train until he gets to the pier, and
there lies the rub. II is about forty-five
minutes ride from Norfolk to the expo
sition pier. and almost the same distance
from Old Point. That is the maximum
speed. The minimum is anywhere from
one and a half to three hours. accord
ing TO circumstances. Everything that
floats and has underway between Staten
Island and Savannah which has not been
condemned by the huh and boiler in
speetors has been brought down here
and pressed into service by recently in
corpOTated navigation and transportation
companies.
The trolleys are not altogether reliable,
for the reason that the power is not
sufficient to carry the weight Of traffic.
Se
as fast as the workmen can be driven.
And new piers are being pushed out sew
eral yards a day. Soon the boats will run
on schedule. soon the trolleys will not
break down. Soon the cook viii not
cook "aigs' at 45 cents instead Of beef
steak at 50 cents, and soon the exposition
viii be a thing of real beauty.
Libbey * Co.. 9Th and New York ave.