The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-11
Passenger Figures Show That
Fair Week Travel Exceeds Past
Year Records.
HOTELS TURN PEOPLE AWAY
F air Attendance Cut Down
When Rain Kept City Folk
Home.

The total number OF out -of-town
visitors in Richmond during Fair
Week has been from 10 TO IS per cent
larger this year than ever before in
the history OF the Virginia State Fair
Association. according 10 records OF
railway officials, hotel managers. street
railway superintendent and others
who have special facilities for getting
at the total number of visitors in tho
city Rain kept thousands OF Rich
mond people from the Fair Grounds,
but apparently had little or no ef-
feet on visitors who came here in
larger numbers than ever before. Every
hotel was filed 10 it's capacity every
night, with extra cots. and with a
much larger number of advance reser-
Nations than at any previous fair.
Railroads. Use More Equipment.
Every railroad entering the city
operated more equipment this year TO
handle the crowd than at any pre-
vious fair. Street car travel to the
Fair Grounds has been slightly less
than last year, though ii averages
about that OF the fair OF 1911. but there
has been a noticeable increase in gen
cral street car traffic throughout the
city. Visitors to the city who have
been kept from the Fair Grounds by
rain have spent their time in shopping,
and at all of the hotels last night an
out and delivering TO the rooms hum
dreds Of packages. some OF the depart
inent stores sending motor truck loads
to each hotel. Tired OF the long drawn
out damp spell which will neither set
tie down TO a serious rain or clear off,
many turned homeward last night who
would otherwise have stayed over sun
day. Though there was less obvious
crowding, every hotel in the city had a
capacity crowd last night.
Chesapeake and Ohio ITuuIs In $1,000.
w. O. Warthcn, assistant general
passenger agent of the Chesapeake and
Ohio lines, said last night that from
careful estimates made by station
master Edward 7. Whitlock. at Main
Street Station. based on individual re-
ports from conductors Of incoming
trains. the Chesapeake and Ohio had
brought into Richmond approximately
5000 fair visitors The estimate was
made in order that the road might he
provided with tho necessary equip
ment to carry back the crowd in the
different directions Last year the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company
settled with the fair association for
exactly 6,l15 coupons for entrance 10
tho Fair Grounds. attached TO round
trip tickets TO Richmond Mr.. War
then was certain, from the accurate
figures in hand. that his road had car
more round trip fair passengers this
year than heretofore. In the mum her
of special cars used the travel this year
was much heavier than in any former
fair week.
Many Come from Fredericlsburg.
Joseph II. Cox, auditor OF the Rich
rlond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
Railroad, said yesterday that reports
were as yet incomplete, but from the
best information iii hand, he believed
that his road had brought 10 Rich
mond between 1000 and 5000 people,
an increase Of from 10 to IS per cent
from the business handled last year.
report from the station agent at
Fredericksburg showed that on We'd
nesda y-Richmon Day--fully 60 per
cent more tickets were sold this year
than OH that day last year The indi-
cations generally from number OF re-
ports already in were that the move
ment of traffic began earlier in the
week than has been usual heretofore.
At the office of Ernest Phcnneger,
superintendent OF the Atlantic Coast
Line Railroad. it was stated that COM
plete figures had not as yet been com
pilcd by the passenger auditing depart
ment.
From the operating standpoint. how
ever 1t was evident that the number
of people hauled To Richmond this week
had greatly exceeded fair week last
year.
Used More Equipment
I'VE had more equipment in USE"
said superintendent Phenncger. I'VE
had one moro special train on Rich
mond Day than last year. and extra
coaches on every regular train. With
out accurate figures as TO ticket sales.
should say. from the number of
coaches demanded for tho traffic. that
the business compared very favorably
with last year"
Our passenger travel to tho fair was
a little better than last year." said
John NJ. Hudspetlt. division superin-
tendent Of tho Southern Railway. II
have no accurate reports of sales OF
tickets at local stations as yet. but 1t
Is evident from the traffic conditions
that we hauled just as many--probably
Il few more--than last year. We had
more equipment in use. and every train
came into Richmond crowded"
Exceeded Last Year.
our settlement with tho fair assoc