The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1939-04-20
ALL'S FAIR IN 1899

Stock question this year to ask every returning
Juneaute who arrives by steamer from the States is
did you take in the fair" meaning the Golden Gate
international Exposition at san Francisco.
Surprisingly very nearly 100 percent of the Alas
kans who were in that part Of the country at all did
visit Treasure Island The value OF such spectacle
TO attract tourists is thus illustrated Fairs have been
an American institution for SO years and common
tary on their popularity is the fact that this the
nation is staging not one but two of these super
super spectaoles.
The management of the New York Worlds Fair
expects 60 O00O00 paid admissions This does not mean
however that half the population Of the nation will
begin a trek across the country this summer Grover
Whaen is counting on a hometown attendance OF %
or 80 million After all, New York has right in the
CITY something like 100000 adult citizens many Of
whom will pay their way through the gates of the
Flushing show again and again New York is city
which on warm Sunday afternoon pours million
people ont the beaches
THE outlook is for about 100000 sightseers from
west Of the Hudson and north of Van Cortandt Park
If 60OO00O0 is the anticipated total fair attendance,
this would mean that the clients from out Of town
are expected to average two or three visits
If the New York fair gets its 6OoOooo0 paid adj
missions it will be doing relatively well as the Chi
cago fair not the one of years ago but of forty-six
wears ago the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1888
This stin holds the record for attendance in absolute
numbers with very nearly 100000 visitors. Forty
years later in Chicago the Century Of Progress drew
100000 visitors the first year; next years repeat
performance brought 100000 visitors but we
are speaking of single-session fairs only.
When the Chicago fair of 1888 drew 100000
visitors the country had trfe half its present
population # the New York show this year attracts
the aforesaid 600ot0o0 patrons it will be relatively
lust bit better than Chicago 46 years ago.
The people Of the west like to go to fairs or else
they pat on very good shows that attract visitors from
all over The United States. Thrty-five years ago.
te wear in which Theodore Roosevelt was elected for
a second term St Louis with its Louisiana Purchase
Exposition drew 100000 visitors The country
population was less than two-hirds of what it is to-
day that attendance would be equivalent to 3000o0oO
San Francisco may be said to have done even bet
ter with its Pacific Exposition in 1915 The
attendance was something under 20000000 To be sure
the counrys population was by then up to 100o00o00
but on the other hand Chicago and St Louis are with
in stones throw so to speak, of the center of popu
lation whereas San Francisco 1000 miles away from
the center of population radius of thousand mile
from San Francisco would take in less than 100000
Americans The same radius from New York would
take in 100000 people. The same radius from Chi
cago or St Louis would take in perhaps 100000,00
people
New York can only hope that San Francisco in 1913
will do even better than in 1915 and that all the vsi
tors will then decide to go and see how the New Yorl
show compares.
The huge crowds at the original Chicago fair nearl