Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — FAIR WORK ON SUNDAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FAIR WORK ON SUNDAY

THOUSANDS EMPLOYED AT JACKSON PARK. More Visitor* Paid Admission Fees Last Sunday than Upon Any Preceding Day —The White City Will Open Its Gates on Time. Going On with a Rush. Chicago correspondence: Sunday has ceased to be a day of rest »t the World’s Fair grounds. It is almost as busy as any other day. Last Sunday was, perhaps, the busiest one the park has known since that gang of Italian laborers went in to level off the grounds and was piomptly driven out by a bigger gang of native workmen. That was about two years ago. Last Sunday there were lively scenes all over the grounds. Long trains of exhibits

came rumbling into the grounds, workmen were busy In all .the buildings, and the park was thronged with visitors. The turnstiles showed a big attendance. When Captain Horace Elliott went around to all the gates just as the sun was dipping below Midway Plaisance he learned that 11,91)4 people had paid to get into the park. But that was pot all the crowd that came out. Six thousand more tramped through Midway Plaisance to see the Arabs in their voluminous robes of

bright calico and the people from Java, who are putting up houses, woven like the baskets that Delaware peaches and Indiana cantaleups come in later in the season. No charge is made to get in Midway. The 6,oui) people who strutted by the Columbian guard at Sixtieth street and Cottage Grove avenue stopped when they got down at the other end, where the turnstiles were clicking a lively tune. There Is no occasion whatever for worry about the World’s Fair not being

ready to open on May 1. A big conflagration or a severe earthquake might prevent, but nothing else that oan be anticipated will be likely to interfere. There has been so much doubt on this point that it has been necessary to assure the public from time to time that everything was in the best possible condition under the circumstances, and that doubtless all would be in readiness on the appointed day. Now, after another careful examination of everything and interviews with all the heads of departments on whom the opening actually depends, It is possible to assert that whfen the Fair opens on May 1 it will be In a far better condition than any world’s fair ever held. “I declare,” said Director General Davis recently, “that if the exhibitors will keep up the hurry that is now going on May Ist will find the Exposition nearer a complete whole than its most sanguine friend expected. There never yet was a World’s fair that was entirely ready on the day of its opening. I do not suppose any Intelligent person expeots that But, in spite of unexpected hindrances, in spite of unforeseen opposition, we are ahead. Ido .not wish to overstate the situation.’’ And so It was with all others. Every man having control of any department that could in any way promote or impede the opening has staked his reputation for veracity and ability on the result, aud nothing on the subject now remains to be said. On the Manufactures Building men are working day and night, stopping only for their meals. The exhibits are rapidly being placed, and everything is very satisfactory. The same may be said of the Transportation and Electricity Buildings, the Liberal Arts, the Agricultural and Mines and Mining Buildings, aud of the various State and foreign buildings. Nobody connected with any of them has any time to waste in worrying, and there certainly seems no need for it Armies of men are at work everywhere, exhibits are being rapidly placed and everybody says things are satisfactory. Machinery Hall presents the busiest

seen* on the grounds. It must be ready. A failure here would be disastrous, tot without power to move the maoh Inert In the other buildings the opening would not be at all successfuL Men are. al work day and Right here, too, and when President Cleveland touches the button that starts things going on May I It is quite safe to prediot that Machinery Hall will do the rest. There are to be ;“00 gates at the hundred different entrances at the Fair grounds, and they will bo very handsome affairs of wire netting, steel and Iron. Each of them will be provided with a self-registering automatic turnstile that will require the attendance of but one man at each gate. This official will take the ticket, see that it is all right, drop It In an opening In the gatepost, and press a short lever that will at the same time “chop" the ticket and unlock the gate. Then the visitor presses against the turnstile and walks in, registering his own' admission. Il

will be very difficult for either gateman or visitor to cheat this contrivance, for if the number of mutilated tickets in the. box does not correspond to the number of admissions registered by the turnstile the gateman will be held responsible for the difference, and there is no possibility of any one’s passing through without his knowledge, as by a simple motion of his hand he can lock the gate and hold the crowd back as long as he pleases. It is going to cost a whole lot of money to make and print the tickets for the “choppers” of theso stiles to destroy. A beautiful design has been selected, and the paper will be made especially for the purpose. At first thought this would seem to be money wasted, but the astute Board of Managers knows of the tendency people have to preserve such things as mementos, and estimates that a very large amount can be realized on the sale of tickets that will never bo used. Kxpense of Attending: the Fair* Answering the misrepresentations and falsehoods that have been circulated by the enemies of the Exposition, the following statement is complete and concise. It should be carefully consulted by those who expect to visit Chicago during the summer: The Exposition will be opened for visitors on May 1. An abundance of drinking water, the best supplied to any great city in the world, will be provided free to all. The report that a charge would be made for drinking water probably arose from the fact that Hygeia water can also be had by those who may desire it at 1 oent a glass. Ample provisions for seating will be made without charge. About 1.500 toilet rooms and closets will be located at convenient points in the buildings and about the grounds, and they will be absolutely free to the public. This is as large a number in proportion to the estimated attendance as has ever been provided in any exposition. In addition to these there will also ha nearly an equal number of lavatories and toilet rooms of a costly and handsome character as exhibits, for the uso of which a charge of 5 cents will be made. The admission fee of 50 oents will entitle the visitor to see and enter all the Exposition buildings, inspect the exhibits, and in short, to see everything within ,the Exposition grounds, except the EsquimTix viliage and the reproduction of the Colorado cliff dwel.

lings. For these, os well as for the special attractions on Midway Plaieanoa, a small fee will he charged. Imposition or extortion of any description will not be tolerated. Free medical and emergency hospital servioe is provided on the grounds by the Exposition management. The Bureau of Public Comfort will provide commodious free waiting rooms, including spacious ladies' parlor snd toilet rooms In various parts of the gronnds. H. N. Higinbotham, President; Fifteen Thousand Men at Work. According to the closest possible estimates, 15,000 men went to work at J aokson park Monday, an increase of over 1,100 over the strongest force that has been inside the gates since dedication. Director of Works Burnham was in a very comfortable frame of mind over the settlement of labor troubles and the subsequent Increased activity in all the construction and Installation

forces. “We have a full force in the department of works,” he said In answer to a query, “and are moving along all right. I should say we had 3,000 men of our own besides the labor employed by contractors on exposition work. That includes the landscape, Installation, color and car] entry divisions. The contractors have all their old men back and a good many more besides. It would be hard to say without an actual count just how many men are at work inside the fence and on the plaisance, but it is enough to make things move along at a lively pace.”

GRADING THE GROUND AT THE AGRICULTURAL BUILDING.

TRIP-HAMMER IN TRAN SPOUT A TION UCILD--ING.

SCENE IN ONE OF THE ART PALACE GALLKKI*#.

T3E WORLD’S FAIR GATE.