REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 161 



and while it was wholly impossible to have everything ready for the 

 opening day an effort was made to have the installation as far advanced 

 as possible, and by working early and late the work was rapidly ad- 

 vanced, so that by 10.30 on the morning of July 4, when at the request 

 of the Commissioners work was temporarily suspended, enough had 

 been accomplished to give the visitor an idea of the character of the 

 exhibit, and of what might be expected when finally completed. Equal 

 activity prevailed in the other departments, and though none had their 

 collections permanently installed, the progress made was very gratif'y- 

 i ng. After the opening ceremonies were over, work was resumed, and as 

 the articles arrived, they were rapidly put in place, but owing to soot 

 which filled the air and settled upon the exhibits in such quantities as 

 to seriously injure them, and also to the tendency of the visitors to 

 handle the specimens, it became necessary to put many articles under 

 glass, which otherwise would have remained uncovered. In this way 

 the work of installation was somewhat prolonged, and it was more than 

 four weeks before it was fully completed, though the public was ad- 

 mitted to all of the Government departments during the progress of 

 the work. 



The private exhibits in the various classes were as a rule in place on 

 the opening day, and all of the available space was occupied. 



The Exposition, while in every way creditable to the management, did 

 not receive that support from the public which its merits justified. The 

 attendance during the first two months, possibly owing somewhat to 

 the warm weather and the demands upon the time of the agricultural 

 classes during the harvest season, was very light. However, as the 

 weeks passed, it gradually improved, and during the months of Septem- 

 ber and October was fairly satisfactory ; but the lack of cooperation 

 on the partofthe railroads unquestionably had a marked influence on 

 the attendance of people residing at a distance. Thinking that possibly 

 the high price of admission had kept many away, it was decided to con- 

 tinue the exposition for a few days beyond the 27th of October, which was 

 the time set for closing, and to reduce the entrance fee to 25 cents, thus 

 giving all classes the opportunity of seeing and studying the exhibits. 

 But this did not result in any marked increase in the number of vis- 

 itors, and when the doors were finally closed to the public* on November 

 8, the turnstiles showed a total attendance of only 1,055,276, or an aver- 

 age of 9,593 daily, as against a daily attendance of 55,06] at Philadel- 

 phia in L876. It was, however, considerably in excess of the daily 

 attendance at New Orleans in L885, which averaged (Sundays included) 

 only 6,438. When it is remembered that Cincinnati is in the center of 

 a very prosperous country, with a population of nearly five millions of 

 people within easy access, the figures are certainly far below what 

 might reasonably have been expected. Yet it should not be inferred 

 that the Exposition was a failure, for the visitors as a rule appeared to 

 be greatly interested, and the collections were studied with very great 

 H. Mis. 221, pt. 2 11 





