One trifle leads to another, and by this casual process we happen on to many an anecdote of "the old days," now that grandfather lives with us. For instance, on one of the many humid mornings we had this summer, when all the shakers balked, we got out some old salt cellars and little spoons. One of these spoons happened to be a souvenir from the World's Fair at Chicago in 1893. The tip of the handle was carved in a likeness of the head of Christopher Columbus. "How slow can a person be?" was my exclamation. "As long as I can remember I have heard mention of the Columbian Exposition but never connected it with good old Chris?"
"Oh, yes," was grandfather's rejoiner. "That was the whole reason for the fair, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. It just so happened that they didn't get ready in 1892."
"Mother and I went to it," he continued, and went on to tell about that trip. They took three days, went up by train, walked from the Dearborn station to the lake front and took a boat down to 54th street, the site of the fair grounds. And on the boat an Italian band played a brand new tune, the prettiest thing, grandfather says, that he had ever heard. It was called "After the Ball." He never heard it afterward without remembering those melodious strains floating out over the water of Lake Michigan that day.
They took a good deal of food with them and stashed it at the Illinois building; then would go there and have their lunch whenever they wanted to. It was a big building and many people made use of it; ever so many of them doing just what our folks did, eating food they brought from home. They took lodgings with a friend of a friend who lived not far from the grounds. One of the evenings they went downtown to a theater.
It must have been a thrilling vacation, with all the showy and educational exhibits and wonders. And it cost a pretty penny, too. For two people, for three days, counting railroad and boat fare, the theater, lodgings, meals, souvenirs and everything (even though they cut costs a little by taking that food from home), they blew in the grand total of thirteen dollars.
In 1951 you could hardly take your best gal to South Pacific on that. -- Hope.