Existing comment:
Touring Chair (circa 1904):
Visitors to the Fair were faced with the challenge of maneuvering around 1,200 acres, with much to see and not enough time to do it all. Among the many modes of transportation available was the roller chair. Chairs like this one were available for hire through the Clarkson Concession Company of St. Louis.
For a fare of 60 cents and hours, visitors rented just the chair, but $1.25 included a guide who pushed them through the grounds pointing out sites of interest. College men were often employed in this capacity. According to the Yale University Notes of 1904, there were certain criteria for applicants. They "must be not less than five feet seven inches tall and not less than 140 pounds in weight." It also stated that "Although the company wishes to employ the brightest of the student population of the universities of the country, it wants men who can wheel chairs and talk engagingly to their fares without making 'goo-goo eyes' at the young girls."
McCabe Bierman Wagonette (circa 1900):
James McCabe, one of the 200 organizers of the World's Fair, had been in the wagon business since 1869. Paul Bierman joined the firm in 1897 and the firm became the McCabe-Bierman Wagon Company, one of the leading wagon makers in St. Louis.
The McCabe-Bierman exhibit in the Palace of Transportation won a silver medal for its design of horse-drawn vehicles. This wagonette was part of that display. |