Rising Wave
- Much to Olmsted's delight, the Ferris Wheel draws people to the fair in hordes.
- Attendance is up, and the trend is encouraging.
- Famous people frequent the fair, and "one of the delights of the fair was never knowing who might turn up beside you" (3.11.18).
- Archduke Francis Ferdinand roams the grounds in disguise, for instance.
- Other famous figures include: escape artist Houdini, ragtime pianist Scott Joplin, and good ol' Teddy Roosevelt.
- Helen Keller meets Frank Haven Hall, the inventor of plates for printing books in Braille.
- The Ferris Wheel quickly becomes the most popular attraction at the exposition. Ferris himself profits, receiving today's equivalent of $400,000 per week.
- Most importantly, the fair offers people an escape from the nation's financial turmoil.
- People are sad that the fair can't last forever.