The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-02-26
BALTIMORE,
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY %. 1853.

| Since the departure Of Ullman's Italian Opera
Troupe after brief but brilliant career of unwav-
erlng success, the project of building an Opera
House, or Academy of Music, has been agtated in
our community. We hope the interest which has
been manifested in this idea will not he allowed ia
vanish as suddenly the event which suggested it.
without causing some practical steps TO he taken
towards its execution at no distant day We can
assure our readers that it is no mere fncifil oues
ton, interesting only to the select, cultivated and
professedy musical circles. On the contrary. it is
matter which has direct, practical bearing upon
the present and future business prospects of Bati
more.
In this age of elbowing and lynx-eyed compet-
uon the great advantage possessed by CONNER
clal city, which is not only complete and cheap
emporium of trade but an attractive and feminine
place of sojourn to travellers and strangers seems
to have been kept in view everywhere EXCEPT in
Baltimore While New York, Boston and Phil
adephia have their spacious and splendid acade-
mics of music, in addition to their theatres, con-
cert and lecture halls, generally commodious and
well appointed, Baltimore has remained satisfied
with her old-tashioned, cramped and mcomforta-
BILE Museum and 'Hollidav street" and her mac
ceSSlble and inelegant "Front street" The new
Assembly Rooms answer toerably well for an oc
casonal concert, but they are badly situated, and
the accommodations even then are too contracted
for the audiences which anything really good can
always command in Baltimore. The MARYLAND
Institute is large enough, but it is awkwardlv
shaped, and miserably adapted for either seeing or
hearing besides it is not sufficiently central in lis
location. We have, in fact, no place of public re-
sort which Is very popular even among our own
citizens, and hence the comparatively poor support
which many really meritorious enterprises in the
way of public entertainment have received in Bal
timore.
One fact is certain-that rs between two COM
peting cities, possessing equal advantages in all
other respects-that is to say being equally acces-
slble equally well stocked, and equally cheap. as
markets-that one will ultimately command the
greater share of business which is the more agree
able and attractive resort. The business man must
have recreation of some sort: the STRANGER within
our gates must have some employment or diversion
Tor his IDLE hours. The merchant who comes East
or North to buy goods naturally expects to find in
the great city, among whose stately and well filled
warehouses he spends the busy hours of the day
some comfortable and attractive place where he can
pass an evening Of refined enjoyment, which must
otherwise hang listless and heavy on his hands or
else be worse than squandered in dissipation and
dehauchery. Our country cousins want to see
something in the way of novelty or excitement. so
that they may be able to asonish ''the folks upon
their return home.
Our city, 1t is true possesses an advantage in
point of superior social culture and intercourse
which to some degree compensates orits deficiency
in the respect named. Baltimore, we know is pro-
verbal for her public and private hospitalities and
the enviabe reputation which she acquired in DAYS
gone by, we believe, she still deserves and main
tains. The Baltimore merchant, rather than turn
his distant friend and customer out into the crowd
ed solitude of strange city suffer him to lounge
unattended at his hotel, will often take him to his
own house, where he will not fail to find a hearty
and hosptabe reception. This is very well in its
way, but it must in the nature of things be limited
and partial, or else it would soon become a tax
upon one party and bore TO the other
We have said enough, we think to show that
'' WY anu SPt'louS pullulllP, NHlcn snail ne
in keeping with the taste of the age and with the
character of Baltimore as great commercial city
with all the necessary equipments and appoint
ments for musical and dramatical entertainments
of the highest order, is great public necessity
and would be attended with decided advantages
in practical and business point of view. Two or
three hundred thousand dollars invested for such
an object would in the sequel be worth infinitely
more than that amount to the city, and prove a
substantial benefit to all classes of society. and all
departments of business
We commend this project to the attention of our
shrewd and enterprising merchants. The present
time may be unproptious for its realization, but
the idea ought not to be lost sight of hereafter.