The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-31
THE MAN WHO DREW TIE OPERA
HOUSE.
A 1uicy Letter From Him.


A private letter from A. H. Lee to one
of his friends in st. Louis has been
communicated to the Republican,. AS
everybody is now interested in the
drawer of the opera house, and especial
ly as everybody must be pleased with
the personal traits disclosed in this
epistle, we present it to our readers:
"PRARIE DU RoCHER, ILL, Jan, -.
DEAR DASIEL-I wRs very much as
tonished last evening, at about seven
O'Clock, by the Sudden appearance of
two men making their appearance in
our bed room, where sat reading by
the side of wife's bed, with the sudden
announcement that / had drawn the
opera house in Chicago. don't think
that was at all excited by the report.
had slight acquaintance with Mr..
Burroughs, one of the men; the other,
from Waterloo, was an entire stranger
The only document they brought was a
copy Of the Republican of the I'D inst,
which had SO many accounts of the
matter that hardly dared believe any
of them. However, l bore the congrat-
ulatiOns of my new friends with COM
mendable fortitude, and dismissed
them with suitable acknowledgements
After the lapse of half nu hour, was
the recipient of sundry calls from
neighbors and friendsin in the village, all
highly excited. The report he'd flown
like lightning, and the whole neighbor-
hood was in an uproar. / bore Il hand
at receiving the company, answered
their numerous questions with as
much dignity as / could assume, and
in state of semi-unconsciousnes of
what it all meant, started OF to COM
mune with Frank on the curious APP
pearance of things.
az had been there but a few minutes
when halloo was made, at the door,
for Mr.. Lee. Is Mr.. Lee here?' Well,
went to the door and acknowledged
that was that person, and went at
him with the question of what do
you want? 'Why,' said the poor, fro
zen fellow, 1 have a dispatch for you
from Belleville. You have drawn the
Opera House, Ireceived the document,
aud, after asking sally the privilege of
reading it by the light of her lamp,
read as follows:
''.A. H. Lee, Prairie du Rocher, Ill:
"'Crosby's Opera-hOuse yours. Hold
your ticket. j. B. CHAMBERLAIS.'
81 mentally returned thanks to my
new friend Chamberlain, and returned
home considerably perpleEed, and not
yet fully conscious OF the reason OF my
being in the hands of SO many new
friends, who all seemed TO show so
strong desire to show me attention.
But happy thought struck me-I will
look at my ticket, and see II there real
ly is anything in II. Well, Daniel,
when found il, there the figures stood
as plain as day, IS, 600, and no mistake.
In the meantime, Joe and Ma had got
hold of the matter; and, to my un-
bounded astonishment, they received it
at once as a fact. Ihad undressed my
self. for il was growing late, and was
sitting in my long-taiISd night shirt,
discussing the events of the evening,
when a numbering knock at the door
announced that all was not over yet.
I Ma went to the door, and quickly re-
l turned with the intelligence that "a
/ man wanted to see me, and that he
said had drawn the Crosby Opera
house. The devil said I, Il wish they
had TO swallow the opera-house, aud,
after dressing myself, went down to re-
cetve this new messenger. de bowed
70 me, thought, as though were g
man OF property, and, in suitable
style, delivered his credentials.
II looked carefully over very well
\ written letter Of six lines, and derived