The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-27
Fresh Air VS.. Perfumes.

PORTLAND, July loIu, 1910,
To the Editor of the Press:
All theatre-going people in this vicinity must
have been pleased with the announcement in
this mornings PRESS respecting thelchanges at
the Museum. Great as has been the enjoy
ment there afforded them during the past sea-
son, the Improvements mentioned will contrib
ute to make the future entertainments still
more worthy of their patronage. The new
chairs. the enlarged stage, the superior compa-
ny, the excellent orchestra, all are sure to be
appreciated by our play-lovers One addition,
however, has been announced which, if not it
self looked upon with positive suspicion, will
suggest to the thoughtful an improvement
which every sensitvely constructed person who
has visited the Museum must have felt the need
Of 1t is said 'the atomizers for perfuming the
hall on matinees have also come" Now, while
not in the least Directing to fragrant atmos-
phere, cannot help thinking that this intro
ducton of scent-dispensing apparatus
possibly has its origin in desire not so much
to please as to avoid offending. The art of the
perfumer was at its height at time when peo-
pie did not practically believe that bodily
cleanliness was next to godl ness. and, as
never come within nose-shot of powerfully
odorous Adonis without thinking that perhaps
thousand rose-leaves are serving as cloak to
derm which has long been guiltless of contact
with water, so the sentence quoted above leads
me to question whether in this as in many an
other case, prevention would not be preferable
to cure-in other words, would it not be better
to keep the air pure than to scent it after it
has become foul
All of US who have visited our pretty little
theatre know that it has had no sufficient
means for ventilation, or, at all events, that
the means were not employed if they exis4ed.
In this respect the hall does not differ from
every other in the city to be sure, but there is
no excuse for the continuance of so great an
evil. When there is a large audience in the
hall, the air will become almost intolerable in
half an hour and the only relief for those who
remain is found in opening the windows. In
this way the audience is reduced to the choice
between partial asphyxia, which is certain, and
bronchitis or pneumonia, which is probable;
and he must be very fond of the DRAMA or
wonderfully DESTROYS of giving patronage and
countenance to the laudable efforts of the pro-
jectors of the Museum, who will run so great
risk of abridging bis days as one does by sitting
for two or three hours in room, the air of
which is either Overheated and reekiDg with
poisonous exhalatons, or suddenly chilled by
the admission of the winter wind. For my
part often think, when l put down the money
for my ticket, that the sum is small compared
with the possible cost of attending in the way
of headache and cough and the bills of the
physician, the apothecary and, perhaps the I'M
dertaker.
There is no necessity for this state of affairs
l know that ventilation may be effected in
ways which are sure, safe and not very expen-
sive. And the more consider the matter, the
more thoroughly am convinced that we can
better afford to do without the amusements
we do by breathing over and over their mephit-
ic and death-laden atmosphere. l want the
Museum to prosper, but l want it to deserve
success better than it possibly Can unless it
gives its frequenters fresh air all through its
performances G.