The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-24
THEATRES ON SACRED SOIL.
A TIMELT WIRNING EOR LLSsEEs
AM M1NAgERS


C0iucidrnccs In the Fntc of the nroOhIv,
IhtHtrc, the Broadway, the Globe, nnd
Diners he Fortune Teller md the DeviI.
Some people have been and stil arc so
supcr-titous that the mere thought OF y church
being converted into theatre or any other kind
u seoul r establishment, either Tor bu mess or
amusement. 1n- them with horror. som. MS
tune thai mercantile house on ground once
occupied BY 4 church should yield the owner
UNLIMITED wealth. while Others pronounce IT
settled fact that theatre erected on tne ste Of
q church can Weld nothing tut misery, poverty,
aud death. Its not tho object Of this article to
settle which Of these theories Ia correct. but
simply to show that H. nv Of our theatres have
been butt on ground once occupied 10y churches,
chapes, and Sunday schools aud to record the
results as curious condolences,
since the burning of the Brooklyn Theatre,
many forgot. facts have been revived and
speculattuns indulscd in "a to the remoter
causes OF the fire, not only by the superstitious,
Outalso 10y many Of those who believe in nothing
save the material ana the demonstrate. In one
Of these speculative gatherings OF DroOkyntes
the writer heard many strange re, sons assigned
Tor the nrc especially by one old lazy, who evt-
deutly has hcri pretty accurate record Of
events.
81 tell you. sir said this old lady, " never
knew q theatre to Prosper that took the place OF
a church. was alwa,s a great theatre gOer in
NY Younger dais. and dOh't even now object
to seeing gpuu ". But never would 60 in
sue the BfoOAlyn Theatre. al nOush always
tnuught n great zeal Of poor Mr-. CONWAY, lhat
house KILLED her and Ter husband. felt II was
doomed because it took tn lace Of the old II.
johns Church ami graveyard. aud no theatre or
ANYTHING else that dlsiurus tHe : cred quiet "
such place could ever to cXp ctcd to remain
there tong. let alone prosper. lhe blame fDr tho
IRE T. SIS WIN tnuse VINO brst iusult-d God ny
buudtng tue theltrc there.
such treaties never nave paid aud never viii
paw. on instance. there WAS the Br1adway. or
Lima Edwin Theatre. That to-. was burned,
ana 1t ruintu everybody tnat hai aNthing TO
40 with II, Tor II Was huut On the SPOT where
the old liOpr CuIpyl stood. Ihru there o. tho
Globe Theatre. Tut was buit on the hud
maze holy 10y the Cuuich II the Messiah ami u
has never been successful. fuon, again. there Is
tue Ola Itowery Iueatle; that has been burned
three ~ four times. / don't know that there
was ever e lurch there; BAT something great
d" worse was there many years ago. Notse
than the tuoatte. mean. II was the home and
lie ldqua ters OF yer, wicked old fortune teller.
Tie was an old neg o. aud USED 10 make boast
devil. Everybody believed him. for he va very
wicked. lie always had plvu'J # ulone,, and
lived ON this spot Tor a long time. All " sad
uon he disappeared, and no onc ever knew now
OF wnefe. HIS body WIS never found CT heard
Of II was generally believed that the Drvll
came Tor him ana that he had to 20. / VS.
also believed that he left "A curse upon this spot,
ana many attributed to that the fttquent Born
INK Of tie thc.tic. Only the other d ~ head
avenue. say: The DOwery Theatre can never
prosper 1t will burn and burn forever.
There Is no getting over tbs fatt that there
does seem to be a singular fatality attending
places Of amusement that h we been built on
sites previously occupied by churches OF chap
els. In addition ~ those mentioned by the I'D
lady, there Is the Third Avenue Tueatre. Ihls
building was once the Mission Chapel. Mt. JAKE
Berry leased ana converted 1t mo a theatre.
lie could not make II pay, and sold our 10 Mr.
BENZ. ". Hitchcock. who did eVtr thing hs
couid-sunk thousands II dollars. but vain.
liz has now ssed IL over To other hlnus. Next
comes tue llOJ lIiuity chapel, GA lniid a1enLe,
NEAR Iniriy-uiuth street. IN thAt structure
there have been tao Cndpeis ana ono
/ nero minstrel b II. IL was a chapel
FIRST, then minstrel hal, which wa, very
short lived, tht n bach ~ ala TO 30 chapel. lew
blocks further ONNA Solids toe Glass Han, on
| l. 1T 1nnN -fouith street Ihi, hue building
has been ever thing. II Was "a sunday schuOl at
| one time, then "a medical folls ~. lie Owners
! became uaukfuIt. ana had To mortgage II to tie
/ Globe Lilo Insurance tuui ans. ! uc mortgage
wds ioreclOseI. ana the Globe now owns 1t, with
/ Col. q. ". Warren as a.telt. This gentleman has
J tird eNerN thing L. make IL pay. lie mas rented
IL out ~ pats lur al manner OF LufpOses-Oh-
Hard h1ils. pulti- al CLUBS. GIet nback headquar-
tiers. and WntskeN shops. Finally, ne has taken
cert iu portions under his own pti sOnai MANAGE
ucut. made a dance % u on one noor and "A va
ietN theatre on the other, hut all ~ no purpose.
1t IN Glass Hall IL bee mo Chateau Mibille Va
relies, thea Mahllle Theatre, aud last the Egyp-
than lail. lie has cut, altered, and liked Till
weary. lie has run plays exclusively Tor the On
JOyment Of male audiences; then changed them
10 sun families; then changed again for men
uulA and, finally, back egaiu To tempt families.
il remains % white elephant on the hands of the
insurance company, and tue per,eveiing Colonel
HUBS poor consolation for his expenditures IN
Walking ar iund its huge siuG5 and ddMirIug its
C.a=atC lIlpJftIOus.