The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-29


his $3.50 900 in the construction OF HE temple. Ii
was honestly applied and resulted in the compile
ton OF gorgeous but too large, tumptuous and
expensive structure for the times. Unfortunate
lily, it's opening was at the beginning OF one Of
those eras Of contraction, depression and shrink
age which invariably follow periods G, eat pros
perity, and consequent expansion in this country.
But Mr.. Caldwell, with all hi, hberality and
grandeur, had q shrewd and comprehensive
mind, and contemplated something beyond the
qualification Of his love and devotion to the dra-
ma In the construction OF this magnificent tenn
pie. He was then the pioneer OF the great enter
had been successfully used in his native and
other towns in England, for the illumination OF
streets and public buildings The old Camp
Street Theatre had been the first public building
wherein the advantages OF this method had
been tested and exemplifed on this continent.
| 1t had proved great success When the new
| st. Charles Was opened the experiment must be
exhibited on q grander scale.
And so the most elegant, elaborate and expen-
sive chandelier was procured in England, COM
posed OF out glass, the cost Of which was twenty
five thousand dollars; and this chandelier was
susp nded from the st. Charles. and certainly the
effect OF it exceeded anything ever known in this
country. As Mr.. Caldwell was then at the head
OF the gas companies in New Orleans, st. Louis,
Cincinnati and Mobile, the investment turned out
most valuable and productive advertisement.
But the st. Charles never proved success as q
paying theatre. II was too grand and expensive
five thousand persons, it could not by every
attraction which Europe or this country could
afford. draw that number every night nor
indeed for short period Of the season.
The first time we ever knew IL to be crowded was
in 1910, on the occasion OF the first appearance of
Fanny Ellsler On this continent and then the
crowd was go great as to break down all barriers
and force itself over the bodies of the ticket re-
cevers, into the parquette and dress circle. There
was another occasion in the same year when it
was crowded, and this was when 8. s. Prentiss
was advertised to address tho people of New Or
leans on the political issues of the dav. Two
greater attractions had not been advertised for
many years. With these exceptions the theatre
never was filed, and the attempt to maintain 1t
on the grand scale OF it's design proved disas-
irons to Mr.. Caldwell and all other managers.
Mr. Caldwell in the meantime had become in-
voved in the universal financial disasters, and the
81. Charles, emoodying quarter OF million of
dollars IT his investment WAS exposed to great
peril. In the midst Of these dangers, that is, in
the winter OF l8iG, when the St. Charles WAS In
full blast with grand Italian opera company
every other hight, and an English comedy the
other nights-on y Sunday evening, about 7
o'clock, there was an alarm Of fire Ia the direo-
ton Of the corner Of Poydras and st. Charles, |
and great crowd OF people rushed to it, II was
soon discovered that the fire, originating in car
penter's shop on Poydras street, extended to the
st. Charles, and that that grand temple had sur
rendered to the terrible and destructive element.
It was magnificent and grand spectacle. We
with the noble founder who had devoted his for |
tune to it's erection. We saw the huge and awful /
pillows OK fire envelop and devour the splendid |
structure; we heard the craeh Of the magnificent |
chandelier ss it fell from the centre of the build
ing with jar ard jingle that resouuded for |
many squares around; we saw all this elaborate |
and luxurious edifce crisp and crumble into |
ashes before the devouring element; and when |
only mass OF smouldering bricks and charred |
tmbers and huge pile Of ashes marked the site |
of the great dramatic temple, we heaved deep
sigh OF regret and sorrow for the helpessness OF |
man and the disappointments and disasters that |
too often overcome the noblest designs and ex-
ertions Of the most exalted ambition and enter
prise.
The old st. Charles persisted in 1872 The
property belonged to the Gas Company. which by
his misfortunes had elided through the hands OF
Mr.. Caldwell He was now greatly embarrassed
and virtually bankrupt. But the company re-
solved that the name and entity OF the theatre
greatly reduced scale-reduced as to size, style,
and in every feature, 80 that no
one who had ever sat in the old temple would
ever recognize any resemblance or right OF repre-
sentaton of the old temple in this new structure.
But still 1t had the name, and with that name,
under lease to Ludlow d Smith, 1t became
q very successful and popular theatre. With the
grand triumph OF Jenny Lind, in 1850, by which
they netted handsome profit, Ludlow & Smith
ret from p the management Then was that
pany, was induced by the writer to lease the
theatre to Ben DeBar, on easy terms; and with
this lease DeBar conducted the st. Charles with
great profit to himself, until 1868, when he made
The purchase, which, through the disasters and
osses OF the last ten or twelve years, and after
great sacrifices and losses, hos proved un-
profitable q one that after the payment Of fifty or
,ixty Thousand dollars, Mr. DeBar is driven to
he strait Of submitting to the foreclosure and
,ale OF the property.