The Portland daily press., 1883-07-12
BUILDING PERMIT REFUSED.
Arguments Pro and Con on Build
ing a Theatre on Federal
Street.
The Petitioners Refused Permis-
sion to Erect 1t.

There was hearing yesterday afternoon
before the Committee on New Buildings,
Alderman Hawkes. chairman, at the Alder
mems room, on the petition of the Messrs.
Warwick for permission to erect building TO
be used for a place of amusement, on their
land corner Of Church and Federal streets. A
formidable remonstrance, signed by some sixty
people owning property or residing in the
neighborhood. was presented. and Messrs.
Harris q. Barnes, Geo. gBurnham, j. s. Crock
EFT, B. +. Kennard, e. P. Doyen. Miss Cump-
ston and others were present to protest against
the erection Of the building.
Mr.. Burnham thought his property would
deteriorate fully two-thirds il the theatre was
built Miss Cumpston said her house was on
line with the lot 1t was proposed to build on,
and that the noise would prove very detri-
mental to her mother, who was old and ILL.,
Chas. E. Warwick said Mrs ~Cump-
ston was informed when she commenced
to build her house that she corld
not build French roof, as 1t wopld en-
croach on his land, but She vent ahead and
built /, and also pnt q number of windows IN
fhe back SIDE, where there was only one small
one before.
Harris c. Barnes had sold two lots he owned
on the other side Of Federal street to the city
for the park, and purchased one on the opposite
side with the understanding that the city
would permit nothing but nice residences to be
erected in the vicinity
j. S. Crockett was confident 1t would damage
his property, and gentleman who was to pur-
chase lot Of his land on the corner of Pearl
street stopped negotiations when he heard
theatre was to be built there. To this Mr..
Warwick replied that the same gentleman
wanted to purchase land of him (AI6rwick)
after the petition to build theatre had been
made public.
Mr.. Crockett said the noise OF such band
as they had at their theatre on Exchange
street was enough to craze any one W he had to
listen to il, and drew crowd in the street
every night, and asked Mr.. Warwick how he
would like il in front of his residence. Mr..
Warwick replied that he would like it. He
never knew Of any objections being offered by
the neighbors when Chandler's Band played in
Market Square, drawing crowd which filed
the streets, aud as for his band there were indi-
vidnal players in it Of whom Chsndler's Band
perhaps had equals, but no superiors. A man
TO enjoy music must have music in his soul,
and that, be thought, Mr.. Crockett did not
have.
la the course Of the discussion some one
said MIR. Crockett had been offered dollar
foot for bis land, and Mr.. Warwick wanted to
know why Mr.. Crockett had not told him so
last week when they were conversing about
the matter.
Oh, said Mr.. Crockett, you were way up in
the air in minutel couldn't talk with you
He added he didn't want any ten cent build
ing put up there, and Mr. Warwick retorted,
THE building viii be as good as your build
ing"
Mr.. Barnes said he understood Mr.. Warwick
had to be doorkeeper in order to get his pay
every week for the building. To this Mr.. Mar
wick retorted that he had been ticket seller,
but perhaps it would have been better for him
il he had been ticket seller and doorkeeper al
so. Since Jan 18th, when he assumed con.
troll, he had sold 30, 900 tickets, and but once
had there been any trouble, and that was when
man refused to stop smoking and remove his
hat He was bounced He had engaged a
policeman the first of the season at dollar a
night, but he soon found the money was
wasted and discharged him.
Mr.. Barnes stated 1t was with difficulty they
could get the Marw icks to shovel their side
walks last winter, and Mr.. Warwick said it
was false, Some more words passed and some
thing Mr.. Warwick said Mr.. Barnes character
lied as q lie.
Mr. Warwick said the remonstrants were all
OF the same class. For sixteen years they had
used tho lot to deposit their ashes and the filth
and garbage from their houses on, and even
the city had used it as receptacle for the
cleanings from the Park.
This brought Alderman Tukesbury to his
feet, who declared that Albert Warwick had
given him permission TO deposit the stuff there.
Mr.. Warwick said he had only given him
permission to leave 1t there until the city got
ready 70 remove IT, Chas. e. Warwick said
one Of the abuttees had built on his land, even
removing cellar wall that had been there
forty years These are the sort of people, said
Mr.. Warwick, that demonstrate against the
erection OF the building.
Albert Warwick said he had lived in this
city sixty mine years, and his moral character
was as good as any mans in the room. He
and his BROTHER proposed to erect building in
which to conduct amusements. He said he
would not iniure the young or disturb the old
They owned the property and they proposed to
build on it. II their place was nuisance then
the city could abate it. He promised they
would run good entertainment, which could
be visited by ladies.
This ended the discussion, and the commit.
tee, after deiberation, voted not to give the pc
titioners leave to erect theatre.