Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-20
CORRESPONDENCE.
Minneapolis Matters-Timfd Eastern
 CapitaIists-A Magnificent Building
 and & Magnificent Musical FestIvaI- Narrow Escape-Base Ball.

Minneapolis Matters-Tinid Eastern
 CapitaIists-A Magnificent Building
 and & Magnificent Musical Festlval-
 A Narrow Escape-Base Ball.
 M1NNEAPoLIs, Minn., June 13.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
 It would be amusing, were it not so plc- voking, to see timid eastern capitalists with drawing investments hers because of the failure of Wall street spectators! There has not been single failure in Minneapolis, so far as I know, and but one st St. Paul. The crash of the Northwestern Car company, at Saltwater, sustains about the same rela- ton to business here that failure in Norz wich might to business in New Haven. Par ties having loans placed here have called them in, and our business men have paid them Off so promptly that it bothers them. I D. edict that the time will come when they will be sorry the money was not left as they had invested it. In few weeks 3S, GOO, 000 bushels of the best wheat in the world will be harvested from Minnesota farms alone, saving nothing of Dakota, Manitoba and Montana, all of which find their principal market here The withdrawal of money may occasion temporary embarrassment, and may ruin few spectators, but it will only make our busineas men more particular of whom they borrow hereafter. There will be plenty of money when the crops come in am repeatedly asked for my opinion of vest ern investments, and my reply is that if they are judiciously made they are as safe as any ! in ths world
 We have just erected magnificent build | ing, planned in consultation with Dr. Theo- l dore Thomas, and in which has been held this week one of the most brilliant musical ! festivals ever held in the United States. Those by whose enterprise 1t projected expended in prepar&tiou and in salaries to re- | nowned artists more thaa $20, GOO, and got ii l all back again in the sale of tickets. On | Tuesday night was given the oratorio of the Messiah, the gelo passages rendered by Mil l son, Emily Winant Toedt and Remmertz
 and the choruses by the St. Paul Choral so. 1 ciety supported by the Minneapolis Philhar- l monic, the instrumental support being grand l ly given by the Thomas orchestra. Beetho | ven's Symphony pastorale followed, and the Jewel song from Faust. The second evening l was wholly occupied by Wagnerien music | selections from Tannhauser, Walkure and 1 Die Meistersinger, the solos being by Mater l na. Winkelmann and Scsria, and the chorus es by the Minneapolis Philharmonic. Or | the same evening the Swedes gave banquet 1 in honor of Christine Nilson at the Lyndalt
 Hotel On Thursday afternoon there were l children's choruses interspersed with soIoi 1 by Miss Emma Juchs, Miss Emily WinaDt
 Materns and Scaria, and instrumental musis | by the orchestra.
 1 There was narrow escape from 8 catas | trophe on Thursday afternoon. There wert one thousand children on the stage and ar | audience of about three thousand arranged | in the spacious audience room. The skiet had been lowering, and occasional sharE flashes Of lightning had made people ner- 1 vous especially as once twice the electric lamps were lighted, going immediately oni again. The chorus had finished it's work and I Materna had sung her song. Aazr S"s~'
 was ready to begin basso solo -:H
 Saroa iisb.Als ..y terrific burst 0 | . up the vast hall, accompanies
 ,y a report exactly as if battery had beer fred off in the room. Some saw ball 0
 fire strike the flagstaff above the dome and others saw the same lurid ball as rolled away along the wires connecting tn EeIectric lamps with the central office. Al
 were startled by the crash of falling e!ss
 from the skyIight, and the children began } with one accord to tumble of the stage frantic to escape they knew not whither Every body stood up and shouted te every 1 body else to sit down. There was real dan
 ger of a first-class panic. The bright idea
 however, occurred to some of the audienc to call for more music Dr. Thomas seize, his baton and the orchestra began to play
 Herr Scaria began to sing and quiet was geo | restored. These who desired to hear tn music stayed and others withdrew in goo 1 order. On subsequent examination foun l that the lightning, after splintering the fae
 staff, followed an iron rod to the network (
 wires serving the electric lamps, of whic
 there were twenty in all, and was partly di tributed over the general circuit, while pol