St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-12
all Well at Home, Thank You--True Com
fort--No Sympathy Asked by
Stay-at- Homes.
Attractions at the Grand Opera House Next
SeaSon--0ur Cultured Suburban
Communities.
Minneapolis as Dull as the Rest--Nu-
merous Weddings the Only
Social Feature.
A CITY OF COMFORT.
81. Paul People Find the Greatest
Pleasure at Home.


sympathy on us who are left at home, for
we are getting along quite comfortably,
thank YOU. If you can find place in the
world where the air is more delightful ana
everything more charming than 1t Is on the
beautiful bluffs about the city just now per-
haps we will look at it, but we are satlshed
that we could nowhere find so much genu-
inc comfort and pleasure as at home.
These are great nights to sleep, and we can
do it to much better advantage where we
are acquainted, where we need not smut
and lock the doors of our sleeping-rooms,
and where we always know just where to go
for an extra blanket when it comes up
cold. Then we can enjoy much more ND
prty than those who must submit TO the
restraints of hotel life, even at the most
free-andseasy resorts.
~
1t has been rather cold for camping, and
the most of the cOttagerS are cramped. OF
course the pleasures of fishing, sailing and
bathing somewhat compensate for the dis
comforts, but then one gets a surfelt even
of the most delightful things, in this mum
dane sphere. and an occasional indulgence
in the pastimes is enjoyed with the greater
zest. Business men find living at
the lakes burden. as they
must rush into town in the
morning and back at night so they are gen
orally glad enough to get settled again in
their familiar city homes after the season Is
over. If people must abandon their homes
during the two extreme terms of the year,
would suggest Florida resort for winter
and residence on the banks of Hudson's
bay in the summer. Probably our bene-
factor. Col. James j. Hill, will sometime
extend his great railroad to the frozen
Northern lake and provide hotel equal to
the paIatial Hotel Lafayette, and then there
will be some sense in going away in the
summer to get cool.
~
People passing the Grand opera house
will observe that the vestibule is in a state
of great disorder, and if they step in short
distance they will find an immense hole in
the ceiling, through which glimpse can be
had of what was to US at one time a
heavenly place. We catch views of the
Once-bright frescoes, which a few years
since we thought so beautiful. Now the
good old opera house is an immense black
hole, dismantled and deserted. What
dear cozy comfortable place it was and
what fun we have had there. 1t was on
Feb. %, 1867, that the opera house was
dedicated, Hon. [. V. ID. Heard making
the address. 1t was a grand affair
all of our finest dramatic entertainments
during the summer months when the thea
tiers in the great cities were closed. Now
we have become a great city and hot
weather entertainments are afailure. Dur
ing the winters then we relied for pleasure
upon the good St. Paul musical society,
now, alas. defunct, and upon amateur per-
fOrmances, many of which were very excel
lent. The elder Grau made little fortune
in the Old house one summer with German
opera, saving him from ruin. Poor Jim
Oates, with his then young and charming
wife, Alice Oates, had two splendid sea-
sons, and-but cannot extend on the his
tory of the triumphs and disasters of the
old theater now, but save the subject for a
reminiscent article another time. Then l
will tell you of our brilliant charity balls,
our fairs, etc, and of the grand success
Col Rus Munger attained as a manager.
~
While the old house is in the process of
demolition the new Grand is undergoing
renovation and improvement, and at the
opening of the season it will be more ele-
CANT than ever. New carpets, new scenery,
and wider and finer vestibule will be
among the changes. Two fine stores will
be made one each side of the entrance, and
the work of remOdeling the whole exterior
will be proceeded with. At the same time
Commodore Davidson, who is never idle, is
making great changes in the Exposition
rink and next fall it will be found in superb
shape for concerts, balls. fairs, etc, equipped
with spacious stage and beautifully
decorated.
No more cultured, sociable and hospitable
community exists within the corporate lin
its of st. Paul than that formed by the $50
families living at Merriam and Union parks.
Although seemingly isolated from their
friends in the two cities, they are really
more accessible as far as time is concerned
than are the antipodal limits of the horse
railroads in st. Paul or Minneapolis. l at
tended one of the regular Thursday con-
certs at Union park last week, and in twelve
minutes after taking my seat in the cars
was in a scene of rare beauty, place of
pastoral charms, which has few equals even
In the splendid suburbs of our delightful
city. The Great Western band led by the
veteran George Seibert, occupied a location
in the great pavilion and discoursed fine
program. Away in every direction
stretched the pretty landscape, sue
cession of hill and dale, wooded and
carpeted with verdure. Broad ave-
nues wound about, and hundreds of
fine equipages from both cities, containing
elegantly-dressed ladies, moved slowly
about to the strains of the bewitching music
Groups of ladies and gentlemen fingered
here and there on the sward or found seats
In the pavilion, while others strolled away
beneath the trees. The residents of the
many elegant homes in each park and their
neighbors from Hamline, with visitors from
the nearby cities, formed a throng of sew
eral hundred, and if the trains could be run
SO as to better accommodate visitors in re-
turning, these Thursday evening fetes
would attract thousands of city dwellers
ALI who do attend are accorded a cheerful
welcome, and they will find beautiful Ar
cadian spot, inhabited by the very incest of
refined Arcadians.
~
On Friday evening last the ladies of
Merriam and Union parks. represented by
Mesdames Dow, Hersee and Baker, gave a
delightful hop in the great Union Park pa
vlion, which affords a dancing surface
Of sixty by one hundred and
twenty-five feet. The pavilion was
brilliantly illuminated with Japanese
lanterns and locomotive headlights and as
The throng of daintily-auayed ladies glided
through the may movements of the dance
the scene was truly enhancing. Seiberts
full orchestra supplied the music, and Joy
and mirth were uncOnfined Following is a
list of the participants: Home people-AIr.
and Mrs. Hinkle, Mr.. and Mrs. Sibley, Mr..
and Mrs Dow, Mr.. and Mrs. Hersee, Mr..
and Mrs. Baker. Mr.. and Mrs. butcher, Mr..
and Mrs Chamberlin, Mr.. and Mrs. Mer-
rell, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mr.. and Mrs.
Bell, Mr.. and Mrs. Provost, Mr.. and Mrs.
Graves, Mr.. and Mrs. Fay, Mr.. and Mrs.
Clausens, Mr.. and Mrs. Douglass, Mr.. and
Mrs. Stillwell, Mr.. and Mrs. Thearian, Misses