Evening journal., 1888-10-16
Ne PRoPosep MUSIC HALL.

THE PROPOSED MUSIC HALL.
The Choral Club last evening gave
unanimous endorsement to the very excel
lent proposition, made in these columns
recently and repeated yesterday in Every
Evening, to establish a music hall in this
city Messrs. George w, Stone and n.
r.. Benson, Jr., both well-known mem
bers Of the Wilmington musical societies,
have expressed themselves recently in
favor Of the project. but they differed
widely as to the kind Of hall wanted.
Mr.. Stone favors small hall adapted
rather for the societies than for public
entertainments Mr.. Benson agrees with
the original proposition that popular
hall should be provided. He believes
that house seating fully 1000
persons would best serve the
purposes in view Wilmington is grow
ing rapidly. Theiear fully 80 900 inhabi
tants here and the people living in the
neighboring communities are falling
more and more into the excellent habit of
coming here for their amusemonts This
is especially true OF those who love good
music This taste is more common
among the people of small communities
than that Of mere theatricals The taste
for good music is also much stronger and
more general in this city than the taste
= for plays. This is largely due to natural
inclinations; but the love for music has
also been much more judiciously
, cultivated aud satisfied in this city than
the love for plays. Our musical enter
tainments have as a class been far
Superior during the last few years than
our theatrical performances. The great
majority Of the latter have fallen below
the lowest tastes Of the community even,
smd have been injurious rather than other
wise A good play has become the ex.
ception. II Is now regarded as notable
event Thousands of dollars are spent
every season by Wilmingtonisns in their
desire 70 see worthy representations on
the Stage. going to Philadelphia as they
mast 20 satisfy this desire.
. 1t is not true that the plain folk OF
Wilmington prefer poor playing. Such
playing satisfies great many vulgar
people II satisfies boys who I'LL the gal
leries Of the local theatres to make the
night hideous. It satisfies that large and
constantly growing class of vicious fe-
males who largely crowd the matinees as
well as the evening exhibitions for no
higher purpose and obviously with no
other object than to meet equally
vicious boys and men. Any place
that admits these two classes Of the com
munity is good enough for them They
would congregate regularly IL the stage
was dark and there was not an actor in
town. But the great majority Of the
community including the workingmen
and women, the men and women of mod
est means andsmodest conduct, do not like
poor plays and do not patronize them
All Of these people want something better
than they are getting now. They are
ready TO welcome any form Of amuse-
ment that is clean and ennob-
ling and that is presented to them with
some reasonable degree Of art They
will welcome music hall and fiji it with
AANAA Af3hAAAto AlNAAti ~ nNiAn lsNNNs
1900 or s, 600 seats These are the people
too who walk to places Of entertainment
and they will walk as readily to Fourth
and Washington as to Eighth and Market
or 10 Tenth and Tatnall streets. II is
what they get and the associations they
form while they are getting it and not
where they get it that wiz regulate their
goings
We trust that the men and women
who have this project under considera-
tion viii see their way clear to provide
the community with commodious music
hall with the purpose Of using II for gen
eral theatrical presentations. There is
certainly room here for two theatres.
: looking at it from that point Of view, for
at present there is practically only one in
the community. We arc certain that the
project win have the support OF all right
thinking men and women and that the
newspapers Of the city will follow their
present admirable custom and treat it as
il deserves, namely, as an enterprise that
tends 70 the substantial improvement Of
the community.