Telegram-herald., 1889-05-27
TIE TOPICAL TALKER

= ScAtltt1aa ltht&i AS0 tit otkASf dat
DO yoa know taat there are great
many people IA thls clty Who have
sworn never a. patr0niEe Powers
theaters You rcmemhef that during
the Booth ana barrett engagement
here a little over q year ago, Geo.
Oouge, Who MAS then acting manager.
marked otf a large number 81 seats tor
ms 10son friends and especial favor
ltes before the sale opened. This un-
due manifestation OF partislity soured
= good many OF our wealthy people and
they resolved u withdraw thelI patron
axe from tins iheater." ! can hardly
believe this, though | ana forced IA
confess that the upper crust of society
and the wealthy circle have been
notable for their absence from the
theater during Ihe past winter. fear,
because l have heard remarks made
which establish TINS comment a. some
thing stronger than mere presumption,
that there ls prejudice against thls
theSteT. Not against the management
or any one IA lis employ, but the bare
opera house. Metropolitan prices
are charged for attractions which
appear here, Vet the house
II lnconyenent IN as arrangements and
decidedly uncomfortable ia many re-
spects. The seating arrangements are
iearfully cramped particularly IA the
parquette. : Any one who sits IA any Of
the rows IN the parQuette a. fully Justi-
fled in going out AT every intemlsslon
10 stretch hls limbs, which have become
weary from bracng against the back Of
the seat IN front of hum. To slt with
the knees thus braced during an entire
performance spOsltlve torture. think
that some people have actually damned
some reputable plays at tins theater,
owing 10 the physical discomfort they
were compelled 10 endure Ia these par
quette seats. But the discomfort IA at
tending tins theater does not end with
your dollar coupon. Your VISION is
constantly offended by the old worn
out scenery which Is used. Most of Il
is threadbare and bedaubed with the
marks of age. The frames are feeble
and refuse 10 move smoothly IN the
grooves and match IN the center Of the
stage. The scenery IN TINS theater
serves 10 surround a respectable dra-
matte performance with disgrace. IL
would not be tolerated III any other
theater, IN the city. Brighten up
Powers Opera House, rcnoVate II, clean
il, provide IL with new scenery, yes, and
new drops and a modern drop curtain,
and the satisfaction attending a per
formance there will be greatly height
ened. The management is using
every effort 10 secure the most deslr-
able companies. Now give these COM
panies stage with full and complete
appliances III the way of props and
settings" Let the party whose duty
il L.. furnish il with such scenery as
Will entitle il 30 be called the flrsi-class
and high priced theateT of Grand Rap
ids. The public demand tins much and
are entitled 10 IL.
What an immense number Of wires
are stretched overhead IN this city.
| Wires innumerable are stretched on
| poles and on business blocks IN every
| drection-telegraph telephone and
! electric light wires. They are not par
! tlcularly dangerous, but IN case Of FIRE
! in any OF the business buildings on the
| business streets they are great annoy
ance and interference TO ilremen and
/ their labors. The wires would be bet
/ ter protected under ground, and the
! streets would certainly be improved IN
! appearance if the ungalnly poles were
out of the way. The placing Of the
wires under the street y one of the
/ knOtty questions the Common Council
will have 10 consider one of these days.
! OF course the corporations who own
and manage the wires viii at first stub
1 bornly protest at such a proposition,
/ but in cities whore ordinances with
such provisions have been enforced the
telegraph companies have expressed
themselves much pleased with the
change.
| III. Il. L. 1..rsc
| change has overtakcn Grand Rapids IN
a musical way during the past dozen
| wears. About that time the bcstmuslcai
or operate organ zation ~ the country
could only attract All audience Of about
two hundred persons. Italian opera
was an unheard ot thing; comic English
opera was looked upon asnOnsense and
instrumental concerts were considered
a bore. Today Wc have, probably. ali
told. nearly two dozen musical sOcie-
ties. Some of them have enrolled a
membership numbering nearly two
hundred notably the Oratorio society
| and the 1t. CecIlIss. The Schuberts, a
/ society COMPOSED of energetic and
talented Young men, have been IN
fuential IN establishing interest IN
musical matters. Too much credit
cannot be gwen these local organiza-
tons for the expansion Of musical
cultivation in tins city. The coming
Jubilee winch occurs in June ought ~
be marked and celebrated event.
| Gilmore band Of fifty pieces viii be
| here aud VIII give a concert in Hart
| mans l.aI. and viii bc sisted by 30
voices selected from local societies.
Such an event ls most conclusive as
e1rsnce Of the intelligent and popular
/ advancement 10 the divine art ~ Grand
] Rapids.
T 1t is some time now since the Com.
mon Council warned the Gable com
: / pany 70 place cow-cstcbers on the
r ! grip cars. and ~ procure more secure
2 / couplings between the cars. ] was on
= / one q the tral cars going 10 the base
/ ball game one day last week The ca
4 1 was crowded - ia fullest capacity; be
. tween that car and the grip there was
D 1 coupling pm, ! should Judge. about
4 I au inch iu diameter. If 2 crowded csl
3 / ever separate from the gfp ascending
Ivon-sfreet bin. there wiil be bor
I 11ble accident for tho papers n chrou
+ iCie. and subsequently, come hesvJ
}. damage Fuits against the Cable com
> many Tho Council should insist thst
: "a mandate. in regard 80 this matter
be 0beved 81 once. i Is a safety pre-
i. caution winch the patrons Of the rOse
2 arc entitled 70.
The Council meets tonight IN reg
Mar session. II they - vii. thoT