St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-22
A Plan Afioat to Erect a Hand
some One on Business
Principles,
Now That 1t Is Conceded the
Arcade Scheme Is Aban-
doned.
A 100000 Structure in View,
With Harris Lessee and
Manager.
The Public Pulse Beats Favor
ably, and 1t Will Proba-
bly, Go.

st. Paul has no more startling need
just at present than suitable opera
house.
As it is, the city is absolutely without
a large and really frst-class theater.
The Newmarket is temporary make
shift hastily engaged when the Grand
Opera was destroyed by fire. 1t is
cheerless and comfortlesS barn, and
will never be popular. as far as house
is concerned. The Harris, lastly i'm
proved as it is, is too small to meet the
requirements of a first-clasS thea
ter. st. Paul wants handsome,
commodious opera house, suitable for
any attraction, and for which people
may entertain some degree of pride.
The Arcade plans and projects were re-
ceived with enthusiasm.as they met the
popular view exactly; but hopes in that
quarter are practically dead. There is
no reason to believe the plan will be
carried out. and there are many reasons
why, under the circumstances, the the
alter will never be built. Mr.. Lowry
could have carried it through; no one
else will.
But st. Paul will probably have a
irst-class opera house. built by COM
pany organized on business principles.
In fact, the company is practically
under way, the gentlemen prOspectively
interested having held several meetings,
secured the refusal of sites and dis
cussed the rough details of Organiza-
ton. The prime movers are not ready
to give out names and details. but it is
stated, theprOject had its birth in the
offer by Manager P. Harris to
put money into a theater, lease
the building and manage the
business. A gentleman interested
said last night: This plan is purely
business. We are assured that Manager
Harris will take hold of it, and at such
a lease rental as will make it pay the
stockholders from the beginning. That
is the only business way, and it is the
only basis on which men can be induced
to putin their money. There are half
dozen eligible sitesin this city, any one
of which is equally as good as
the Arcade. The plan is to raise
100000, which will construct as
beautiful and commOdiOus an opera
house as the most ardent st. Paulite
could desire. 1t will be owned and con-
trolIed locally, which is big point.
That is about all that can be said at
present. The company has not been
organized, and several gentlemen are,
as yet, merely talking over the details.
Manager Harris will go into such
company and will lease the theater. We
have every confidence in him as
manager, and have thoroughly
looked up his managerial record
in the East. He controls over
half a dozen theaters, including the
Academy of Music at Baltimore and the
Robinson Opera house, Cincinnati, and
find his standing is unimDeachable.
Mr.. Phelps, of the Minnesota Loan and
Trust company, Endorses him very
highly, Also"
"What definite steps have you taken?'
''None. as yet. We are merely feel
ing the public pulse on the matter, and
have found such a state of feeling as it
makes if safe to say that st. Paul will,
before long, have a new opera house,
owned and controlled by local capital
lists and operated on business prin-
clples."
There is no doubt such plan would
meet with general favor in st. Paul.
Prominent men have expressed them
selves favorable to it, and have Endorsed
Manager Harris as splendid man for
lessee and manager. He has very brill
iantly managed the Baltimore and Gin
cinnati houses, and letters from the
companies owning those theaters speak
of him in the highest terms. His CONT
dence in the success of the proposed st.
Paul venture is evidenced in his will
ingness to take large slice of stock.
Whatever may be the outcome of this
plan, st. Paul wants a suitable opera
house and this scheme seems to meet
pubIia onprOual