Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-23
REDONDO BEACH.
Dedication of the Chautauqua
Amphitheater.
THE BUILDING SEATS 1900
The RedOndO Hotel Nearly Ready te
be Opened-Miner Notes From
the Seaside Resort.

be Opened-Minsr Notes From
the Seaside Resort.
Yesterday was appointed for the for
NAL opening of the great amphitheater
erected at Rodondo Beach by the South
ern California Chautauqua Association.
At 9 80 o'clock two trains pulled out
from the Agricultural-park station of the
Redondo motor road with nearly 300 in
vited guests, bound for the dedication of
the building. At 10 o'clock train OF
nine coaches pulled out of the Santa Fe
depot at the foot of First street with 900
people bound for the same place. The
trains reached Redondo nearly at the
same time, say IL 80, and about IL the
programme as outlined was opened.
The Redondo motor line is new road.
Yesterday was the first serious business
attempted over the line. From the car
stables at the Agricultural park the road
runs westerly few hundred feet and
then turns south, heading in almost q
direct line for the Beach. 1t runs east
erly of Inglewood, passes Gardena, and
crosses the bluff into the center of the
Redondo townsite. The road is
not finished, and some of the
rails first laid are now being
removed to give place to better. The
bed needs ballasting in some OF the low
ground easterly of La Cienega rancho.
The work of completing it is being pushed
ahead with energy, and in short time
the road will he as good as any leading to
the beach, with the attraction of being
the most direct to the seaside at any
point. Steps are being taken to run the
road in to the south of Agricultural park
and thence to Jefferson street at the foot
of Grand avenue, 30 as to connect with
the cable system.
THE OPENING PROGRAMME.
As soon as the audience was quietly
seated in the amphitheater at IL m,
Rev. s. J. Fleming stepped to the front
of the platform and announced that a
sacred air would be discoursed by Prof.
Hamilton's band, which was accordingly
done in very excellent style. This be-
ing finished, Mr.. Fleming. who is the
embodiment OF the Chautaueua idea in
this State, and to whose efforts the
whole affair owes its very existence, gave
a short sketch of the history of the
undertaking. He said in substance
s'It is my very pleasant duty at this
time to welcome this audience to this
building, the only Chautauqus auditor
ium on this Coast. These words l am
now uttering are the very first in the
way of a formal address ever heard in
this edifice. We are now for the first
time testing its acoustic qualities, and if
am not being heard wish some one |
would indicate this fact I am not to |
make q speech to you at this time. am |
rather to make brief statement as to |
the business features of the association. |
This building which you now occupy |
stands in the center of 5.acre lot given |
this assembly by the Redondo Beach |
company. 1t is one of five to stand |
ultimately on this ground.
THE BUILDING.
est is built of concrete, or artificial
stone, composed of pebbles from the
beach, sand from the beach and Port
land cement from London. 1t is the
Chautauqua idea in concrete. 1t is not
yet completed, as you see. 1t is merely
the shell, the walls, the roof, the
floor, the windows and doors. All
the decorations, fitting and furnishing
still remain to be done. This platform
is intended for the speaker and the choir,
for whom there will be 500 seats. The
door to the rear leads to the dressing
rooms below. The panels around the
building will be decorated in oriental
designs. The dome will be finished in
classical designs, 80 that all the nations
of antiquity will find representation here
1t is hoped that this will be done by the
meeting of the assembly in July. Now
here is the business side of the Chautau-
qua idea. We came here when the only
thing not of natures making on this
beach was a windmill. The company
gave us these five acres OF land, and then
they gave us 600 lots. We have sold
SO 1000 or $4,000 worth of the lota, and
have enough left 80 that we think when
the building is completed at an outlay
of $4,000 we will still have
$15O,0OO left for an endowment fund.
Put out at interest this will give US $12 00C
q year for our work. The sale of tickete
ought to give US that much more. We
ought to have a revenue OF $25 900 a
year, and with that we can secure the
best talent in the United States-yes, in
the world. There are forty-two Chautau
qua assemblies in the United States, an6
not another of them all has such build
ing as this.
The building is in the form of grea'
polygon, the seats being all on one floor
The measurements are 125xl40 feet, 8;
feet to the ceiling, which is upheld BY
iron pillars. The seats rise tier above
tier. The height to the dome is 80 feet
and over all, 100 feet. The seating
capacity is 1000. 1t has already
cost $25, 900, all of which is paid, and
to finish it will call for $25 ,00(
more, making the total cost $50, 900. D
After making this businesslike exhibit
of the financial side of the enterprise
Mr.. Fleming introduced the pastor OF the
First Baptist church, in Los Angeles
who offered prayer. Following this
Rev. DR.. Ormiston, of Pasadena, spoke
on the Bible as the central point of all
literature, of all education, OF all intelli.
gence, of all logic and of all philosophy
Then came violin solo from Professor
Hamilton, after which Rev. DIR. Hutch
ins, of Los Angeles, delivered an address
on the beauties of Redondo, and the
benefits to result from ouch building al
this, and such work as it proposed
Rev. DR.. Selsh Brown, the great ira
veler, followed in a beautiful address
appropriate to the occasion, and af'el
more music by the band, Mr.. 4. M
Widney spoke briefly, giving the reasons
for removing the Chautauqua cen
far from, Touo Raoch Whora II