The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-19
THE OPERA HOUSE ASSURED.
proceedings OF the Subscribers at
the Meeting Last Night.
'ne Path Cleared and Work To Be
Commenced at once.
rHty Thousand Dollars Is the Amount
Already Raised.

The meeting Of the opera house subscrib-
ers was held in Baxter Hall last evening.
Mr.. I. G. Woodbury. called the meeting 10
order. Mr.. 4. A. Noyes was chosen chair.
man and II. r. Virgin secretary.
Mr.. Woodbury., from the committee to
raise funds, reported that the total amount
subscribed up to date was S46,05O, with sew
eral important papers yet to hear from, so
that $4,000 could be said to be In sight.
Mr.. Noyes then addressed the meeting,
stating that It was deemed advisable to ex-
tend the time allowed by the agreement As
1t now stands the time for subscription ex
pires May 1. AS there had been great deal
OF sickness during the winter some Of the
committees have not been able to get around
to see all the men whose names they had.
Accordingly he thought the time ought TO be
extended two or three weeks.
Mr.. A. f. Moulton stated that there
seemed to be two obstacles in the way of
success. The first was the time limit, the
second the provision that there no mort
gage shall be put on the house. He offered
an amendment to the agreement remedying
the difficulty.
Mr.. B. ID. Verrill agreed with Mr.. Moul-
ton In regard to the extension OF time, but
thought Ii was not best to agree to mortgag
ing the property. He thought that until
deot had actually been contracted a mort
gage could not be raised.
Mr.. Noyes said that he should go ahead
aud build aud then put mortgage on.
Mr.. Verrlii thought that more subserip-
tions could Be obtained II mortgage was
not put on.
Mr.. Woodbury. said that he understood
that the mortgage was only thought Of to en-
sure success. He said that for the last few
weeks subscriptions had increased One Of
$1,000 and several of $500 had been received.
He believed that there was now a greater
chance Of success than there was before.
Mr.. Verrill said that people we're apt to
judge others by themselves. He had sub
scribed himself aud II there was no mort
gage put on he should strain a point and
take hye shares more. III there was a mort
gage he should not feel like taking more.
He thought they should go on and begin
work and only use the mortgage as a last re-
sort.
Mr. Moulton explained that his motion
was simply meant to remedy the trouble that
would arise IL in the future 1t should be nee
essary to resort to mortgage.
Mr.. j. Henry Crockett thought that the
other condition, that there must se at least
$4,000 subscribed else all would be void,
should also bs waived He thought, as he
understood it. the present arrangement
would not all1w cent collected unless the
entire amount was subscribed. This was
unfortunate since everything else hung on
1t. He therefore suggested that the agree
ment be changed to allow the directors 10
bagin with what they had and to do what
they deemed best In raising the remainder.
Judge Symonds agreed with Mr.. Moulton
substantially, He said that IN regard to the
time limit there seemed to be no division Of
spinion. In regard to the mortgage, there
was, or seemed to be. However, he said he
did not doubt but that all would prefer to
see the house built without any incumbranee
but, rather than not have it at all, they
would agree to go as far as their money
would let them, and then mortgage the rest.
He therefore thought that the antl-mortgaee
clause should be stricken out, but thatAo
mortgage should be put on the propersf un-
less 1t became imperatiyely necessagr.
MIR. Moulton modified his 'mos0n so as to
embOdy Mr.. Crockett's sugge,nons.
Mr.. j. c. Hamlen agree< with Judge Sy-
monds.
Mr. L. G.. Spring Dade stirring speech,
opposing any chSdge. He ,said that the
money could be raised in the original time;
that people, ather than see the whole thing
slip througl their fingers. would double their
subscriptions and bring the whole S75,O in
before hayl J.
Mr. Woodbury. said that if all subscribers
wereiike Mr.. Spring this would be done, but
unfortunately they were not. He believed
that there were not many men who could be
lrduced to subscribe more.
Mr.. Noyes and Mr. Robinson Williams
agreed with Mr.. Woodbury.
Mr.. Virgin offered an amendment 10 Mr..
Moulton's amendment, to the effect that the
directors should proceed with the work
when they had $4,000 subscribed Mr.. l. c.
Atkinson moved to reduce the capital Of the
corporation to $4,000,
On motion of Mr.. Moulton, a committee OF
three-Mr. Moulton, Mr.. Virgin and Judge
Symonds-prepared an agreement for new
subscribers and waiver for those whose
names are already on the agreement, which
embodied the suggested changes. The pres
ent agreement is to the effect that as soon as
$4,000 is subscribed the subscriptions shall
be due and binding in quarterly payments,
sixty days apart, at the callIof the directors.
aud that the work shall begin at once. As
the necessary sum Is in sight, this lnsures
success to the men who have struggled so
hard to win It.
As Mr.. Woodbury. is TO be out of town for
the next fortnight. committee. consisting
of MesSrs. L. A. Noyes and George NJ.
Moore, was chosen to secure the signatures
OF the former signers to the waiver and the
new agreement.