The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-16
CITY NEWS AND GOSSIP,
John Mcguire Says a New Opera
House Will Be Built This
Summer.
Cattlemen Somewhat Disturbed
Over a Recent Order From
Secretary Rusk.

Something About the Catholic Literar!
Society and Its Good Work-A
Witness From FIathead.
The people of Helena, the%atergoers and
all others, will be glad to know that we art
to have a new opera house, and that John
Mcguire. the popular and energetic man
ager, will be in charge. Arrangements are
all but completed, and the ground will bt
broken before May /. 1t will be located In
the rear of the Montana National bank and
Just back of the corner of Park avenue and
Edwards street. The opera house proper
will b. a building by itself and will be
reached by an entrance through a hand
some brick block, which will be located on
the corner facing Edwards street. The
opera house will be constructed first and
will be ready for opening in August or at
the latest before the middle of October.
Over $4,000 has already been subscribed
There will be little difficulty in securing the
remainder as the success of the venture is
already assured. Mr.. Mcguire says the cap
ital will be increased to $150,0O and per
haps more. He promises that the new
theater will be a superb structure. as
complete and elegant as any theater
west of the Mississippi river. He
has already commenced correspondence
with the best theater architects in the east.
He expects to nave plans ready in a few
weeks. The scenic effects will be the best
work of artists on both sides of the ocean.
The stage will be of such proportions and
will be SO equipped that the largest COM
panies will be able to produce plays as in
the metropolitan cities. The interior may
not be wholly finished before Jan. ], but
Mr.. Mcguire says the house will be really
for occupancy long before that time. This
is all good news for Helena people. When
magnificent new theaters are found in
Spokane, Tacoma, Portland and Seattle, it
is certainly fitting that Helena should keep
up with the procession. Nothing adyertises
a city to the travelling public with better
results than a fine opera house and GER
tainly no public institution meets with
more appreciation from the inhabitants.
Manager John Mcguire who has catered to
the amusement public of Helena so long
is entitled to all possible encourage
ment in an enterprise which means SO much
for the prosperity of Helena.
Secretary of Agriculture Rusk has recent
ly issued an order calling for the strict en-
forcement of the act of congress of April 5.
1884, which prohibits the transportation of
cattle from sonth and east of the Texas
dead line for any other purpose except i'm
mediate slaughter. If this order is enforced
it will cut off our $4,000 cattle already con-
tracted for by Montana and Wyoming buy
ers. The government dead line runs from
tbes northeast corner of the Pan Handle
pa5uth to the Brazos river and west to New
Mexico. It was formed for the purpose of
keeping cattle afflicted with splenic fever
away from other ranges, but the law has
never been enforced. A line called the
New Mexico quarantine runs south of this
and still farther to the south extending to
the Rio Grande is the Colorado, Wyoming
and Montana line. Neither of the latter
lines are under government authority.
Cattle with splenic fever when driven north
to our ranges are rid of the fever
when the high attitudes are reached
and thus the danger is destroyed. The
act of congress has therefore been over
looked and cattle have been shipped from
south of the line to Montana for the past
five years. Last year 100,000 cattle came
into this state from that region. Cattle
men in the eastern part of the state are
considerably exercised over the secretary's
order. State Veterinarian Holloway re-
ceived several dispatches from railroad men
yesterday asking for his corporation in
on or.so =, ~-,4ll.~r-,l &c Al. --lz- IT,.
will bring the matter before the board of
live stock commissioners and the Montana
stock growers association, which meets at
Miles City next Tuesday.
A year ago the Catholic literary and dra-
matte association was formed with a mem
bership of seventeen. Now it has nearly a
hundred enthusiastic members and the So
cletY bids fair to become a powerful
organization. Its meetings are always
well attended, and great interest taken in
its literary exercises. Subjects for debate
are chosen upon live topics, which furnish
a wild range of thought. At first the
members were somewhat timid in the pres
ence of a critical audience, and some of
them were afraid to open their mouths. as
Father Toilet said last night, when explain
ing the objects of the society. The main
difficulty the father has now when presid-
ing over one of these intellectual c%ontesus
is to keep the mouths closed. A dramatic
club formsa branch of the literary society
and affords an excellent opportunity for
culture in department. and elocution. Sew
eral performances have been given in St.
Aloysius hall, which have drawn large audi
ences. The club is now rehearsing a
play which will be produced in about three
weeks. Last nights entertainment was the
close of the series of entertainments fol-
this season by the literary society. Every
seat in the hall was taken. The programme
consisted of readings, recitations, singing
and music. Professors Romandy and Vol
lert received an encore after their charming
duet, and later on Professor Romandy wal
Obliged to give one of his favorite selec
tons.
-Four Horns sat On a bench all yesterda,
afternoon in the corridor of the court
house. He is a Flathead Indian and is il
attendance upon the United States pranc
jury, which is looking into a case from
Mlssoula county, concerning the SELLING nj