St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-21
ALL BIDS REJECTED.
The Public Auditorium Event
ually Receives a Black
Eye.
DavidSOn'S Plan for Building
on the Old Grand
Site.
A Sliding Scale for Peddlers'
Licenses Chosen as a
Compromise.
Injured Passengers Still Peg
cling Away at the City
Railway.

city hall,
Ever since childhood's happy hour
I've seen my fondest hopes decay.
tie has been an enthusiastic supporter
of the project of erecting a mammoth
auditorium since the very incpiency of
the enterprise. He has never absented
himself from a meeting of the joint
council committee on auditorium, save
from la grippe and unable to leave his
room, and to see his hopes dashed to
earth with one fell stroke rather
shocked him. ASscmblyman ElmquiSt's
feelings were no less poignant. He said
little other than to give positive eX-
preston of his regret, and William Pitt
Murray'S face was wreathed in smiles
that stood in striking contrast when the
committee on auditorium adjourned,
perhaps. for the last time.
81 had never deSpaired of securing
the building" Mr.. ElmquiSt said. land
it comes like pail to stare the proba-
bility squarely in the face. ST. Paul
needs an auditorium, and can never
hope to succeed as a convention city
until it is built. We may promise to
build wigwam when we invite any ma
tional society or organization to meet
here, but what right have we to expect
any one to place much confidence in our
promises after this fiaScO? We have ad-
vertised throughout the length and
breadth of the land that we were actu-
ally constructing one of the finest audi
forums in America. with seating
capacity of over 10000, and no one had
right to doubt our sincerity; but what
will the retort be now if we extend hos
pitaltleS? They will laugh at us, and
we will be helpless to reply"
All this was the effect of the joint
meeting of the joint committee from the
city council OH auditorium. The COM
but there were only four present. name
ly, Assemblymen Van Slyke and Elm
quiSt and Aid. Gehan and Sullivan.
Hitherto Aid. Gehan has been staunch
supporter of the project, and at the last
meeting of the committee, with six
members present, it was voted the sense
of the committee that it is for
The Best Interests
of the city to proceed with the audi
forum on the market house site. AS
semblymen McCafferty offered the reso-
luton to this effect, and it was adopted
with single negative yote-that of Mr.
Van Slyke. Aid. Gehan, however, has
undergone change of heart, and he
is now opposed to the prof.
ect. Assemblyman Van Slyke. it
should be explained, has always been
an advocate of the enterprise, but he
has sturdily opposed the market house
site on the score that the property is too
valuable to be converted into such use
while there is so much available vacant
property near the center of the city that
can be acquired for small per cent of
the full value of the market property.
He favors selling the latter and con-
yerting the money into an auditorium
building fund, and. to emphasize his
position, he cites the fact that upwards
OF $300.000 can be realized from such
sale, while proper and suitable site
can be purchased for $4,000 or less.
But the reason that the balance of the
committee did not concur in this plan is
the urgency of building at once. Mr..
Van Sykes plan would require year
or two TO eliminate, and Assemblyman
McCatferty seemed to voice the opinion
of the majority when he declared in
favor Of having hall ready to enter
tain the Minnesota state conventions
next August.
The purpose of the meeting held yes
terday was to listen to promised propO-
sition to be made, under AssembIyman
Murray's patronage, by E. E. Davidson,
to build on the site Of the old Grand
opera house on Wabasha street, between
Third and Fourth streets. Both Assem-
blyman McCafferty and Aid. Conley
were absent from the city. unfortunately
for the hope of the larger plans. Mr..
Davidson and Mr.. Murray, together
with Architect Bassford and others, ap-
peared before the committee in the in
tereStS of the Davidson scheme. Mr..
Davidson briefly unfolded his plans.
He confessed that he had little conf
dence in the profitable prospects of the
investment, but he desired to make GER
tain improvements in the Wabasha
street front to the site. and he thought it
might be well to build a large hall at
the same time. Mr.. Bassford had made
rough sketch OF the proposed struc-
ture, and Mr.. Davidson spread this out
before the committee. The utmost
seating capacity will be $500, and it is
be slow-buruing structure with six
exits. Mr. Davidson confessed that
there is
No Positive Certainty
of his going ahead with the building.
He must acquire an alley right On the
Third street side in order to comply
with the provisions of the building or
dinance. Negotiations to effect this
are now pending, but what the result
will be he could not foresee.
Aid Gehan observed that the city can
give no assurances that no citizen will
build an auditorium in competition, and
MrtMurray quickly replied that Mr..
Davidson did not care for such an assur-
anee, and Mr.. Murray pointed to the
promise of the plans to seat as many
people as the theaters can, and by
/ croWding the number can be brought
up-to 5000.
aid. Gehan desired TO be very explicit,
and wished Mr.. Davidson to realize that
the city cannot give assurances of the
course of the council after the nextelec-
ton ''for we may not be in it," he ex-
planned.
Il think you are right about that,
John" said MIR. Murray eXultantly.
Aid. Sullivan expressed his sore dis
appointment. Il have no confidence in
this plan," he explained, pointing to the
sketch presented by Mr. Davidson. II
am conscious that there is pronounced
public feeling for larger and better
auditorium. Public sentiment is alive
in st. Paul and it calls for seating ca
pacity of at least 5000, and larger hall
even than that would be better. This
will not fill the bill at all.''
''See here, Sullivan" interrupted Mr..
has the largest auditorium in the coun-
try and it will only seat 4,00O?"
Chicago has secured the Democratic
convention, but the convention won't
accept the auditorium by any means. 1t
will not accommodate them. Chicago
is going to build wigwam. Further
more, 1 want to deny that Chicago has
the largest auditorium in the countrv.n
sW hat has larger?''
"Why, great Scott! New York, and
even Minneapolis" exclaim ed the thor
oughly aroused alderman.
Mi. Van Slyke now gave an EXPOSE
ton OF his views. Under the circum-
stances, he counseled
Dropping the Auditorium
project entirely and accepting Mr..
Davidson's proposition, but MIR. David
son felt constrained to admit that he
would make no promises of what he
will do or he will not do. This was in