Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-05-21

A Brick Opera House Finished In Tims
For the Evening Performances.


For somo months past the people Of Col.
fax, Wash, have heard wild rumors Of the
intention Of tlk band to erect an opera
house some time In tho near future but
no three persons outside of that organizn
tion suspected that there had been any dof
initc shape 10 their many plans, but now
tho institution IL nm astonishing reality
and one of which tho city will be proud foi
many years To come.
On "Wednesday night there seemed 10 be
something wrong with the electric light
plant, and the streets were I'm total dark
ness. Inquiries were answered with the In
telligence that tho engine was out OF order
and the plant could not be operated. Now
a seems To have been part Of "a plot on the
part of the band TO hide their scheme.
Street loungers had noticed for several
days the beginning and progress upon the
work Of putting In tho foundation Of the
new building north OF the First Natior y
bank, and immense piles Of brick and lin,
had been hauled I'm front Of the place, but
1t caused little suspicion.
Soon after IL got dark Wednesday nigh
about rs men were brought In from Spo
kane on freight train, and, armed with
hods and trowels, marched TO the place and
began the work Of laying the brick upon
tho new building. AS that side Of tho
street was obstructed and the night dark
ono no one passed near the building, and
the ruso was not discovered. Stealthily
the men passed up and down and along
the walls and rapidly they sprang upward
through the night. by daylight the out
side walls were finished, and before any
one was astir on tho streets yesterday morn
ing the scaffolding was taken down, and
there stood in magnificent elegance the
proudest opera house in the northwest.
Men, women and children thronged
down tho street dumb with astonishment
ap0 admiration. 1t seemed that nothing
short of magic could have erected such q
structure without causing suspicion OF
what was going on.
Just before daylight the masons fin.
ished their work and departed, while their
places were filed with as many carpenters
plumbers, decorators, painters, etc, and
all day the work went noiselessly on in
side the walls. The heavily curtained win
dows and closely fastened doors were DO
siegod all day by anxious people, but re-
veaIed nothing. At 10 o'clock n bill post
er, armed with n pastebrush, went dowr
the street, and stopping In front of the
building, put up bills announcing that the
Colfax Dramatic company would star theil
old dime favorites in the drama "Hick 'ry
Farm" ut the Colfax Opera House.
When the announcement was recognized
|, by the anxious and excited crowd, lonl
cheer Of approval went up. The good news
spread like wildflre, and when, at 7:30
the building was thrown open, the street,
were crowded
Marshal Mackay had to call out his en-
| tire force of one other man besides him
self To maintain order. The jam at th'
box Office was almost suffocating, but th'
crowd was served and seated I'm the beau
| tiful and capacious auditorium by $50
| and the curtain rose amid laundering ap
| plausc, which was repeated at intervals al
through the evening. When the curtain
had fallen on the last act, and the villain
was finally and securely dead, the audienc
would not be pacified until the act ha'
been thrice repeated for their benefit
| Spokane Spokesman