The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-10
CoIfnx's New opcrn House.
From the spokane Spokesman.


For some months past the people Of
Colfax have heard Wild rumors OF the In
tentton of the band to erect an operi
house some time IN the near future, bur
not three persons outside Of that organ b
zation suspected until yesterday morning
that there had been any definite shape to
their many plans: but now the insutu-
tion Is an astonishing reality and one OF
which the city VIII be proud for many
years TO come.
on Wednesday night there seemed to be
something wrong with the electric light
plant, and the streets were In total dark
ness Inquiries were answered with the
Intelligence that the engine was out OF
order and the plant could not be Oper-
ated. The people were satisfied with this
reply and but little comment was made.
Now, 1t seems 10 have been part Of a
scheme. Street lOungers had noticed for
several days the beginning and progress
upon the work of putting IN the fQunda-
tion Of the new building on Codd and Stra-
yens lots north OF the First Nationai
Bank, and IN the last few days Immense
piles of brick and lime had been haulcG
10 the street In front OF the place. but IL
caused little suspicion
Soon after It got thoroughly dark Woo
five men were brought in from Spokanc
on 2 freight train, and. unloading near
the Main street bridge, armed with hobs
and trowels, marched 10 the place and
silently began the work Of laying the
brick upon the new building. As tina;
side or the street was obatructed and tho
night dark one no one passed near the
building and the ruse was not discovered.
Stealthily the men passed up and down
ana along the walls and rapidly they
sprang upward through the night. By
daylight the outside walls We're finished,
and before any one was astlr on the
streets yesterday'morninR the scanoidine
was taken down, andt there stood In
magnificent elegance the proudest opera
house In the northwest.
Men, women. and children thronged
down the street dumb with establishment
.4I l.t N...r.
short of magic could have erected such
"A structure without causing suspicion OF
what was going on.
Just before daylight the masons An
ished their work and silently departed
while their places were filled with as many
carpenters, plumbers, decorators, pam
ers, etc, and all day the work went
noiselessly on inside the walls. The heay-
lily curtaned windows and closely fast
ened doors were besieged all day by anX-
ious people but revealed nothing. At 10
O'Clock a bill poster. armed with a paste
brush, came down the street and stopping
in front OF the building put up bills an
nouncing that the Colfax Dramatic Com
pany would star their old-time favorites,
George j. Joyce, w j. Bryant and G. j..
Irwin, in the drama "Hick ~ Farm" at
the Colfax Opera House. Last night, when
the announcement was recognized by the
onXious and excited crowd. long cheer
of approval went up The good news
spread like wildfire, and when az 1880
last night the building was thrown open,
the streets crowded from the Colfax no
tel TO the court house.
Marsal Mackay had 10 call out his en-
tire force of one other man besides him
self to maintain order. The jam at the
box office was almost suffocating, but the
crowd was served and seated in the beau
tiful and capacious auditorium by $3.50,
and the curtain rose amid laundering APP
plause. which was repeated at intervals
all through the evening. When the cur
tain had fallen on the last act, and the
villain was finally and securely dead, the
audience would not be pacified until the
act had been thrice repeated for their
benefit.