The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-15
DENVER NEEDS A BIG HALL
INTEREST TAKEN BY THE PEOPLE
THAT CITY.
a Brief Review of the EisteddfOd
Recently Held Here-Denver's
Place in the Great Gathering
Tribute to Prof. Evan stephens.

9rd, 4th and 5th insts. 1t was the
great annual festival of the Welsh peo-
pie of the west, as the name Eisteddfod
betokens. Many a good linguist has be-
come permanently disabled trying to
pronounce the name without going
further into details. But it is really
the easiest pronounced in the language.
The purpose of the convention is lit
tie known. 1T is a very ancient insti-
tuition; how old no one can tell. 1t
has lived through the rise and fail of
nations, and still exists a potent en-
ergy in the development and preserva-
ton of the Intellectual, religious, social
and aesthetic tastes of a nation. 1t
was primitively known as a festival,
convention or synod devoted TO music,
literature and devotion; and. the on
hooker ait the latest of these conven-
tions will testify that it lost nothing
of it's reputation. In the four sessions
held the attendance reached the phe-
nomenal number of over 10000 people,
and instead of any abatement of in
terest the great Tabernacle was too
small to accommodate the vast con-
course of people who came both early
and late to seek admission at the last
two sessions.
The greatest interest was shown in
the advent of the Denver contingent to
the convention. When it arrived car
riages were in waiting, and a grand
parade followed in which many hun
dreds from Montana, Idaho, Utah and
other states and territories joined. The
Butte City band led the parade. What
ever Denver had to do in the festival
the participants were met with an ova-
ton. Not from any partiality, but
something unusual was expected from
her people, and more to be looked for
next year when the Eisteddfod will be
held in Denver.
Captured Under Difficulties.
The Denver chorus, under the disci-
pine of Professor Houseley, despite the
fact that neither time nor money had
been allotted to encourage preparation.
charmed the listeners whenever it
sang any of the compositions of it's di-
rector. With small preparation, upon
the choruses selected for the contest,
it took second place as against much
more favored competitors in point of
experience and opportunity. J. Gordon
Jones, the famous basso of Denver.
was encored to an echo whenever he
appeared, and throughout covered him
self with glory. He entered the bari
tone contest with four of the best bar
ftOne voices and acquitted himself so
nobly that he divided the prize
was the winning of the first prize in
the literary contest; and, although hon
ors were quite even among the nation
alities in the convention, this honor
was won by a pure Cymro.
Mrs. c. ]. Scott. OF Denver, sang both
at the concert given by the Eisteddfod
and by special request at the closing
grand concert, and the Salt Lake city
papers gave her the credit of being the
sweet soprano of the Queen City"
which was recognition enough.
Many others from Denver partici-
pated in the event of the year for the
New jerusalem"
It was a source of regret that Pro-
fessor William Apmadoc. of Chicago,
could not be present to take his place
as master of ceremonies, but the occa-
sion was not wanting in good Welsh
men and capable for the occasion
Professor E. Stephens. director of the
great Salt Lake city tabernacle choir
stepped into the void. and no one could
detect the least failure in performing
the difficult and honorable duty
Denver LuIeyvarnincss
A difficult task was before the dele
ga ton of Welshmen from Denver in
trying to urge the consideration OF
Denver as the next place for holding
the great national festival. Denver
public men had done little or nothing
to aid the chorus in its difficult task Of
preparing for the contest with the
superior tabernacle choir They were
devoted to the idea Of having the great
est convention of the year 1896 in Den
yer. but would do nothing to aid the
pre1iminaries towards obtaining it.
Many urged the securing of the
convention, and then the aid would
be forthcoming This lukewarmness
was very evident to the people of Salt
Lake, and served a very poor forarun-
ner to the delegates there for the pur-
pose of urging a great convention to
hold it's session in Denver. Messages
We're received, however. from the mayor
of Denver. from the governor of the
state and from the secretary of the
chamber of commerce. urging the
claims of Denver, and armed with these
the fight was somewhat easier. Butte
was better represented In the contests
of the convention; and. besides her
great philosophical citizen, J. H
Leyson, had donated fine gold medal
valued al $500 for one of the contests,
together with other pecuniary aid Salt
Lake city, in a modest way. presented
her claims to the convention for 1895.
and was seconded by Hon. Arthur L.
i nOndS ana several distinguished
Welshmen; but Governor Thomas OBJ
iected only from the fact that Denver
had no suitable hall to hold such a
mighty convention. The claims of Den
yer were then presented with energy
and ability by its representatives, and
with a promise to do their utmost to
procure a suitable hall the vote was
taken. Denver was chosen by an over.
majority
How VIII Denver Entertain.
The next matter to be considered Is
what is the city going to do with the
people There will be a larger conven-
ton here than in Salt Lake city in
point of numbers from foreign states,
but the city will not turn out so liber-
ally. The halls of Denver combined
will not be sufficient to hold the vast
Will the greater Denver be
able to do anything to her honor and
glory in the matter of accommodating
This will be her oppor-
tunity, for not only will it be the great
est convention of 1896 but it will be
exclusively musical and literary.
It is described as a grand occasion
FOR Welshmen and their country1nen
from a distance; but it is not confined
to the efforts of an exclusively Welsh
It is a Welsh enterprise.
but it is calculated for Americans of all
national extractions.
One of the great essentials is a good
hall to hold the convention. The con-
vention will be held some time in
August or September of 1896, and the
programme will soon be out for the line
of contests, so that the contestants will
have ten months to prepare for the oc-