Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-27
FOR CAPITOL PARK.
Strong Plea for That Spot as Site for the
 Auditorium.
To the State Herald:

| To the State Herald
 1 I see the suggestion made by Mr. B. Steiner to erect the auditorium in Capitol | park, at the head of Twentieth street, and would like to express my hearty ap- proval as citizen and subscriber to the
 auditorium. This is vastly preferable to some sites, such as Twenty-fourth street and Second avenue, which is not only in- convenient of access, but is too near Bug | gard Roost, and the surroundings are not desira ble, as too many negroes live | In that neighborhood, and a lot more cen | trally located would no doubt be too eX | pensive; besides, to erect such building | as is contemplated-s much frame and | wood work-within the business portion, ! surrounded by exposures, would make | the rate of insurance too high, as well as naturally affect the rate of insurance of | surrounding property, and I believe the | insurance people would object to such a | structure being erected where the ex- l posures are too hazardous Capitol park | is about 6O0x600 feet, and a building of l 100x100, or 150X150 in the center of 1t would be removed completely from ex- posture, and such a loca tion would gain | for it the very lowest rate of insurance. | The Auditorium company should con struct this building and present it to the | city for the city to maintain or the Au- | ditorium company will operate it and
 contract and agree with the city to re- | move 1t should the park be wanted for | more important purposes. such as the | state capitol or the like. There is no inn | mediate prospect of securing that; be- | sides your humble servant believes that the auditorium would be of vastly great. | CT benefit to the city than the capitol | building of the state. This auditorium l located in the center of the park, would | give 1t made surroundings of magnificent | grounds which will lend grace and beau | ty to it; and if the Auditorium company | is not required to pay for any lot and | secures the ground. as in this case, free, | it could expend all it's stock subscription | upon the building alone, surrendering to | no one the controlling interest of the stock in exchange for the lot, and plac- | ing those that are subscribing money | toward the purchase of stock as minority | holders, as against the vendor of the i lot, although literally and kindly offer | ing to take stock in payment thereof. Cash subscribers do not like to be minor- | ity holders for their money as against | the majority holders land, money now | adays being better than land If the | Auditorium company is not required to | expend any money or give away any of | it's stock in payment of a lot, but ex- bends all of it's subscription toward the | building of the house, 1t will be in posi- | tion to erect magnificent structure, most artistic and ornamental, with | magnificent oval or handsome gilded dome in the center, with other artistic | work and decorations such as were seen upon that character of buildings at the | Chicago and Atlanta expositions. It will | be an ornament to the city, accessible | to all parts thereof by wide open and | we'll lighted streets and avenues, whereas | to reach the corner of Twentyfourth street and Second avenue from almost any part of the city, especially at night and accompanied by ladies, is in con- fra q with the other certainly not dP- able. No subscriber can object to the | location of the auditorium in Capitol | park, as 1t Is showing no favoritism to one over the other, and would not be put there to help any ones property in par ticular, and envy and jealousy on that score would be obviated, and the sub scribers, one and all, would be more con- tented and more liberal in their subscrip- tions by virtue of 1t. The dissatisfaction on the score of the location of the lot is
 to be carefully guarded if we are to re-
 main united and contribute, each and all, our proper share toward this enter prise; and nothing would cause more dissatisfaction among stockholders than the location of 1t favored by some and op- posed by others, when it is supposed that some desire to be benefited indirectly. This would be done away with if the auditorium was located in Capitol park, as no one Is interested Tn that case, and
 no preference Is shown one way or the
 other and none of those that have sub-
 mitted proposals for the sale of lots can
 feel offended. This is plain and prompt
 solution and ought to be satisfactory to
 all.
 part of this auditorium ought to be
 used for a permanent exhibition of our
 resources. There are now to the writer's
 knowledge stored away in various places
 in this city in basements and cellars,
 where they are of no use or benefit, large
 parts of the exhibit that was in the Ala
 bama building in Atlanta. These should
 be gotten together and additional ones
 added for permanent exhibit and sec
 tion or addition to the auditorium should
 be used for that, and people attending
 grand lodges, conventions or other gath
 erings would have thus an opportunity
 right here at hand to get an idea of our
 resources. They could go from the con-
 vention hall into the exhibition hall and
 every one will do it..
 Of course if the auditorium cannot be
 located in Capitol park, then let it be To-
 cated elsewhere, but let us have a place
 for large gatherings, state conventions,
 national conventions. either labor, social