The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20
Open Every Evening Until Christmas.
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NY Maryland" or some other war poem.
ana wave confederate banner. This fea-
ture OF the programme always drove the
soldiers wild with enthusiasm.
A few original plays were placed on the
stage in those stirring days Maria Jour-
dan Westmoreland of Atlanta wrote ''Tha
Soldiers Return" and John Davis, an &C.
tor, produced THE Roll OF the Drum -
These dramas had more or less merit, bub
were not destined to live.
AS there were very few stock companies
and actors of reputation In the confedera-
cy amateur companies were organized in
nearly every town. They did not play for
gain, but for the benefit OF sick soldiers
ana for other charitable objects.
Some of these amateurs distinguished
themselves, and were heard of on the stage
IN after years. One of them was William
II. Barnes, now OF San Francisco, who has
given Rotations In hundreds of towns in
nearly every state In the union
IN Atlanta the theater became a troubie-
some problem shortly before the SIEGE The
city was filled with soldiers and refugees.
and with them the play was emphatically
the thing. 1t was their only amusement,
and the roughs crowded the theater I'M
such numbers that the better classes re-
NAMED at home.
About this time the city gas works had
to shut down because Sherman had cut on
the supply Of coal. The theater, therefore.
used taAlow candles, kerosene being uns
known in that region.
This was a picnic for the soldiers Every
private in the gallery fastened his eyes
upon the candle Immediately under him,
and cqnhscated IL when the guards wera
not looking.
More candles had TO be lighted, but some-
times the house would be In darkness. exc
cept for the footiights.
Scandaious things were done during these
periods OF artificial twilight. Rough
troopers who were accompanied by shame-
less women OF the lowest class prosecuted
their amours so openly and energefically
that the spectators were shocked when the
lights were again turned on, and the blaze
revealed the nature of these orgies.
Good people protested, but the city was
rapidly becoming a camp and there SEEM
ed to be no remedy. Just when affairs
we're coming to their worst, how
ever, Mayor James M. Calhoun did what
NO mayor ever did before in the history OF
the world. He issued an order Closing the
theater, and pledged himself to use all the
force at his command to keep II closed.
There was a tremendous uproar. But
the mayor was firm. He admitted that
he was acting outside Of the law. but he
claimed that it was a case of necessity
that the tneater must be closed or the city
would become whirlpool OF vice and
crime.
The best people upheld the mayor, ana
the confederate vice president, Alexander
n. Stephens, in a written opinion, justi-
fed his action.
The theater had to suspend indefinitely.
and the players packed their things and
departed for other cities.
few weeks later the citizens were
lodging shells. for the siege was on IN
earnest.
The old theater did not reopen until some
Of Sherman's soldiers gave an entertaln-
ment in H. and when the federals started
on their march to the sea the building was
destroyed In the general confagration.