The Portland daily press., 1896-02-14
THE OPERA HOUSE.
The First Meeting OF the Subscribers
Held Yesterday.

A Very Enthusiastic Gathering at the
Fa1mouth-The First Steps Taken
rators Elected.
The first meeting of the subscribers to
! parlor of the Falmouth hotel yesterday
after noon. 1t" was a representative
gathering Of well known professional and
business men of the city, over fifty taking
part in the proceedings. We should be
pleased to give list of those present but
to do so would be to violate the pledge
made by the soliciting committee who
promised not to make them public.
The meeting was called to order by
President E. B. Winslow of the Board of
Trade, one of the original commi ttee,
who nominated Gov. CleaYes for chair
man. Gov. Cleaves In taking the chair
THANKED the gentlem Ell for the honor and
said that their movement spoke most
fiatterlngly for the business men of Port
land. He was ready to proceed to bust
ness. ~
MI. e. H. York was elected secretary
Mr.. Clarence Hale said that this was a
business meeting, and he moved that a
committee of five be appointed by the
chair to select five or seven incorporators
as the subscribers should prefer.
1t was decided to fix the number at five
and the chairman appointed Mr.. Clarence
Hale, Gov. ROBBIE, Mr.. j. W. Tabor, MIR.
w. s. Eaton, and Col Edward Moore. The
committee retired and later returned, and
through their chairman. Mr.. Hale, re-
ported these seven names with the under
standing that they shall have4 as part
of their duty, the effecting Of the organi-
cation: r. B. Winslow, A. r. Wright,
H. P. Cox, H. B. Cleaves, Payson
| Tucker, Amml Whitney and Walter G.
Davi S.
The report was accepted Gov. Cleaves
as an incorporation, asked for instruc-
tions
| Mr.. Hale said the idea was that the in
corporators do everything towards the or
ganization, that they be really the
directors.
Dr. ord on said that it seemed the
proper course for tn . incorporAtors to
proceed under the general law and then
call meeting of the. subscribers to accept
constitution and bylaws
| Mr.. Hale said the committee under
stood the inoorporators were to take upon
themselves the whole business of organi-
| cation.
Mr.. VIM. H. Noplten asked.if ii. would be
in order for the inoorporators to act as
directors for year.
Collector Deering didn't see that there
was anything for the subscribers to do
until the incorporators reported.
The matter was left entirely with the
inoorporators.
Col. Dow said he had been acquainted
with several past failures to
build an opera house. but this effort
looked SO promising that he would move
vote of thanks to Messrs. Winslow,
Wright and Cox for their splendid work.
The thanks was voted amidst great en-
thusiam.
| Mr.. Winslow made capital speech in
reply. He said he had never in all his
experience seen people respond SO nobly
as they had to the request to subscribe
for the opera house. We have, said he,
ST.. 600 on hand and $4,000 more in sight,
He thought, perhaps, the reason for tail
ure to secure the building in the past was
because people had not been approached
in the right way. This committee, he
said, had failed to find man who didn' t
either subscribe his thousand dollars
cheerfully and gladly, or elsa frankly re-
greet that he was unable to contribute SO
much money at this time. We can raise
the full $100; e00~ said, Mr. Winslow, by
Saturday night There are many who
wish to be identified with the building of
the house and have asked to be considered
in the sum of $500. He thought the in.
oorporators could get to work ana have
the curtain raised on phe new house in
time for the season of 1s9e-97.
Mr.. Henry P. Cox also said a few
words. He said the solicitors would be-
| gin today to take up the remaining sub
scriptions. He suggested that the sub
scribers present talk with the people the
meet SO that they would be prepared TO
meet the committee with their subscrip-
tions.
The meeting then adjournsd to the call
of the inoorporators.
Conference of Charities.