Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25
Special Meeting City Council.

At last evenings special meeting Of
the city council. the members of the
common council met with the upper
board. The matter of the letting oi
City hall to the managers of the Food
fair. it having been let to German :
Comedy Company by the janitor. for
one of the dates required for the fair,
was the business before the meeting.
The mayor stated the object of the
meeting and set forth the case as he
understood it,
Samuel II. Chase. the janitor of the
hall. was present and stated the situa-
ton as he understood H. He told of
how hall managers book travelling
companies; that he had given the Cor =
man Comedy Company the date of Dec.
!. this year, the date of the bookin =
being January 20. Mr.. Chase produced
his record of the booking. Mr.. Chase
said Mr.. Durham Of the committee
went to him and told him he wanted
the hall on Monday and Tuesday, Nov
% and 90. Mr.. Chase told Mr.. Durham
that the court would be in session. but
Mr.. Durham thought the court would
be over by that time Subsequently
Mr.. Chase was told that the hall was
wanted for the next week and for the
whole week. This would include the
date for which the Germans were
booked. Mr.. Durham told Mr. Chase
that there was a mistake and I'VE will
have to call it off, Mr. Durham
wanted Mr.. Wardwell to go to the
printer and stop the printing before it
had gone to a great expense. The
next thing Mr. Chase knew about the
matter. MIR. Durham insisted on his
date of Dec. l. assuming that he was
entirely right and Mr.. Chase entirely
wrong. Mr.. Chase read a letter from
Mr.. Brown. the manager of the Cor
mand Company. This gentleman
wanted $3.50 guarantee.
MIR. Durham Was present and stated
that he was sure he had engaged the
hall for the last two days of this
month and the first two days of next
month; that the date of the 22d of this
month never entered his head. Mr.
Durham corroborated a portion of Mr.
Cnase's statement, that relating to the
matter of the court being adjourned
Mr. Durham supposed he had engaged
the hall for the week beginning Nov
%. The committee had secured Mr..
kimball at an expense of 500, to come
here and manage the Food fair, the
committee believed that the fair would
be financial success. 1t was under
stood by the committee that the hail
was theirs on the dates embraced in
Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Mr.. Durham said he
was dumbfounded when Mr.. Chase told
him that the hall was let to the Cor
mans.
Mr.. Chase said he remembered book
ing the dates of Nov 90 and 23, at the
same time, saying to those present:
Durham has engaged the hall for thu,
I'd, and there is no more chance for
that court to get through than there
is Tor me to get to Heaven" Mr..
Chase is certain that he can produce
witnesses of this.
ii. D. Eaton. city solicitor, said he
thought 1t was a question of whether the
board OF trade or Germans Comedy Co.
sinai! nave the hall. 1t did not appear to
Mr.. Eaton that either the board of trade
or the Germans have legal right to 90
INTO the nall, next Wednesday; the ques-
ton was principally on which should be
aiiowed to go into the hall, and it was for
the city council to decide. Such con-
tracts as Mr.. Chase has made have no
form IN law Mr.. Chase is not an officer