Iron County register., 1899-05-25


Last Monday evening the Arcadii
: Valley Cornet Band dedicated its new
pagoda on the courthouse grounds.
} is beautiful structure daintily finish
ed in the national colors. The roof il
J painted in red, white and blue stripes
J and these colors are continued in the
posts, cornice, ratings and balustrades
The building is octagonal in form anC
OF dimensions ample for its intended
purpose-as pavilion for the use O
the band on pleasant summer evenings
A few weeks ago permission was asked
OF the county court for its erection
which request, supplemented with {
petition containing the names of near
ly all the prominent citizens of the
Valley, was readily granted. Their
the boys went to work and in g shor
time had raised the necessary funds
and the pagoda is the result of the lib
erality of our people. 1t is credit to
all concerned and we do not believe it is
rivalled in the Southeast. The build.
er, Mr.. Newman Farmer, has in il
written himself as an architect and
workman of rare skill and taste. Well,
the boys gave due notice of their in
tended sopening," and the spacious
grounds fronting the courthouse were
filled with spectators before the band
arrived from its regular quarters. A,
eight o'clock the first selection was
given, and for two hours the perhaps
too partial crowd listened and applaud
ed. After the third number had been
played Hon. VIM. r. Edgar was called
for by the people assembled. He re-
sponded with an impromptu but very
appropriate and telling address which
was received with enthusiastic plaudits.
The s'boysn here thank him for the
many good things he said of them and
the interest he lent to the occasion.
About ten o'clock the proceedings, so
far as they concerned the public, end
ed, but the members of the band hied
themselves to their room and there
discussed most elegantly constructed
cake and bucket of lemonade. The
former was the gift of Miss Flayia Polk
of Arcadia-the work of her own fair
hands. Il she wants q testimonial as
to her skill in the solar walk of the
culinary art, she has permission to call
on the editor or any other of the
'sboys." The evidence will be clear
and positive. In the meantime our
thanks are respectfully rendered.
Bro. Mitchim of the De Soto Press
speaks in most complimentary terms
of the production of ''In White Robes"
in that city recently. This is what he
says: ''De Soto talent scored another
success Tuesday night when the melo-
drama. In White Robes was given at
the opera house before large
audience made of the elite Of De Soto,
those best qualified to pass critical
judgment on the performance. In
White Robes is a story of the early
Christians and the prosecutions which
they underwent at the hands of Nero,
| the Roman emperor. The play is
strongly written and the plot is han
died in a mastery manner, the interest
being kept up through the three acts
deepening to fever heat toward the
close. Mr.. Frederic Theo Mayor play
ed Lucius, the young Roman noble
who for the sake of the heroine became
Christian and with her suffered death
for his religion. Mr.. Mayor is an
actor of ability as well as being play
wright and his characterization of
Lucius was one of dramatic fire. The
part of Ethelgolda was taken by Miss
Alma Fletcher of Ironton. Miss
Fletcher received and deservedly at
that, large share of the attention of
the evening. She is very charming
girl and her earnest Interpretation Of
very difficult part is worthy of the
highest praise. Miss Emily Thomas
whose Lady Ida was one of the best
parts of the play, has long since dem
onstrated her ability on the stage
Her acting Tuesday night was far
above the amatuer line and she made
Mr.. Mayor a close rival. Another
member of the evenings cast whose
efforts closely seconded those of the
leading characters, was Master Viii
liam Edgar, bright little Ironton boy
who played Edmond and who put re-
markable power into that interesting
part. If little Master Edgar doesn't
make brilliant man it will be because
he has neglected the talents with which
kindly nature has endowed him, and
there is slight danger of his doing
Shat. Hon. William Edgar put dram
attic power and action into the part of
Hector. The character Of the states
map sets we'll on the shoulders of him
who is lawyer and statesman and he
filed the part with a dignity that call
ed forth much applause. The parts
were all we'll handled and the entire
cast is deserving of great credit. One
OF the most attractive features of the
entertainment was the cake walk by
little Miss Edith Woodruff and Master
Smith. The little folks were given an
enthusiastic encore and made one of
the hits of the evening. 'Mammy's
Little Punkin' Colcred Coon also
scored hit and the two little girls
who sang duet were enthusiastically
received. The programs gotten out
| for the occasion were the handsomest
ever given at an entertainment of this
kin in this city and will be kept as
souvenirs of pleasant evening. In
White Robes is a melodrama far be-
| youd the capabilities of ordinary anna
teur talent, and this fact makes the
excellence Of the performance Tuesday
night the more to be commended.
The ladies of the Episcopal church
spared no pains nor expense to make
the affair success and they reaped
their reward in the large audience
which was present and the pleasure
with which the performance was re-
ceived."