Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-23
SHOULD Be PUSHED.
Johnston's Theatre Proposition
Golden Opportunity for
Rock Island.
ALL GLASSES INTERESTED IN 1T.
Its Success Insures First.cIass
Modern Play
House.

Interest in Rock Islands new thea
ire project continues, and all indica-
tons are that the undertaking will be
attended by the success that it de-
serves. The public should realize
that an opera house is not always q
paying investment in a city the size
of Rock Island where it is conducted
exclusively as such Hence localities
of this class must either rely on the
pu bic spirit of somebody whose pride
in his town is greater than his consid
Grafton for the interest bearing prop
critics of his investment. or must wait
until some one comes along who is up
in the theatre building enterprise and
who is so advantageously situated
that he can consider favorably an in
ducement to assume the risk and re-
sponsi bility of putting up q theatre.
To Rock Island the opportunity has
come to secure new theater without
risk to anyone but the outside pro-
moter, who is here ready TO take all
the chances provided Rock Island
makes the first nights sales a suffi-
cient Indication of the city's interest
tions to warrant him in making the
required investment. This is all there
is to Rock Islands new theatre prop
Osition. The people pay a good
round price for the opening show
and are through VITA it After
that the responsibility is all with the
promoter to make the house pay. Ia
the meantime it remains here, a source
of credit and benefit and Joy to all the
people.
George II. Johnston, who has
undertaken TO provide Rock Island
with a modern theatre, can afford to
make the proposition he has for sew
eral reasons. 10 the first place, he
knows his business and has never at
tempted to disguise the fact. No one
who has talked with him has failed
to be impressed with two main
characteristics. that he knows what
he is talking about, and his frankness.
He is not attempting to work any con-
tidence game. He freely tells what he
expects TO do. why he can afford to
do it and wherein he expects TO come
out whole after it is all over.
In the second place Mr.. Johnston
can afford to undertake the response
bility of business investment of
this kind with the advantage of
the first night subscription ticket
sales, whereas other business men
would hesitate, because this will be
one of many such enterprises in which
he is engaged. and he has not only
the advantage of the aggregate re-
turns, but he has the still further, and
what is to the public more important,
advantage of securing, where he con-
trolls so many theatres, the bookings
of the best class of attractions on the
road.
All Are Interested.
The theatre is an institution in
which every citizen in town is inter-
ested. If it is creditably designed
and constructed and then properly
conducted it becomes a means of
pride and pleasure to all classes of
people alike.
1t is this view of the matter that
insures a large attendance at the
meeting called at the Rock Island Club
next Monday evening, to which ali
citizens, regardless of whether they
belong to the club or not, are invited,
in order that they may take part in
the reorganization of the movement.
and by voice and effort, whether or
not they contribute in financial way,
give aid to the enterprise in which the