The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-01
Three Hundred Guests, Representa-
tive of All Glasses, VIII BE Invited
to the Feast.
COLISEUM SHARES AT 81 EACH
JOINT COMMITTEE THINKS $3.50, 900
WILL BE REQUIRED.
Merchants Association and Fall Fes-
tivaI Association Behind the Plan
National Convention Scheme.
For the Coliseum"

For the Coliseum
That will be the motto of the spirit of a
banquet that is TO be held at the Columbia
Club Jan. g. The banquet was decided on
yesterday by the joint committee of the
Merchants Association and the Fall Fes-
tival Association. 1t. is to be the occasion
for starting the Coliseum ball rolling.
The joint committee has had several meet
ings, and has discussed the preliminaries
thoroughly. The committee believes that
capital of $250.0OO will be necessary to con-
struct coliseum of the character and size
fit for the city. The committee believes the
funds should be raised by issuing 100000
shares of stock of the par value of 81 each,
and to so protect the stock issue that no
one person could gain control of the insti-
tuition. This plan will admit of the widest
popular subscription of the stock. and will.
1t is calculated, bring over one-half the
men of the city into personal interest In
the enterprise. Further than this the COM
mittee has not matured its plans, Chair
man George w. Bliss says.
At the banquet covers for three hundred
guests will be laid. Chairman Bliss says
the men to be invited to this feast will be
representative of every element in the city,
for the scope of the committees plans in
cludes every element. What we want"
said Mr.. Bliss, sis to interest everybody,
the man who can only take 81 worth of
stock as well as the man who Is public
spirited enough to take $4,000 worth. The
popular subscription plan is calculated to
arouse universal interest. The coliseum
is to be, if our plans succeed, place for
all the people. To make it popular resort
1t will be built with a view to answering
all the demands of the public
NATIONAL CONVENTION PLAN.
The Modern Woodmen of the World will
meet here in 1904 1t is expected to bring
tens of thousands to the city, and for such
gatherings a coliseum is almost indispensa-
BILE. For other large gatherings, such as
popular-priced concerts, circuses and po-
litical conventions, It is necessary. The
impetus given the coliseum project next
Tuesday night will perhaps determine
whether the city shall be seeker after
one of the great political conventions of
1904. There is great aspiration among the
leaders of both parties to have one of the
great parties meet here, and the conven-
| lions of both in 1904 Is not deemed an i'm
possibility by any means.
Recently there was an effort to invite the
American Street-railway Association to
| hold its 1903 meeting in this city, but the
| inadequacy of it's halls was one impedi-
ment, although the association was inter
ested in this city. Hugh j. MCGOWAN says
that, with the Coliseum built, the inter
urban union station built, and the ten OIL
more interurban lines in operation, Indian.
| apolis will be the ideal place for the street
| railway association in 1904 By that time
| the terminal interurban system will bt
| complete, and the Indianapolis company
| will have a new power station built. Sc
/ that the Coliseum to Mr.. MCGOWAN Is tht
| prerequisite of an invitation to the asso
| citation.
The banquet next Tuesday night is tt
| test public spirit as to whether the city
| wants and will sustain a coliseum. The
| evidence before the joint committee indi
| Gates that the assembly will start the bal
| rolling, and that the ball will be of sucf
| magnitude that 1t will not have to roll fal
before it gathers enough additional to in
| sure success.