The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-08
oLos1Na OF rHE CRAWFORD.

CAO044A OG II Il Una w > O~sA<s
The action of the city council in or
dering the closing of the Crawford the
alter because of its unsafe condition will
impress anyone who reads the report of
the committee appointed to examine the
place of amusement as the only thing
that could have been done.
The committee which was made up of
men who are thoroughly competent
made a thorough examination of the
Crawford theater and the result was a
confirmation of the opinion held by a
majority of the theater going public
that the theater is not safe and even
with the changes suggested cannot be
made entirely so. There are hundreds
of people who have gone to the Craw-
ford theater under protest and many
have decided since the Chicago disaster
to stay away altogether.
The transfer of the attractions to the
Grand opera house will do much to re-
lieve the anxiety of the people The
Grand is a commodious house on the
ground floor and so well provided with
exits that it can be emptied very quick
ly. The amusement loving public will feel
much more secure in the Grand than
they ever could in the Crawford and it
will strike the ordinary individual that
if the money that is to be expended in
the repair of the Crawford could be
used on the Grand it would be a great
deal better for the public as well as
much more profitable for the Amuse-
ment Syndicate company of which L.
NJ. Crawford is the head. There are
questions of ownership entering into the
two properties which are now before the
court, but Notwithstanding that fact Mr..
A. S. Kane, who is a member of the
Crawford syndicate, is known to have
a lease on the Grand opera house for a
long term of years, which insures its
use and control by the Amusement
syndicate. This being true the reason
why it should not be put in first class
repair and used as THE theater of To-
peka is not apparent.
No one who has seen a comic opera
with large chorus or any large first
class theatrical attraction at the Craw-
ford theater but has noticed that the
stage is entirely inadequate for the use
of large companies. Some of the at
| fractions which have come to Topeka
made no attempt to place all their
scenery on the Crawford stage. This
condition is entirely eliminated at the
Grand opera house. The stage is large
| enough to accommodate the largest
travelling companies, and no matter
how elaborate their equipment the
scenery may all be placed to advantage
on the commodious stage at the Grand
1t is strange in view of this single fact
| that the people who support the the
alter in Topeka have not insisted that
| the big productions be given at the
Grand opera house, and when it is also
considered that the theater is compare
lively safe while the Crawford has
never been, the surprise becomes al
the more pronounced.
| The greatest drawback at the Crane
opera house has been in the apparent
inability of the management to prop
erly heat the house 1t is understood
the reason is that the boiler is old anC
inadequate If this is true, the atten
ton of the Amusement Syndicate il
called to the fact that there is an ex
cellent boiler factory right here in To
peka where a new boiler may be pro
cured with little delay. The fact tina
the mains from the Edison heating
plant are not in the alley back of tn
Grand will make it impossible to secur,
the Edison heat at once, or even tn
necessity for new boiler would be OBJ
Waited.
Mr. Crawford should be encourages
to use the Grand permanently, for it i
only by that means that the people will
feel that they have a safe place o
theatrical entertainment in Topeka.
----=-=-~