The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-01-12

tain went up and rs the play pro-
ceeded there were many acts
which reminded us of the occur
ances which had happened i'll Tom
Green county campaigns and yet
] could not get out of my mind
what the bar tender had told me
the night before, when | was
Ipraising aud admirIng the ap.
pointments Of the opera house
combined with u hotel, cafe and
bar, which was, that while every
thing was rich and elegant it
needed the support of society men
of a city about three or four times
the size of Columbus to maintain
the combined institution.
1t simply carried out what Guy.
OF claimed that it was the luxu-
ries and thousand and one elegant
nothings Of our drawing rooms
and not the simplicitics of life
which maintained ,the wheels OF
progress and the commerce and
life of nations and mt the same
time illustrates George Ade' 8
moral. IA boy never blossoms in
TO his full possibilities until he
strikes an atmosphere OF culture, I"
which holds equally as well with n
city. 1t simply requires an at
mosphere Of culture or an atmOs-
phere of society to cause city to
blossom into its full possibilities.
Here we are IN II little city.
which nature has endowed with
everlasting riches, in the shape Of
water power and water ways,
where there 10 more manufacture
ed than probably in any city in
Georgia, and yet Atlanta, with
the same amount of manufact-
ures or even less, has surpassed
her old time rival four-fold, sim
ply because society holds full
sway and keeps the arteries of
commerce at full beat.
The old theatre was common
affair, with stairs very nearly as
steep as those at the opera house
at Brentwood and if there ever
had been a fire during u perform.
ance it would have resulted in a
terrible loss Of life. So when
men Of enterprise took hold of the
building, the property was not
very valuable, and they conceived
the idea of combining with the
opera house a small hotel with 30
richly appointed rooms for those
who desire luxurious accommodate
tions, II cafe for theatre parties
and those who desise the best the
land affords, together with an ele-
CANT bar stocked with the choicest
wines and liquors, hence, an old
dilapidated building, most of the
time unused and neglected, was
embellished with rich and luxu-
rious appointments and trans
formed into an ornament and a
blessing for great many citizens.
The opera house, which was
rendered good financial invest
ment through the support Of the
bar, simply afforded, as Geo, AIDE
says, an atmosphere of culture or
all atmosphere where society or
those who desire to enjoy the
many bountles and luXurles which
God has placed at our disposal.
OF course in San Angelo there
are those who believe in the sim
plicities of life and living in a
narrow way and style, but those
people are narrow minded and are
of no practical benefit to any one
outside of their own individual
selves, yet to make a town or a
city the people have got to have
broad ideas. There must be
welcome for everybody, no matter
what their occupation may hap
pen to be, and if you can not play
II game of cards without always
losing, or take n drink without
becoming intoxicated, never throw
n stumbling block III the way OF
those who can, for you are simply
obstructing tho wheels of pro-
gress and the life of cities or ma
tions.
| could not help but thinking
what Il great thing it would be for
San Angelo if we could have a
similar opera house and hotel
combination with ian atmosphere
of culture" so that our city
could rapidly grow and be attract
i've to society and those who de-
sire to enjoy life and live by this
way, and while personally | am
getting old and not able to travel
with the boys and keep my place
and gait in the procession, | can
complacently pose as II contented
wall flower.
Well, ] CHANGED to meet Mr.. +.
II. Conner who formerly lived in
San Angelo and who still thinks
there are great possibilities and
great future for San Angelo, and