Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-31

cident to a living Board of Trade. A
large membership cohitrS upon 4
Poard of Trade another advantage al
most as great as that of mSuring ample
funds, in that il divilcS the work as
well as creates enthusiasm therefore.
It unItes the public ior a common end
and such union commands success.
AS far as human natur" will permit,
l"t us hope that the citizens Of this
community will shuN their interest in
our work ana ana us with their mem
hershp. counsel ana money
we commenced the year with bal
ance of mortgage Il ut upon the ShO :
factory. which debt we had practically
assumed of SOB To reduce this, We
held the annual fair in the Coliseum.
TO properly give the entertainment
which was undo rtakcn for the fair, we
went 20 a large expense III making
changes in the interior of the Coliseum,
and these changes would nave been for
the pt rmanent benefit of the Coliseum
and of the Board OF Trade in the flu
Idre. Lad it not heen for the subsequent
drstructi0 nof this amusement hall
These expenses cut the let profits Of
pert will show what dsc was made of
these funds.
While speaking of this fair. I wish.
nuplcly, to thank the ladies Of TINS
community who labOred so arduously
ana so effectively to make the fair a
financial success. They. SUI ely. realized
that a fair Of this character was not to
be looked upon as IN opportunity for
personal gain Tut for personal work
and sacrifice tC accomplish a worthy
| object.
The Coliseum was burned September
20. 1904. We can hardly appreciate the
extent of our loss through this untor-
tuuate disaste" 1t will be realized more
and more as tn" yeayS go by and the
| occasions come when It's spacious audi
/ torium might be utiliz ID for some large
| gathering.
,lnr directors labored persistcntlN 70
make this hall an insurabe risk, 50 that
| We should not be entirely without COM
pcI.s;.tion should it burn. This was accom-
| plished when placed store IN the
| building in the spring of 1904, The amount
realized from the Insurance was $3.50.
| With this insurance money we paid the
mDltGH'-t II lnt Sitt lst'l'lN ''i''' i''' -
small balance left in the treasury.
1t Was our hope tndt ms ndtdicc c"u"'
| h. Used fu! tn" advancement OF IN"
| Board OF Trade Worh III ms cohlmHlh'N
ana the nproI tnity came sooner imam We
The commonwealth Shoe q Leather GO ,
| to whom lie city owes 50 much l"f n
material prosperity. had outgr"wn !nt
| factory and desired an addition, whi"l
should mean more employees and = CoAst-
,Utut Ecip to our community me cos
of the auGit.nn wHS estimated at 5000 aitu
| OF mis- amuint The commonwealth ptop''
of, red tC give S2tuI. The Beard OF Trade
had some funds. and for fui thei assets
the amount due from the Gardner Sho"
Factory 90. for AN the money the Board
of Trad" had advanced 70 max" mi Owe
mentS ANA rCi.irS on the shoe factory.
ana to pay tn" interest ana mortgage
deb. n,trlrd when the nrst annex to the
Tuc membership Of the Gardiner shoa
Fac iCry Go. WAS mad" up from all the
generous contributors who built the tHctn-
~. As corporation it was without
means ar income. The Board OF Trade
had assumed its work and nald us dentS
ana expenses. The shoe Fac'ory, 90.
could never reimburse the Board of Trade,
tor il had neither income nor prospect ri
income The former c"rporation ha'! out
lived the purposes for which it was oi
G;triZ"d. and the latter corporation with
ITS r"cr present work in other directions
had taken UP the work of the shoe Fac
'or% co. 1t seemed eminently proper tha'
conn rESntion Us il could to the Board Of
Trace for what had been done and what
must bn done to maintain this industry
here. Accordingly the Shoe Factory Co.
on the 9TH cay of December. 1904 quit
| clnincd It's interest IN the shoe factory to
the Board of Trade. With this property
as an asset we thought We could raise
the s:bn0 necessary. with what we had
ana with what the Commonwealth peo-
pie gave to build the addition The land
had been sold to us for $.U0. and $40 "nG
htG a M "A
macl iErrY which were carrying an ImSuI =
ance of $30.0ro: the money borrowed. to-
| g"1her with S'0oT more, was 1" 80 INTO
| the Improvement ana extension of tn"
| ia". orY. To the Board OF TIHdt this
seemed a splendid ~ u:ity for mnrtGaG"
| loan Of &'HH' especially as it was in con-
roctinn with the uuhmldmg of a local en-
| t'tIrlsr 81 such merit rs this Sho" FAC
| tory. 1t WIS submitted by a committee"
| Of our directors. consisting of Mayor
| Russell. Hon. Freeman IHt.rn am III :
| smith. to tho directors Of the Gardiner
| SAVINGS Institution and loan Request ID.
| the Gardiner Savings Institution refused
| the loan. The money was secured OF INV
Commonwealth Shoe & Leather e.. OF Il
| G. A. Knight. Freeman fatten. r. T.
russell. r Smith 4 Co.. y. W. Nj
ninGham. Frederick Danforth. q. q. ill.,
| icy " d. HAN ineton. +. f. St1"n3. @.
tl2s"n. Ii II. Ecan. a. ". Cunr,ne-
n1m. T. ;; lincoln. T. 7: Boston Gr"re,
]
| II i needless to say that these iadu'.-rI :
i'"l mai they are amply secured. They
| nave confidence in our citizens ana on
| city. and when they assumed this Ii l bill
| ItN trusting in the citizens Of this city To
! back them and ultimately To ASSIST in tn
| payment Of this dht. they took no risk.
althorgh il may have seemed Othrrwis,
| 10 IN" conservative t0 directors Of the
'in diner Savings Institution.
| me addition ~ the shoe factory is COM
| pl"ted and occurred.
through the Kindness of Mr.. r II. Gar
! diner IL" j, g. Holmes foundry was do
mated To is for w" as an amusement hall.
| and WIN small expense ii has been
made into most acceptable quarters for
BASKETBALL and polo and later can be used
70: our annual fairs. The limi,atjorS we
| nave in Gardiner for amusements and en-
| Ter nimdhtS since the burning Of the COLI
scum anu johnson Opera house. and the
| TACT that quite a percentage of the en-
| ll"Nes or the Commonwealth 90 come
from cities and towns where the OppOrtu-
| ni;lrS for athletic sports and cntertain-
m'ntS are numerous. convinced the drec-
| tors Of the Board Of Trade that the equip.
nrnt Of this hall was a wise expenditure
| m ln"niShing a place for good entertain
mentS of clean. athletic nature. as well
as providing a hail for our fairs. The
Wnrkntn must have some opportunity for
ehteitalnment to make them contentPd
anu IN tins limited way we endeavored to
| furnish this
In order tn build the annex to the shoe
I"cIorX II was necessary for us to have