The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-25
OMAHA FURNISHES
ST.PAUE AN EXAMPLE
Travelling Man Tells How Ne
braska Town Built an
Auditorium

81 see that St. Paul has the audito-
rum idea" remarked n. c. Severn, a
travelling man of Omaha, as he sat in
the lobby of the Ryan hotel last night.
wei, L can tell you that ii will be no
easy thing to do. but when you have
once got it you will find it worth the
money"
Mr.. Severn then proceeded to tell
some of the trials which Omaha had
TO encounter in erecting her $500, 900
building.
In the first place, we had to decide
that we really wanted and needed such
building" said Mr.. Severn. 1T was
talked OF some time before we got ac-
tlon. The first move was taken by
band of public spirited men who
planned music festival. 1t was given
out fiat that the festival was to be
held to raise sum of money which
should form a nucleus for an audito-
rum building fund. The people then
patronized the festival, and il was a
great hnanical success. That was in
1900. L merely mention that the audi
tor1um was opened in a half finished
state last spring, just to show what a
struggle they had.
If L remember rightly the festival
brought in about $4,000. This looked
pretty big, so an auditorium company
was Incorporated to do the work. Va
rlous schemes were formed for raising
money. Now / will tell you about how
the subscriptions run.
In the first place the big corpora
tions came down with handsome dona-
tions. The street railway gave $4,000,
and / presume your people here would
do as well. Different railroads came i'm
with donations. The Burlington is said
10 nave given $1,000, though its gift
was made anonymously. The electric
ilght company, gas company, banks and
Dig factories gave a big amount 1
suppose in this class of subscriptions
these was about $4,000 raised.
The Small Subscribers
Then the small subscribers came i'm
with all the way from so cents to 81.
Ihere was working mems day, by
which the people pledged themselves to
give half or all of their salary on \
certain day.
A great deal of money was raised
oy various enterprises. There was an
INDUSTRIAL fair, guessing contest and
Dflck scheme and various benefit per-
1crmances. The guessing contest lost
money, l might mention. The indus
trlal fair was backed by the local
merchants who gave an exhibition of
goods, which were later sold for the
benefit of the fund. There were all
Sorts or side shows, run by prominent
men OF the town which made money.
or course there was a list of prizes to
De given away for the chances sold on
them. This netted the fund about
$4,000
But the big winner of all these was
the brick scheme. Ten thousand small
bricks about an inch long were sold at
IL each. These were certificates for
one share of stock. The sale was start
ed in Boyd's opera house, with big
show, and things went we'll. The fund
was swelled by $4,000.
Public Subscriptions
These things, of course. constituted
about all of the side issues. Prob
ably $4,000 was raised in this way
But the big bulk of the money had to
by public subscription. Here it was
that the middle class of subscribers
came In and you'll find it the same
here. The most of the money was
raised in subscriptions all the way
from $25 to $780, The business men
simply went down in their pockets and
put it up from time to time
The job got to be a pretty sore one
before 1t was finished. Four years is a
long time TO work on a public enter
prise. Last spring the foundations
had been laid, and they were ready to
start on the final run. Twenty busi-
ness men got together and said they
nCuiu give S1VO eacn- Inat started
fireworks and the walls began to
go up. -4--
But they were about at the end of
their rope and the directors finally de-
cided to put $4,000 mortgage on the
building to complete it. This caused a
protest, for it had been distinctly un-
derstood that this should not be done
But the directors were weary of the
fight and took the occasion to jump
over the fence. The building is COM
pieted and furnished now and Omaha
is proud OF it."
nr Z, IT NfuIa, h ,o,..o,.o. II. a.