Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-03-02
#ashiuotoa STANDARD
OILY VPIA, WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING. March ?. 1906.
Columbia Hall and Eagles Aerie.

Columbia Hall and Eagles Aerie.
Those who have spent so many hap
by hours in old Columbia Hall"
which, when erected, was the first large
building for public assemblages in the
Territory of Washington, will scarcely
recognize the transformation made in
it by the Eagles, who have secured it
on lease Tor five years, for use as
l0dge-room, as we'll as the social ses-
sions, peculiar to the order. The
lodge-room proper is 10 feet wide and
about twice that length. The walls
and ceiling have been decorated with
the best of paper, in beautiful designs,
the floor covered with an elegant car.
pet, and the room furnished with splen.
did furniture, adapted to lodge use i;
and in the rear, which constituted the
stage, when the house was used for
dramatic performances till the theater
was built, is an elegant supper room,
where the order holds the frequent
banquets which promote, in such a
marked degree, the sociability that is
a distinguishing trait OF the order.
This is likewise embellished by the
ekill OF the decorators art, and fur
nished with q range, tables, side-board,
and q complete service for foods in
solid or liquid form. At one side of
the dining room hangs historic relic,
in the shape of a drop-curtain used in
the good old days when the "Chap-
man Family" Fanny Morgan Phelps,
the Pixley Sisters, Lulu Sweet, Charles
Vivian, Originator of the order OF
Elks), Yankee Plummer, and q score
OF other old.time favorites, appeared
at intervals to entertain and amuse
the public. If anybody thinks that
we did not have splendid shows in
those GOOD Old Summer Time"
they have only to extend this list to
embrace the senior Frank Mayo in
"Davy Crockett" J. A. Hearne in
Hearts of Oak; Jennie Winston in
the fret opera company to play here,
in "The Grand Duchess" and "Giro.
tie.Girofa," Caroline Richards Ber-
nard, likewise in opera, Charlotte
Cushman, in Jane Eyre" lima De
Murska and Anna Bishop, world.re.
nowned in concert, Remenyi and Ca.
milla Urso the great violinists, Jos.
Grismer and Phoebe Davies, in such
splendid plays as "Chispa," Jos. Bar
rows in Taraxicum Twitters," the
Tennessee Jubilee Singers, and tho
Primrose & West minstrels. On the
curtain referred to appear ADVERTISE
ments OF . score or more prominent
business firms Of the leading poten-
tialities of q third of q century ago,
not one OF which now exist except
that OF the WASHINGTON STANDARD.
whose "card p" occupies space in the
center, bright as the day it was let.
tered.
A scrap of history connected with
the building of the hall may not be
uninteresting now. It was the result
OF agitation on the part of the first
engine company, who. for many years,
operated the hand engine that per.
formed such effective service till SUP.
planted BY the Silsby steamer. The
engine was housed in building where
Joe and Pauls saloon is now situated,
with company meeting room above.
They were cramped quarters for engine
and the cumbersome hook and ladder
apparatus that constituted the then
means OF fighting FIRE. Charles Bur.
mister and Charley" Williams were
the two leading spirits in the fire or
ganizasion. ably supplemented, how.
ever. by Alex. Farquhar, Louis Miner,
A. B. Rabbeson, William Billings, J.
4. Wood, L. P. Beach. Robt. Frost,
d. s. B. Henry, J. L. Cook and q
number of others whose names we
cannot now recall, and the necessity OF
providing more commodious quarters
was accentuated by the fact that the
meeting room WAS in the attic Of the
same building, and nearly everybody
had his attention called to tho fact by
protruding rafters that generally inten.
sified opinion on any subject under
discussion.
The matter finally reached q crisis
one day, In IN open session of the u.
F. Of F. u. At Woods brewery, many
OF whose membership were fremen. A
city election was in progress. It was
suggested that ticket be supported
favorable to fire-house, and although
the polls had been opened several
hours, and quite . number of votes
cast, the proposition was adopted, and
the Firemans Hall" ticket made its
appearance in the afternoon, and was
elected by an overwhelming majority.
It comprised George A. Barnes, s. w.
Percival, Francis Henry, Robt. Frost
and John Miller Murphy. The propo.
sition called for building adapted for
two engine rooms, and hall OF sufi.
cient size for rental to provide revenue
for maintenance of a fire department.
Plans were invited, with bids, for such
. building. Then it was proposed to
erect larger building, with q public
hall for dramatic entertainments, q
suggestion of Mr.. Chas. Seymour, who
submitted plans for the building tha,
was erected, at an estimated cost OF
5000. This was rather too much oil