The evening world., 1908-12-15
NEW THEATRES
CORNERSTONE IS
LAID BY MAYOR
Letter from Roosevelt Is Read
at Ceremony Attended by
Prominent Men.

With a silver trowel and in the midst
OF an Interesting ceremonial Mayor Nc
Ciellan laid the cornerstone OF the New
Theatre the handsome building being
built In Central Park West, between
S!xty-eecond and Sixty third streeSs,
and which 10 intended to be the temple
Of the higher dramatic art" in Amer
ica-to this country what the Theatre
Francois 10 to France.
An audience OF about 800. including
many persons distinguished in the lit
erary. dramatic and public life of New
York, assembled in the vestibule Of the
building. which was handsomely deco
rated The ceiling was hung in smilax
and chrysanthemums. dotted with hun
dreds OF small incandescent bulbs. and
there were numerous stands of ancient
armor set against the walls. which were
covered with valuable tapestries.
The founders OF the New Theatre who
were present we're: John Jacob Aston,
George f. Baker. Edmund L. Baylies
August Belmont, Cortlandt Field Bishop.
Paul D. Cravath. William r. Osgood
Field. Henry Clay FTick. Ebert H
Gary, George ]. Gould, Eliot Gregory
Archer NJ. Huntington, Otto II. Kahn
W. de Lancey Kountze. Clarence H
Mackay. J. Pierpont Morgan. James
Stil!man. Hamilton Mex. Twombly.
Robert b. Van Cortlandt. Cornelius Van
derbih, William X. Vanderbilt. Henry
Walters. Harry Payne Whitney, NJ.
orme Wilson and Henry Rogers Win
throp.
There We're also present Winthrop
Ames, the director: Lee Shuhert, bust
ness manager. and John Corbin, liter
AIRY manager.
William h. Vanderbilt, president of
the founders. introduced Mayor Nc
Clellan. Other addresses were made by
Augustus Thomas, the playwright, and
President John r. Fnlay. of the Col
lege Of the City OF New York
The following letter from President
Roosevelt was read
WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON.
Nov. 10. 1903.
Gentlemen: Permit me TO express
my hearty good wishes for the under.
taking in which you are engaged. As l
understand It. your purpose in estab.
'''-'-S VIC -'e" e Is 10 make use
Of great agency for the encourage
ment Of a refined and artistic under
'tandinS-an agency W,lich shall increase
the ability Of our people TO realize and
enjoy what IS really beautiful. what
tends to give the right kind of relief
and relaxation from the strain and ten
sion Of daily work.
II am. n course, in cordial sympathy
with your aim to give special encour-
asenent to both playwrights and ac-
tors who are native to our soil, and
observe with especial pleasure the fact
that the statutes under which your
theatre will he run provide that it is
to be without any thought of profit, and
that any pecuniary benefits which may
result from its operation shall be used
for the creation of IN endowment and
pension fund, for the maintenance OF
a school of dramatic art and for other
purposes NJ the same kind.
with all good wishes believe me sin
cerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
A chorus sang an ode written es-
pecially by Percy Macksye, the play
wright, and Richard Watson Glider re-
cited an original poem entitled shake
speare's New Home"
The ceremonies closed with the sing
ing Of The Star Spanged Banner" by
Miss Geraldine Farrar. the young
pr!ma donna.