The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-10-12
THE CONCERT THURSDAY
EVENING.

OASOll LNCE NAV0n IN
Observation-Disclosures Small
Audience on Inside and Large
Audience on Outside.
The concert given at the opera
house Thursday evening by Vic
tors Royal Venetian Band was
the best thing of the kind that
ever visited Lumberton, so far
as this writer knows, and he has
heard no older inhabitant claim
anything to the contrary. 1t
was even better than the advance
notices claimed that it would be.
The entire performance deserves
to be spoken of in superlative
terms of praise. Every number
on the programme was superb
and was superbly rendered. The
audience was unrestrainedly
enthusiastic about every selec-
ton rendered by the band and
Miss Grace Miller, the vocal
soloist, also charmed and delight
ed. Her singing was exquisite
and her selections were such as
all could enjoy-Schubert's Sere-
made, for one thing, with "Su-
vance River" as one encore.
Every number was enthusiastic
cally and insistently applauded
and the audience heaved a sigh
of regret, when it was over, that
it could not last longer.
This was the first really high
class entertainment that has
visited Lumberton in a blue moon
and it is a pity to have to say
that the management of the
opera house did not receive any
encouragement, from the patron
age given 1t, to secure other high
class attractions. They lost money
on it heavily. And-Would you
believe it, stacksof people hung
around on the steps outside, on
nearby Office steps and on the
porches of nearby homes and en-
jOyed the concert and at the same
time saved the admission fee!
For those who were not able to
pay no word of censure is meant,
but it was a very small and
measly thing for a man to do
who is able to pay his way. Some
time ago a negro minstrel COM
pany gave sorry performances
here under its own tent and it's
tent was packed and they took
in some seven hundred dollars;
and Thursday evening, when a
really good concert was given at
the opera house-a concert that
was refining and uplifting in its
Iinfuence-just a little more than
500 was taken in. Isn't that
enough to make angels weep? In
larger towns than Lumberton
people pay $3.50 often to see and
hear performances that do not
approach in excellence this con-
cert and that is what one would
have to pay elsewhere to hear
this, but a mighty howl was rails
ed because the admission was
$1.00, Is and so cents. 1t would
be infinitely better to stay away
from three or four Indifferent
shows and take in a concert like
this.
1t is a great pity that the au
dience on the inside was so small
and the one on the outside 81
large. If all who enjoyed the
concert had paid for the privilege
the loss sustained by Messrs
French and McAllister would no
have been so large perhaps they
would not have sustained an!
loss at all. One prefers to be
lieve that if the people of Lum
= berton had known how really
good the concert was to be-haC
, known that they had the pri
/ vilege of hearing a concert a
good as one has the privilege O
: hearing in a city, except on rar'
, occasions-one prefers to believ,
7 that if they had known, tn,
} house would have been packed
: Those who missed it missed
rare treat,