Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-02-05
DENNER AUDITORIUM NOW BUILDING

For the first time in her history
Eenver has captured the national con-
vention of one of the big political par
ties. She had set out to capture the
Republican national convention, and
had raised a guarantee fund of $780,
900 as proof of her ability to take care
of such a great gathering, but Chi
cago beat her out in the quest. Dis
appointed but not discouraged she
immediately started out after the
Democratic national convention, and
landed it, the beautiful metropolis
perthed among the mountains of Col
oradr and the 100000 proving an
irresistible lure to the Democratic
donkey. And SO next July, when the
eastern cities are sweltering in the
summer heat, the aforesaid Democrat
ic donkey will jog contentedly up to
the cool and airy heights of Denver
with his loyal and enthusiastic
followers and find the city in gala
attire and the big new convention hall
finished and ready to receive the hosts
of delegates who will gather to Sc
lect the standard bearer of the party.
There are those who take a skep-
tical view of the situation and declare
that the auditorium will never be fin
fshed in time and that the city will
not be able to entertain so large a
gathering of politicians as will gather
to frame the Democratic national
ticket In REPUTATION of this pessi-
mistic view, the enthusiasts point with
confidence to the rush work which is
being done on the half-fnished build
ing, and cite the fact that on former
occasions Denver has taken care Of
big conventions, such as the Grand
Army of the Republic and the Elks,
and that the hotels and boarding
houses of the city will not fall short
in the latest demands upon them.
AS for the auditorium it should have
been finished long ago, but innumera-
BILE delays have occurred since ground
was first broken over a year ago.
Last October the contractor of the
building lost his contract because Of
his slow methods. and the work is
now being pushed by the National
Surety company and the Empire State
Trust company of New York. The
side walls of the big structure have
been finished and the work of swing
ing the giant steel roof trusses has be-
gun. and as soon as finished the con-
crete. electrical and steam heating
men are ready to begin work.
When completed the Auditorium
will be 16S feet wide and 26O feet
long. The walls will be SO feet high.
1t will seat 1850 people by utilizing
aisle space. The normal seating ca
pacity will be 5000.
The building will be equipped with
a large number of committee rooms,
but not enough to take care of all the
committees of the national conven-
ton. Important committees will be
housed at the Democratic club build
ing. three blocks away.
The Auditorium will cost $425.0OO
The money to build it was raised
through sale of bonds voted by the
citizens of Denver.
The main hall will be flexible as to
the arrangement of seats and boxes
At convention as large as the Dem
ocratic rostrum will be stationed
on the west side Of the big hall for the
speaker and his attendants. 1t will
be surrounded by seats in circular
arrangement so as to bring the speak
or into the unbrOken view of the en-.
tire audience.
One Of the best features of the audi
forum will be it's acoustic properties.
A speaker on the rostrum will be able
to throw his voice to the extreme
corners of the hall in the ordinary
tone of a speakers voice, as readily
as to those near him.
Advertising was what Denver had
in view when the committee went
around jingling the 100000. Adver-
Using is what all Colorado purposes
to get out of the convention. To &C.
complish this every effort will be
made to get the delegates and the
visitors out over the state. The Col
orado railroads will give low rates to
the mountain resorts, so that when
the cold gray dawn of the morning
after breaks upon the unterrified
Democracy it may cool its fevered
brow in banks of eternal snow, it
may Stake its parching throat in any
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