Norwich bulletin., 1909-11-06

the portrait gallery of sayors will never be complete, even were picture of Mayor Wilson available.
 Since that time the retiring mayors have without formality presented their pictures. with the exception of Mayor Mahan, and he has never given reason for his action. As none had been by vote of the council been invit ed to furnish the portrait, it came as surprise. at the council meeting Mon day evening when Alderman Miner presented a vote, which was unant- mously adopted, requesting ex-Mayor Benjamin l.. Armstrong to present his picture to the city, to be placed with the mayors that have gone before There is no doubt but MT. Armstrong will comply with the invitation and thereby make the valuable and his torical collection as complete as possi- ble. And Mayor Mahan should do like wise and not wait until the close of his present administration.
 The pictures of the mayors have never been properly placed and now that the council has referred to the subject it would be well for the public property committee to make the changes and place the mayors in regu- lar order of service, as Is done with the pictures of the governors fin the state capitol. Every ex-mayor should have his place of honor and in the cases where the pictures are not avail able the city should furnish a frame and have card neatly printed placed therein, bearing the name of the ex- mayor and the date of service. This plan would call attention to the miss ing picture and might result in pie lures replacing the printed cards in the near future.
 The old original playhouse of New London, which was built in 1854, which lawyers has and always i'll be known as Lawrence hall, and which was used for the production of high grade the atricals before the existence of the By- ceum theater, is to be used as a nov ing picture and vaudeville house, but the lease will be given for one year only, to date from Dec. 1, the lessee to make all needed improvements and pay a rental of s4,000. With three other such places now in full swing, it would indicate that there must be big money in that sort of amusement en- terprise.
 Lawrence hall is a part of the estate of the late Sebastian D. Lawrence, whose will is to be contested, and it was the castiron rule of MT. Lawrence to get the rent for the hall before the doors were open to patrons and this rule applied to local organizations as well as to travelling companies. It Is an old style theater, with level floor, large open stage, little or no scenery, and unsatisfactory dressing rooms, still some of the very best of old time per formers were seen in this hall. and once here the actors and actresses never forgot the visit. and on the re- turn trip had a thing or two to say that was not creditable to the con- venicnces of the playhouse. However, McKean Buchanan, the Shakespearian tragedian, supported by his daughter, Virginia, and a strong company, held in Lawrence hall for weeks and seemed satisfied in playing to very small au- diences in poorly heated hall. "Blind Tom" was another Lawrence hall fa- vorite, but as he was blind he did not take much interest in the surround ings.
 With the exception of an occasional darce or political rally. Lawrence hall has been but very little used for the past twenty years. and is not in good repair. It is understood that the lessee will be required to repaint and redecorate the hall to make it present able or attractive to patrons. For a long time there was but one exit and entrance to the hall, but later there was a second, which seemed to answer the requirements, but under the new laws extensive changes will have to be made. The present week the hall was inspected by a member of the state police and the chief of the fire depart ment, and two additional exits have been ordered for the rear of the build ing and also fire appliances. These changes must be made before the hall can be opened for public amusements.
 The prospects are that the trustees of the estate will spend more money in the improvement of the hall in a year than MT. Lawrence would have done in a quarter of a century. His rule was to applicants for lease of his properties to inform them that they could have the places at a certain rental just as they were and that all Improvements, which must be made by tenants, must be subject to his ap- proval. It was MT. L. .rence's meth cd of business. and being possessed of immense wealth he could afford to be independent in his business transac- tions. But all this is forgiven, for in his will he has provided well for the city of his birth and residence. during iife..