The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1910-05-06
MEETING
OF B. ?. 0. {. 1854
Greenwood Eiks after a$5O,OOO Opera
House and EIks BUILDING.

House and EIks Building.
The installation of officers of the
Elks lodge Tuesday night proved to
be one Of the most enthusiastic
meetings this benevolent order has
enjoyed for some time. An unusu-
ally large crowd was present to
witness the installation, which cere-
mony was performed by Judge w.
N. Hammer, the installing officer.
The following officers were in
stalled for this term: Robert Her
man, Exalted Ruler; II. L. Walton,
esteemed leading knight; H. E.
Calm, esteemed lecturing Knight.
DR.. F. NJ. Sandifer, esteemed loyal
knight; o. L. Kimbrough, inner
guard; J. H. Ashcraft, treasurer; w.
L. Anthony, secretary; and Gus
Aron, Esquire. The services were
thoroughly enjoyed. The address
of Hon. J. A. Tyson, the past exalt-
ed ruler, was of great interest and
importance.
After other business had been
transacted, the matter of erecting an
opera house and lodge building was
brought up. The time seemed fav-
orable for the suggestion, and inter-
est was manifest from all sides. It
is the purpose of the Elks to erect a
opera house and club combined to
cost at least $50, 600, to make it the
handsomest of its kind not only in
the state but south of the Ohio.
Committees we're Immediately ap-
pointed and put to work. The fin
ance committee, which is indeed an
able one and which assures success
from its personnel, is composed of
w. S. Barry, A. F. Gardner, Gen.
S. R. Kessier, Albert Weller, John
A. Tyson and Orman Kimbrough.
The auditing committee consists of
Messrs. H.. L. Walton, J. H. Pettey
and W. S. Cunningham.
MI. Weller, one of the most capa-
bic and most active of the finance
committee was interviewed by a
Commonwealth reporter and is
sanguine of success in this venture.
The argument set forth by he and
those associated with him is one
that cannot be met with by even
the narrow-minded ones. He states
that when the attempt was last made
to erect an opera house, the matter
of subscribing stock was first
brought up, and that between $12,-
600 and $4,000 was promptly
subscribed. The extremely high
price of real estate and building
material Offset the interest manifest
in the proposition at that time and
the opera house fell through.
Now Mr.. Weller is right in say
ing that the present plan is the
most logical that can be inaugurated.
In ase the citizens of this city and
county we're to subscribe individu-
ally, with the expressed understand
ing that they were subscriptions
and that the contributors were in no
way to be assessed at another time,
a sufficient amount of capital could
be raised upon which a basis for
loan could be placed. This would
result in the making of a large loan
to make up the residue.
MI. Weller contends that in CO.
operating with the Elks that we
have the only logical way of secur-
ing an opera house for years to
come. At present the property on
which the home now stands and
upon which the new building is to
be erected is easily worth near
$4,000. This together with the
popular subscriptions, would insure
a sufficient basis to secure a loan of
about $4,000 or $4,000 to carry
through the project. The building
can be so constructed as to make an
opera house, Elks Lodge rooms,
three stores for rent, and lodge
rooms to be rented to other ~fraternal
orders. This would put the build.
ing on a partial sustaining basis.