Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-03-31

building was crowded almost to
suffOcation. When all seats were
Sid the windows were locked
and large placard hung up to
announce that all seats had been
sold for that performance. The
people then holding tickets were
ushered into the theatre. The play
Degan at eight O'Clock, after that
only standing room was sold.
In my estimation the building is
about three hundred feet in
length and about one hundred ano
fifty feet wide, with a seating
capacity of $500 persons with
about 1000 first class seats cost
Ing on the average of So per
seat. The other five CLASSES of
seats were sold according to the
lUngth of the time the show had
teen on. On this day that we
attended all the seating room
and standing room in the halls
and aiSleS was taken so it will
be safe to say that there were
six thousand people attending the
play on this day, which in itself
l. a large crowd for the small
mountain village. Promptly at
eight o'clock the doors were clos
ed and the curtain arose open
ing with a song: "Strive for the
Holy River, You Weary and Lad
en-" the next was a living pic
ture of Adam and Eve in Para
disc. Followed by a chorus of
forty voices which rendered songs
and sketches between acts. The
first part of the play represent
ed Jesus entering Jerusalem then
followed the driving of the gam
'blerS and the money lenders from
the temple. 1t seems that from
this act the complaint was made
against Jesus. The second part
of the play was opened by the
chorus, followed by a sketch
from the Old Testament wherein
Joseph was prosecuted by his
brothers and sold into Egypt.
The Next scene was a gather
ing of the Supreme Court presid-
ed over by the High Priest in
which it is considered if the conn
plant against Jesus is sufficient
TO convict him, followed by a song
by the chorus. This is follow
ed by an intermission of two
hours for dinner.
During this intermission l
took a walk to the foot of the
mountains and through the villag,
viewing the business and resid-
ence portion of the same, where
met a very SOciable class of
people, also met a number Of peO-
pie who were taking part in the
play, making a deep impression
upon me with their plain clothes
and long hair in many cases hang
ing clear down to their shoulders.
| cannot say that these people
made a very favorable impression
with me. The post office is
IN a plain frame building had
the air of the metropolitan office,
Owing to the large amount of
business transacted during this
season. A large number of men
We're employed and in their slow
German way conducted the bust
ness IN a most accurate manner.
Although most every language
Ii the world was spoken here.
After we had mailed a number of
post cards to the old home in
America my friend and |, who
had been with me since the %
of January, wendell our way to
the wood work factory of Rob-
ert Zempel, where we purchased
some albums and post cards of
the Passion Play, with some
fancy engraved wood work,
however, not wishing to be over
loaded with this stuff we did
not purchase any great quanti-
ties as we still had a long trip
before lis, as it will be until
about the middle of July until
We part for that dear old home,
America.
May %, 1910, at 1:3O p. m.
Promptly at two o'clock the con-
tinuatiOn of the Passion Play,
with Christ before POntius Pr
Late, the man i'm this role made a
great impression with the audi
ence with the skill of an attOr-
ney tried to free the Saviour
from the hands of his aecusers,
but to no avail, and was finally
persuaded to turn the accused
over to the treacherOuS Jews.
Not few were touched by the
DlaadinpS of the wife of the