Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-26
Auditorium stock.


Bee; AS the Omaha Daily News doesn't
seem to want TO publish anything ex-
cept their own way Of thinking, 1 would
IKE to have little space in your paper
to explain few facts In regard to turn
Ing over the Omaha Auditorium to the
city. The Omha Daily News has never
done anything but howl about the Omaha
Auditorium ever since the foundation
was laid, and consider this bowling at
titude, one of the things that has helped
to make the Auditorium not a success
Now they run the cut of the cornerstone.
Built by the people and for the peo-
pie"
Now the only stock l have in this
building is a small brick with the date
Of my birth year on same and / paid
Mr. Umstead two dollars for this when
they were selling at premium But
believe me, have put many a weary
hour in that building, working side by
side with Mr.. Gillian, and others toward
It's success, and ! want to tell the News
that the inscription on the cornerstone
is the greatest joke in the world
The original idea, Built by the peo-
pie" was great, immense, but the plain
cold facts are that, the people never
built the Auditorium, and had a small
hand in 1t. The original idea started
With May festival that was held in
tent with the lines band at Fifteenth
street and Capitol avenue some years
back. There was some money left after
this concert and after debating what to
use Il for someone suggested an adui-
forum for the city. The idea was a
good one, committee was appointed
and subscriptions were started.
Enough money was subscribed to build
q building and have some left, but when
1t came time to collect the money SUBJ
scribed, most Of these people got cold
feet as 1t were, or were not men of
their word and 1t cost some thousands
to sue for the money of these delin-
quents, and 1t was finally given up, and
the ground was bought with what money
was on hand. Many money raising
schemes were then resorted TO. One a
guessing contest, and think something
like $4,000 or 1900 was lost on this mis-
cradle failure.
Even at this early stage of the game
there was talk of graft by the people. A
fair was held at the old Lee-Glass-
ANDERSEN building, and finally bricks
were sold, but not many. More of these
were destroyed afterwards on account of
no sale. So you see the building was
built on the subscription of few and
has always been in debt. 1t was never
built by the people and never even pat
ronized very strongly by them.
These men then, that have stuck to
the proposition, given It their time and
condition went out again and spent
days raising money These men own
the building and vet they are willing
to give up their stock to the city. The
board of directors has always had II in
their mind to keep the building for the
people. And when It was found out
that the best revenue TO support 1t came
from wrestling matches and the roller
rink, the management was always under
ridicule for running them and the board
would allow no skating on Sunday, thus
losing many a dollar for the building,
and only the last year was skating al
lowed on Sunday when 1t was too late
and the craze had died. They always
told Mr.. Gillian that the building was
built for conventions and the people
would not like it used for skating, etc.
L nave worked many time WIN MT
Gillian in our oveTalls and jumpers all
night. TO get the building ready for some
attraction and the next day we would
wash out our eyes to keep from falling
asleep, and go to selling tickets and be
there all day, / know sometimes there
was hardly enough money for our salary
and lone time, after a concert, Madam
Melba said. Il sang in a barn." and the
News published it good and loud. We
would all be disheartened. Where was
the people then with their money? The
News would come out with a red head
line when we would have an attraction
Of merit and say Built for the people,
and s. a seat" And the same show at
Kansas City the week before, played
to packed houses and at from 50 to IS
a seat, and there the people built one
auditorium and II burned down and
they raised $4,000 I'm the crowd while
II burned and sent men all over the
country 20 ride the trains in and see
that the matefial arrived there on time
and built another in sixty days and
had the democratic convention and paid
for it when done, and ours is not
finished yet.
Now, when this company gives this
stock to the city they are giving IL