The daily Alaska citizen., 1920-01-25
Landmark of Fairbanks May Be
 Destroyed to Satisfy Debt; Is
 Scene Of Many Camp Activities

Along with the other affliCtions that have fallen upon us in these troublous times, Fairbanks is now threatened with the loss of one of her historical and most useful institu tions, The Auditorium. which, from the earliest days of the camp, has community in it's leisure moments has given expression to the lighter side of life and indulged in the wholesome and beneficial pastimes and amusements for which the Alas kans have become famous, and which has been the general gathering place of the people in all the big public events that have taken place during the existence of the camp, has lately fallen upon evil days and is about to become the victim of economic conditions, with resultant loss to the town and it's people that can hardly be estimated There has been a mortgage on the building for sev- eral years, and the mortgagee has grown tired of waiting for his money and is about to foreclose and tear the building down for the timber and iron that is in it.
 Probably there is not man, wom- an or child who ever lived in Fair banks who will not feel pang of sorrow to hear of this ignominious end of the glorious old edifice, and who will not recall the many gala events that have taken place there, and the good times that have been enjoyed within its festive walls.
 Built in the early days of the has been the main civic gathering place of the community Here the children of the camp have annually held their graduating exercises, here they have learned to dance and to enjoy the clean, innocent amuse- ments of the north, and have learned to take their amusements moderate ly and sanely instead of with the mad, hectic fever that characterizes the states. Here they have held their little entertainments and shows and had their turn in the world of make believe and makeup so dear to the hearts of all youngsters. All the old timers will remember the hit made by the youngsters in Married Yet Single" with cast composed of Robert de Journel Orville Fairburn, Leonard Heacock Katherine Clay pool, Lila Barbour and Ethel Russell. And Mrs. Busby's Pink Tea" and the "Old Folks Concert" with a cast containing Juanita Miller, Rosamond Parsons, Queenie Russell, Helen Bruce, Thora Slippern, Hazel Pauli, Doris Gardner. Howard Ralston, Richard Barthel. Lucia Gardner, Margaret Jackson, Bessie Eckert and Melville Steil. All children in the grades who acted with the finish of Broadway stars. Nearly all the girls are married now, and even some of the boys, and most of the boys were in the war. From those early days up to the recent successful produc- tiOn of The Merchant of Venice, D by the high school pupils, the old hall has rung with the happy laugh ter of children and grown-ups. Here the younger generations have had the benefit of witnessing higher eX- positions of the histrionic art by older folks, both amateur and pro- fesSional, and have at times listened to musical treats that Outside would not ordinarily be heard in towns of twice the size of Fairbanks. Who does not recall the high-class enter tainments given by the Fairbanks Oratorio Society, such as the Holy
 
 the magnificent direction of Billy Nolan; the Merry Milkmaids" pro- duced by Mrs. Caskey, and said to be the first operatta given in Alaska :; the Little Tycoon" "Pinafore" and other light operas under the direc- tion of Casper Fischer, and with the assistance of such musical favorites as Mrs. Peter Vachon, Mae de Jour nel, Mrs. Romeo Hoyt, Mrs. John Clark, Mrs. Jack Heath, Mrs. J. liar mon Caskey, Mrs. Dr. Bradley, Mrs. Coleman Harry Turnbull, George Noble, Charles Ethelbert Claypool, U. H. Saul, Gilbert Smith, Max Smith, Arthur Lonsdale, Pete Rettig, R. w. Taylor, E. H. Mack, and others too numerous to mention; and with such instrumentaliSts as Casper Fischer, Mrs. Arthur McNeer, Dug Morgan, and Vic Durand And in the way of tragedies. comedies and melo- dramas and minstrel shows, has any one forgotten the snappy stuff put on by Dick Thorne, Mrs. Caskey, Fred Rhind, Frank Hall, Gene Hue kinS, Jim McKeon and Fred Date?