The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-11-20
Frederic Haskin's Lette,
The Recreation Of the Saints.

Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. lS.--'
Very seldom do you md church
authorities in the entertainment
business, running playhouses and
amusement parks. hiring chorus
girls and handling contracts for
roller coasters and merry go
rounds. At least, these things are
not included in the average preach
er's duties. Which ID regrettable,
because in Salt Lake City the Nor
| mons have demonstrated that
church elders may handle such at
fairs with special skill.
| Nearly all OF the recreation T.
cilities here are owned and man
aged by the Latter Day Saints. The
Salt Lake City theatre is operated
/ by the Mormon church, which is
not at all opposed to farces and
| musical comedies; most Of the
dance halls of the city are provided
by it; and Saltair, the local summer
resort located on the Great Salt
lake. is under Mormon manage
ment.
The various dances which have
from time to time occupied the
.candalized attention of other re-
Yigious sects, have never created a
stir in Salt Lake City. They are
taken as a matter of course, and
dancing is held to be a worthy pur-
suit Of man, pleasing in the sight
Of the Lord. At least three nights
week dances are held in connec-
ton with the Mormon houses OF
worship, and the seal Of churchly
approval bestowed upon them by
an opening prayer.
1t is greatly to the credit OF the
Saints that they have never been
narrow minded on the subject Of
recreation. Brigham Young always
held that it was as essential to hu-
man existence as food and air and
hence deserved the highest consid-
Grafton. The first public buildings
to be erected in Salt Lake City by
the Mormon pioneers we're church
and schooihouse. The next was
a theatre-a quaint little hall
which is still standing and in good
condition. Here the Mormon farm
era gave their own theatrical per-
formances until their audiences
outgrew the little hall Then Brig
ham Young huilt the Salt Lake
theatre. large playhouse designed
! for professional as we'll as amateur
performances, and confiscated the
little playhouse for a private school
for his numerous children. Doubt
less they, too. in time, outgrew its
meager dimensions.
An Historic Theatre.
The Salt Lake theatre, which re-
sembles an old wartime wood-cut of
Eord's theatre in Washington, is
one Of the most interesting institu-
tons in the city. 1t is the second
oldest theatre in America. the old
est being the Walnut Street theatre
in Philadelphia. Although it re-
ceives all the latest hits from New
York. it belongs obviously to the
early period of the American
drama. You feel. in wandering
about its shabby old galleries, that
it must find the modern drama
rather bewildering and that its an
cient timbers often sigh for the old
days of Booth and Barrett.
Down in it's cellar are many rel
les Of this period; for at time
when the fashionable churches of
the east were refusing even to bury
theatrical folk. the Mormons were
/, producing everything from Shake
speare to popular burlesque. These
relics, which some day are to be
gathered together and housed in an
appropriate museum, are now care
lessly scattered about the various
underground property rooms. hay
ing dirt floors and ceilings of
wooden rafters.
| From such a dusty compartment
the present-day property man, who
conducted US about the theatre.
drew forth a wooden cradle of the
American colonial period.
"This," he said, "is the cradle in
which Maude Adams made her de-
but on the stage. It was just by
chance she got the part" he con-
tinued, "for at the last minute the
property man could not locate the
usual rag doll, and the play could
not proceed without at least the
suggestion of a baby. Someone ran
into the green-room and grabbed
Maude from her mothers arms and
carried her on. They say she act
ed admirably, keeping perfectly
quiet while the leading lady moan
ed over her and everything"
The Salt Lake theatre seems to
have been Brigham Young's pet
hobby. According to the property
man, he used it somewhat as pri-
vate club. spending a great deal Of
his time there. He had secret en-
trance all his own, the use of which
our guide did not make quite clear,
and even today the old cellar con-
tains collection of his furniture,
bedsteads, made with rawhide
nails; an old fashioned organ, which
was dragged across the plains with
the first band Of pioneer Mormons:
some old horsehair chairs. and an
ancient spinning wheel, treasured
because it was the property of Jo-
seph Smiths mother.
Brigham Helped Design II.
"The theatre was ventilated in
those days." explained the prop
erty man, through a wooden pas
sage connected with the street.
which was designed by Brigham
Young. The only Improvement