Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-24

'NN1AlNN MY N'tif teff 10y INV
gs. 1874. Wilmington was aroe with
excited interest over the formal Open
lnE uf tho Masonic Temple and the
GRAND Opera House, an event tna, had
tecn anticipated for several weeks. or.
ia fact. several months, while tho new
huliding was In course OF construction.
Tho splendid structure was tho larg-
est building in the state, and It had /
been long in building SO that every
one almost had watched grow from
day 60 day until at length it wak turn
cd over by the builders AS a Wonder
tai structure. and Il was Judged by /
tho standards of the period which |
brought u forth.
n was. az the date OF its opening, |
cute outside of the business cehtro, I'm
tact. SO far removed from tho heart /
ui Wilmington activities Ahat a was
referred Co as being IN the country. a
TACT which worked 60 its financial |
harm when tenants were sought for l
1ih stores. as the city had but about /
$4,000 inhabitants so years ago, and /
The erection OF so large and well ap |
pointed house might have been de- |
torred for several years had not the |
Intcrcsta OF the Masonic .frutcrnity |
been enlisted An the great step for |
ard. Co include a playhouse In the /
tymplv ~ the order. W was b risky |
Undertaking. and might have hank |
rnptod % private individual had he |
Ncnturcd on such an Improvement OF |
what the cautious business man would |
hnto regarded. go Ear ahead of It's
umr
Previous 80 ibo completion of tho I
uprm iluuso. dramatic pcrimhan,cs /
and vunvVtta Wptr held IN tho WI. 1
miuNbn iuaiitutr nuw tho ttcs IT, /
NrHN bi urhih and Market strcrts |
Whlh, although large enough to ar- /
tUinnludAiu nulv than 500 nupsis unuu /.
inU uUDaaiun w the hnnuuct rlvun m 7.
lunur of lntmur PRESIDENT iirants |
Nfit GOO Wilmington, lt Waa udi cum /
iuiiahir mon property vousiruNod tor |
ihpaifp The drhwailr md rni. |
isf attractions had hovn pra,lcualy |
HWliUd from fhird and i<ing aircrta. /
Whrlv lh Rn odd iollnWs' iiall the, |
Nhh huru held and whore oN,n the /
NhtHi tinNtta ANA musicians W 30
iraia aeu Wetr huAld
nnu NJ nrsi ~ rla,hos,.s,
ihU uHnd uprih llousr Vat q de A.,
''uul 1dtauDp u,o Nutthing Iof the !
NWu Wilmington hNd D,U nad or
HIWNHl nNt uihti ,ltN Jul that mattcr
HNu Whtn iht vutnluu Mas Hnupunved
lhi lFuNlu Wyfu hppn tnt tho nrii view
W ihr iulfiiuN Whlph had hoes deco.
rated hN iUadina painters 90 tpe dav
while iN0 spirnuid dlnn yurthia stood
HH lht hNhrsi achievement fi that
Nih W Wulh lNurt dpinu lpl thr /
huU. Waa W heDnlnF with tir fea
iHlns NOTED hnd Wlmlngtod had |
NHh cause in hn proud uf hpt homo |
iof RWuspmrntn
RhuHe who toUaN the ononlhr dc.
1tp that thry can convey no idea of
thp vtEci, dcnsc, pushing crowd that
tnuhhl admission 90 the opening fnnc.
tiuN % promenade concert ada hall
Nn ihc v'vninH uf Friday. necon,hcr
lNtl hut local paper if that
loriud accurately reflects fht pride
nnd interest ct tho public in this nov
rmpl" oi Masonry and tho arts. Part
" The report ~ quoted from tht Every
fNVnlug of December 2S. tS7ie
last night tho Grand New Opera
tlouso Of the now Masonic Temple
was formally opened. according 10
announcement bv promcnadc
concert. Though the performance
was not 90 commence unhu 4
O'Clock, such was tho popular de- :
sire 90 see the interior OF tho
lons -tooked-for theatre that the
people commenced dropping lin hv
O'Clock. and by . O'Clock ;he
sallery and parquct circle was
pretty fairly filed. in one sense
very fairly. since many of VIII
rington's faircsi daughters lent
their smiles 10 brighten tho oc-
'asion, ana quite a nUmbdr of
beautiful and stylish ladies were
there from other cities.
shortly after O'Clock Nc
'mss splendid orchestra. Which
was stationed I'm the end df the
lCft dress circle nearest the ktare.
struck up the music The whole
parquCt had. OF course. been COW
erred by a temporary floor which
stretched back nearly 10 the end
OF tho stgrc. aud in tho laitdr the
scenery was - arranged ms To
close q entirely across. cNcebt aa
open archway az tho back. Though
which. as tho music struck up.
hlCd in tho promcnaders. appar-
entity an almost endless host, led
through the labarNnthinc ihazcs
uf the Grand march hy Cdoncl
~ n. Hcisler and Miss Zilphd I'd
wards ut Philadelphia.
The march was living paacant
oi moving beauty. aud the gny
mungling uf colurs The htirht
hkhtA th' fich fronts oi the pros
oonium boxes and the handsunc
scenery, through which ;hcl eve
seemed 90 see through far auav
archwhy n pleasant country All
combined 10 mako the scene one
~ unminslcd delight TO all who
looked upon a.
The music was. of course de-
ilehttul, McClurg's orchestra
plays not otherwise. and the pro
gram was as follows.
Selections from "Purisan's
Daughter"
Rage OF America. scllo-
comic Fantasia.
Amazon Galop," from Faust"
Aria from "Ernani."
sweet Spirit. Hear My Prayer"
arranged b. McCiurg.
S,lcctiona from "Gencvicve de
lirahsnt" aud from "Belisar."
selection: I'VE Have Met. We
Have Loved We Have Parted"
The concert closed Jus, before II
o'clock and promptly az IL the
trumpet sounded the call for the
dancers 10 take their places for
the opening quadrille. All, then
"A thousand hearts beat happily
and when
Music arcs, with ita Vol,,p.uoux