Great Falls tribune., 1922-02-19

, the Queen city of Montana, and Of
Butte, the foremost mining camp and
cosmopolitan place in the United States.
But of course a majority of the people
present belonged to Great Falls, the
bone and sinew of the town. Those
who have been instrumental in making
our city what it is today-the business
men and the neutrality-suspicious. every
shade of life were there with their
lies. 1t is estimated there were about
1,4OO people in the house When the
opening addresses were made. Every
ticket was sold and number of those
present had to be accommodated with
chairs. The boxes also were occupied.
There was fair sprinkling of dress
suits among the male portion of the
audience while a great many ladies
were attired in evening costumes.
Quite number of ladies in the parquet
were without bonnets, an innovation
ers were all remarkably polite in their
attentions to everybody and deserve
great praise for the able manner in
which they seated the crowd without
undue confusion.
The Speaking
"It was 8:45 when Manager G. G.
Mcdonald stepped before the curtain
and in few words welcomed all pres
ent, then introduced A. J. Shores, who
was to make the presentation speech
on the part Of the opera house COM
pany. The latter, who was warmly
received, made a short but impressive
address. He spoke of the rapid man
ner in which Great Falls had grown
from q prairie town to a promising
city, paying at the same time, a merited
compliment to the genius and foresight
of Paris Gibson, who had worked so
faithfully to advance the city to such
stage that an opera house had be-
come a necessity. He told how Min
neapolis was city of $4,000 before
such theater as this could be built,
and how ST. Paul, old, rich and pro
gressive city that it is. finds it diff
cult matter to raise S1O5,00O with which
to build a suitable convention hall
for the prospective democratic conven-
ton. This opera house. like the city
in which it was built. should be the
wonder and the admiration of all. The
pride manifested in this handsome
temple dedicated to the drama should
not be confined to the people of the
city, but should extend all over the
state. Hoping that all meetings held
within its walls would be as peaceful
as the mighty river close to town. the
speaker closed his address in behalf
of the opera house company.
MIR. Mcdonald then stepped upon
the stage and said as it took lawyer
TO reply to a lawyer. he would intro
duce Hon. E. y. Weed of Helena. who
would accept the opera house for the
people of the city and state. The gift
ed orator was greeted with applause as
he stepped before the curtain from an
adjoining box and replied to Mr..
Shores address on behalf of the people.
He said the people of this community
were not alone TO be congratulated
on the completion of such magnifi-
cent structure to be devoted to play.
but that the whole state should re
joice. The city of Great Falls was
a marvel to ali who lived in the west
and had few rivals in pluck and en-
ergy. With other compliments to the
city and to the opera house company.
Mr.. Weed closed. thanking all for the /
honor that had been conferred upon !
him.
'.All this time the handsome drop !
curtain. fresh from the hands of the !
artist, had been covered with white /
muslin so no one could see the beau I
tifui scene thereon. When the speak +
ing had concluded ii was deftly removed .
and the picture of Two Medicine burst !
into view. The audience broke into .
applause. which was continued The !
opera house orchestra struck up a |
medley and everybody prepared for the /
play to follow by adjusting their opera |
glasses and inspecting their programs. I
The Canuck" deserves all that has |
been written about it as being first t
class dialect piece. full of comedy and .
possessing the usual fascination of I
Mckee Rankins plays. 1t was liber |
ally applauded all through. The Dan !
ties will be given tonight. !
The balcony is provided with good /