Evening star., 1945-10-14

Monday afternoon and night, Capers
Tuesday ~MiEado
WednesdayC Chimes OF Normandy
Thursday ------------------G Grofa
Friday Mascot
Admission (reserued seats) 1Oc and 25c
And also If any one has a doubt as
to the quality of these performances,
the writer is ready to testify, from per-
sonal knowledge that they were about
as good as those given by any light
opera company of that day or since, and
that the lover of music got decidedly
more than his moneys worth. OF
course, it was not Metropolitan Grand
Opera, and no one expected to it to be,
and II it had been, many who did at
tend would not have done so, for the
lighter strains of opera generally seem
10 draw the larger crowd in Washington.
Perhaps some of the present genera
ton do not know just where Herzogs
was located while others, of course,
when in reminiscent mood, take pleas
ure in telling their children-and maybe
grandchildren-of the many times they
attended shows there, even before they
were married, and witnessed such per-
formances as THE Two Orphans"
"Finnigan's Ball" Hoyt's "a Cotented
Woman" and other plays-some better
and some worse, depending upon the
liberality or severity of ones criticism.
Herzog's Opera House
The building known as HerZog's Ninth
Street Opera House stood at the north
east corner of Ninth and D streets, from
1868 to 1886, when it was destroyed
by fire, though the main hall was not
for that entire time used as theater,
being for quite while used for concerts
and lectures.
The structure, which covered the en-
tire site of the present building, was
built in 1869 by the local branch of
the Young Mems Christian ASsocia-
ton, mainly through the efforts of Rev.
DR.. George Hall, general secretary of
that organization, A. S. Pratt being
among the local citizens who contrib
uted literally to the project. The build
ing was erected by Joseph S. Collins,
Washington contractor, and from the
first it was known as Lincoln Hall
The site selected for the hall was then,
and had been for long time, occupied
by the pretentious home of Hudson
Taylor, one of Washington's early book
sellers. The house stood back from the
street, we are told, and had quite a
large garden with some fine old trees
growing on It," one of which, a beauti-
full ash, was sold to Samuel Kirby when
the grounds were being cleared. Being
q cabinetmaker, Mr.. Kirby made the
wood into furniture.
YMCA Quarters
Upon the completion of Lincoln Hall
In 1869-the year it was formally dedi-
cated-the Young Mems Christian As
ISOLATION took up its headquarters in
the building, where it maintained its
parlors and lecture rooms, and where
were heard lectures by such celebrated
speakers as Henry Ward Beecher, T.
De Witt Talmage and Frederick Doug
lass. Later the great diva, Christine
Nilsson, sang here in concert, and to
vary the program, on January 81, 1880,
the National Woman's Suffrage Conven-
ton was held here, and a few days
later meeting was held in this hall in
favor OF suffrage for the District. On
December 5, 1885, the Fifth Annual
here, and it was also in the old building
that the project for erecting Garfield
Memorial Hospital was crystallized, at a
mass meeting held on the evening of
October S, 1881, less than month after
the death of President Garfield.
For many years the third floor of this
building was used as the headquarters
of the Grand Army of the Republic, and
this and other tenants finally crowded
out the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton, whose struggle to carry on here
was not successful. Evidently the Grand
Army of the Republic also vacated at
an early date, for in 1881 we find the
two upper floors being taken by Prof
Henry c. Spencer for his Spencerian
Business College, and it was in his
classrooms on the corner that many of
Washington's most successful men ac-
quired their business education.
Early Attractions
In 1884, the main hall in the building
was rented to Daniel Herzog of Ba1ti-
more, who opened in that year what
became known as Herzog's Ninth Street
Opera House. The attractions here in
cluded nearly everything theatrical
comedy, tragedy, burlesque, drama,
melodrama and all kinds of musical
shows. 1t was not long, however, before
Herzog was succeeded in the manage
ment of the house by Joseph K. Stras-
burger, with j. M. Davis as treasurer.
1t was while Mr.. Strasburger was
managing the theater that 1t caught
fire early on the morning of December
5. 1886, and was completely destroyed,
leaving only the bare walls of the once
superb Lincoln Hall.
Odd Fellows Hall
Old Odd Fellows Hall, which occupied
the site Of the present Odd Fellows
Building on Seventh street between D
and e streets, will also awaken fond
memories Of the past, for here were