A Stage for the Falls: The Push for Spokane's First Great Opera House

The Opera House is the chief topic of conversation. Our item on the want of an Opera House has stirred up some of the 'bloated bondholders.' There is no doubt in our mind that Spokane Falls will be one of the best show stands on the line of the Northern Pacific railroad between St. Paul and Portland, as soon as the line is thrown open for travel. The best class of theatrical troupes, minstrels, operas and hall performances will either take this route for San Francisco, via Portland, and thence to the east, or return east after visiting San Francisco via the Union Pacific over this route. It will make no difference in which direction they travel, the managers will always make it a point to stop over at the Falls, knowing that the profits to accrue from a visit here will amply reward them. Our people are liberal patrons of amusements of the higher order, and at no time in the year would it be difficult to secure large audiences. In our present condition, however, the city is not supplied with sufficiently large hall accommodations, and it would be a wise policy if steps were immediately taken to remedy the deficiency. The winter is the season when entertainments mainly travel, and now is the time to push forward the opera house project. We do not claim that a large hall, capable of comfortably seating the audiences that turn out here, would be a paying investment to those who may put money in it, but at a reasonable rent it would be occupied frequently and those who contribute to its construction would not lose anything. We have at least one hall in the city that is a credit to the place as far as its construction and finish is concerned, but on the first occasion of its being thrown open to the public it was clearly demonstrated that it cannot be relied upon to hold the number of people desirous of attending a good performance. We have heard considerable talk indulged in this week that tends to leave the impression that the people are awakening to the importance of having a good large hall. Let the proposition assume a more tangible form than mere street talk. The idea seems to prevail, and a good one it is, by the way, that the most feasible plan to follow would be to organize a joint stock company and issue shares, putting the said shares down so low that anyone and everyone so disposed could contribute to the object. We have not heard a single person oppose such a proposition. On the contrary, men of not only large means but those of limited resources have expressed a willingness to aid the enterprise. While we would like to see a large brick opera house constructed on the plan of metropolitan temples devoted to that purpose, yet the time has not arrived for so expensive a structure, although one of these days we expect to see an opera house reared in our midst that will compare favorably with any in the land. The proposition now is to build a frame structure of one story, large enough to seat 800 or 1,000 people, have it finished and fitted out in good style, making it comfortable and tasty on the interior and neat and attractive on the outside, great care to be taken to furnish easy means of egress, so that no apprehensions need be entertained from a panic. A building of this description can be completed throughout for $6,000, exclusive of the land, a sum that we believe could be raised without difficulty. We hope that some energetic person will set the ball rolling at once, and that the opera house will be completed before cold weather sets in. As we said before, there is nothing big in the project for stockholders beyond the satisfaction of having an opera house, thereby securing the means of passing many pleasant hours during the long winter evenings, a satisfaction in itself that can hardly be measured by the dollar and cent standard.