Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 304, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1916 — A New Hotel and Theatre Needed Here. [ARTICLE]

A New Hotel and Theatre Needed Here.

Editor Republican, Dear Sir: It was with regret that I noticed in your paper the passing of that stupendous historical and educational film, “The Birth of a Nation,” for want of adequate opera house facilities. It is not only to be regretted in this one case 'but the thousands that might have been or are yet to come. There is an educated film and theatrical loving population in this vicinity of about 3,000 persons, old and young, who patronize our movie shows and small theatrical performances which happen this way. But the audiences are discriminating and one has (but "to attend such films' as the “Hoosier School Master,” or any standard writer’s work of stage, film or historical production and you will see an appreciative audience of old and young who have read up on these and who know by experience or reading what they see or the value thereof.

Often, when these great works of are, history, travel science, music or comedy are produced in larger cities many^of our theatre loving population travel thereto at much expense to witness them. I venture to say that if we had a modem theatre of 1,200 or 1,500 capacity, roomy, well heated, lighted and ventilated, and of good stage capacity, that we could reverse that migration* and draw < a full house from our neighboring towns and farms. Many of our residents and rural neighbors who have an abundance of first class literature to draw a good story from, seldom have the opportunity to see it depicted in life upon a stage. This is a progressive age and it is a far step from the primitive cabin of the forest to the palatial home of today. The stage coach and aeroplane, the old lamp lit stage and the mod? em electrically equipped theatre. 'Rensselaer has within the last few years taken on some of this spirit of progress and is building modem homes by modem methods, churches, hospitals, beautiful streets, etc. A hotel was recently talked of and I now ask, why can’t our public spirited citizen or citizens do as other cities are doing, 'by combining both hotel and theatre under one roof, thus being able to heat and light the same by power installed for both. A half dozen sitore rooms on the ground floor would be appreciated by enterprising merchants and would be a constant source of income. Where would we find a better source of advertising our city than by the traveling publ lie? Many a commercial salesman will not stop in a dead town over night if a live one is his next sitop. Our summer tourists and concert crowds would be a great source of revenue for summer vaudeville and films in such a house. Would you not rather know that you are taking your friends, mother, father, wife or children to a comfortable, fire-proof theatre than to run the risk of another Iroquois theatre disaster. Safety first always. There is much local capital lying dormant or at best drawing 3 per cent. \Vould it not ibe best to invest it to double advantage in a venture of this kind ? Our local talent is a credit to us and had we given the recent “Fi-iFi” entertainment in a larger, safer opera house they would have played to capacity houses. Should we not encourage this local talent by better facilities for showing it? I hope this may instil progress on this line in some patriotic promoter. s » —Contributed.