Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1859 — THE GREAT OPERA HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE GREAT OPERA HOUSE.

The Cincinnati papers during the past few weeks have had an unusual number of complimentary notices of the Opera House in that city, recently erected by a wholesale liquor dealer. The papers say that thebuild,ng is the. largest one inj the world built by a private individual, and that the gorgeous style of its architecture aim fini h surpasses anything of the kind in this country. It is an imiuen.se affair, and has cost an| : immense amount of money. But the. aforesaid papers, while they have - been, showering their com pii merit ary not ices upon the proprietor, forget to inform the public how he procured the money with which to erect such a house, although the sequel can be found by turning to the advertising columns of any of the Cincinnati dailies, where his card, as “wholesale dealer in Magnolia Whisky.” can be seen. The papers praise the proprietor for his ‘public sjiirit, in ejecting a colossal building .that is. an ornament to the city, but say nothing ot'ihc destroying spirit which be lias been Sending forth broadcast oVer the hand for years,-carrying misery, crime and hope,less degradation in its train, robbing virtue of her honor, plunging helpless orphan children into squalid want, nerving the assassin’s trembling hand to of blood, and polluting everything that' eorhes in contact with its-blighting} maddening breath. The Opera House was dedicated some two or three Weeks ago by that celebrated songstress, Piceuldmin, find the unrivaled mukic hall was crowded to overflowing with the “.upper ten” of Cincinnati. Fashionable clergymen were, there-; successful swindlers and blacklegs were there, and all who pride in the -‘best, society” of the “Queen of the West” were there. The dedication was a success, and the manager lined his pockets with gold. The writer of this was. present in spirit on the occasion, though not in body. As f stood on the pavement on the opposite side of. th * s'reet from the Great

Building, watching the long rows of costly j carriages, with richly-caparisoned steeds and t servants in liveries, depositing their loads of human frailties on the sidewalk in front, and observing the diamonds, precious stones and golden trinkets that ornamented the ladies sparkle and dance in the gas-light as they ascended the hihiad staircase, I fell into a, deep reverie, and wondered how much suffering the Great Building had cost. I cast my eyes up and gazed at the immense pile of brick and stone and mortar,admiring its beautiful proportions and elegant appearance. Presence a sadness came over my feelings, which cannot rationally be accounted for, and that noble-looking building vanished from my view, and in it place appeared a gigantic pyramid of ghastly human skulls, from the staring eye-sockets of which were flowing rivers of tears —tears of starving wives and starving orphans—and oti the lace of the pyramid, midway between top and bottom, was this inscription in blazing characters,.each letter formed by one or more imps ot Satan, placed in hideously grotesque attitudes:

‘‘MONUMENT TO THE PUBLIC SPIRIT OF ' : Just then tiie spirit of the immortal Coleridge whispered in. my car: “Myself, I named him on.ee below, And all tiie souls that damned bo i.Tap'd u j) at once in anarchy, Clapp’d their hands and daifced for give. , They no longer heeded mo, -?■ But laughed to hear hell’s burning rafters Unwillingly re-echo laughters!” I walked away in anguish of heart from tiiis horrid sight, ami entered the Great Building. I ran up the broad staircase as last as my trembling limbs could carry me, presented a -dollar tit the door, and passed into the spacious hall ami sat down in a richly-cushioned seat. Presently the orchestra struck up. and that divine songstress sang so sweetly that 1 soon forjjot the horrid scene just witnessed; but in a . - short time the same fearful sensations returned with redoubled horrors. High above the music and rich melody of Piccolomini were heard the mournful Wail of the drunkard’s widow, and the harrow mg erv of the drunkard’s children; and the murderer’s curse was comingled with the victim’s plea for mercy. Shriek--on shriek, groan on groan, went up, resounding through the vast hail with awful minuteness. I cast my eyes on the 'brilliant chandeliers, in order if possible, to attract my attention front the wails and cries and shrieks; but there—Ob! horror of horrors!—l; saw the victim - of the public spirited proprietor of the Great Huti.-e. Helpless women were there, with the life -current flowing from the wounds made by thd .assassin's knife in the drunkard’s hand. Bfaddy lu-.ids- were there, with tlie skull mashed into jelly—bloodyfnecks, w i.tb ghastly j cuts from ear to. ear—bloody bodies, hacked and chopped in'a horrid manner. T.h!e soul sickened, and 1 .shut 'my eyes in the vein endeavor to close out the diabolical scene. But this was not ,-ell. A far more awful s'giit was that of once innocent children—sons and daughters grown up in misery am! crime—thieves, robbers, pros!iUtele's, murderers ami m-me-':: . Am! all tie* while little imps, With lyatfisorn-■ and hideously grinning faces, were flitting between the- brilliant lights of the magnificent chandeliers, gloating with fiii'cnia! satisfaction on the victims of ihejihb ic spirited, wlio erected that Great Building on the ruined fortunes and blighted hopes oi his fellow mortals—who has steamboats and babies named after him, and is complimented by I the press. Aye, those imps were grinning exultantly over their victims in this Great House. They knew that every*brick in its walls was washed by the orphan’s tears— ; that every nail went crushing through the! widow’s heart, 'i hey knew that- every cent invested in this Great House was the wages ! of sin-,' and therefore the imps rejoiced, if such Can rejoice. The orchestra went on, and the heavenly singing of the sweet Italian songstress continued; but. high above all sound were those heart-breaking wails and,cries and sobs, and (■lie. fearful sights increased in an hundredfold vividness of horror. Still I was fixed to the spot by this awful enchantment, ami it seemed impossible to leave the place of untold woe. 1 made almost a superhuman effort to rise to my feet and flee 'the place—great drops of blood were on my lor'head—one more desperate struggle, and I aWuke. Thank God! it was But a dream.