Grand Opera House - April 1901

ALTON, PITCHER

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 7/6/2013 at 18:55:37

WILL BE CLOSED.
Grand Opera House Soon to be Sold or Torn Down.
Dr. Pitcher, at the End of the Show Season Will Dispose of this Losing Investment. Was Formerly a Skating Rink.

Mr. Elliott Alton, who for the last few months has been managing the Grand Opera House has given up the lease and will leave this week for Oklahoma, where he will go into business with his brother who is located there. Three shows which have been contracted for will appear, Mrs. Alton looking after the financial affairs, and then the house will be closed permanently by Dr. Pitcher and either sold outright or the building wrecked and the lot sold for residence purposes.

The opera house was originally built for a skating rink, and when the craze died out it was converted into an opera house. The building as original built together with the added improvements and repairs have cost Dr. Pitcher about $9,000.00. As an opera house it has never paid expenses and as an investment has been a bad one. The property has been renting for $300.00 per year, but in the last ten years, on account of bad management and poor patronage even the real has often been defaulted, until the rent net income has been very low. Dr. Pitcher has gotten tired of paying taxes, repairs and insurance on the property and will at once dispose of it at the best terms he can make. He will sell it as it is at a very low figure or will take down the building, dispose of the lumber and fixtures and put the lot, a full eighty feet on the market.

['Mt. Pleasant Daily News', Thursday, April 4, 1901, page 1]