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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1890)
WEST FIIOUE. CORDRAY'I MUSKB THIATRI. A yew ago there stood on the southeast corner of Third tnd Yamhill streets, In the heart of the business portion of Tort land, a lumber yard occupying a quarter of a bloc k of ground, gurrounded bj a ram-shackle fence and sidewalk and bordered with a few scraggy shade trees. On the same iU now stands Cordray's Muaee-Theatre, a place of amusement that will com taken it, fewer would hart the ability and perseverance Mr. Cordray has exhibited In carrying It to sneers. On the hut page Is given a view of the exterior of this re markabte structure, ehlle sketches of various feature of the Interior accompany this article. Kntering the structure at the corner one finds himself In the muse half of Uie building, surrounded by a gresl number of curious and Interesting objects, to which additions are Ulng pare favorably In point of comfort, completeness In every de- made constantly, the character cf sotne of which msy I seen tail and quality of attractions with any in the United States, In the accompanying sketches. At one end of thts runt U a except a few leading grand opera houses, and possessing some stsge where fur sn hour Is given a variety entertainment of a appointments not to be found In all of those. The builder and manager is Mr. John . Cord ray, a gentleman who has had fifteen years of ex perience in managing combined museums and theatres In New York, Chicsgo, St. Louis and New Orleans. Mr. Cordray is an ener getic man of business, pleasant in manners and possessed of the push and executive ability requi site to the task he has undertaken and is performing that of main taining a first-class place of amuse ment at stricly popular prices. Having secured the ground soken of, Mr. Cordray commenced Die erection of a great tent npon it, the sides being boarded up to a height of twelve feet and the interior be ing divided into two compartments, each having a stage, one for a mis cellaneous show and the other for regular dramatic presentations. The last loud of lumber left the grounds on the fifteenth of June, and on the first of July the house waa 0ened with a large collec tion of musee attractions, an entertaining programme on the first stsge, and the produc tion of "Lynwood" by the Ktaie Tittle I'rarnatlc Com pany, which had been organ ised expressly for this house. This was of itself a won derful accomplishment, but was followed by an achieve ment of enterprise and ex ecutlve management that stands unrivaled in the hUtory of theat rical architecture. That big tent has been converted Into a solid two-story frame high ordrr, which Is highly enjoyed, If tU enthu slum of the crowd may he relied upon. One art or seclaltr follows another In unbroken sot-re sion, the crowd standing with grest pstienre and good humor until the end. The hlgheat class of spec Ultie only are engaged, and th entertain merit, coating only ten rents, Is eqiullolhst given in thl vsudevtlle theatre in the coun try. Peats In the theatre rt from ten to fifty rents, the thir ty rent seats being the ort he tre chairs, I h hl-Ur ones the boiee, and the lower the par quelle and gallery, Al the rlM of tit finl en tertainment the rrotd m Into the theatre p-ojr and Is sested In an orderly and quiet manner, the system of reeerve seal rlt ks and slTu lent s!tl arils preventing sny riifulm of nnpleentne. Here are prtwriU! by an eirelUnl company the favorite drams and cofndu of li day, and the quality of the prf"mft im, as well as the clar of the Mtalillilimanl general ly, Is tttWrd by lh f t that I). mtetllfrlir afi I lutl.Urt of port.'anl may alea-s U sn-rt In the chairs and hn. Thr ati by prjU noting In lh fi't fl'U of solely sre tit-ullf given. II Is ia his rec ce In piaing an en tertainment e-i-uMy at teilv l jU of all r!M that Ml, Co-drey oVrve Ih tovjt r! TU p"p'' t1"' structure, roofed with cwrugated Iron and having an orosmen- Ing from ten to smy rem, u y v, --.,. tal tower and band stand on the corner, without single per- .bib UqwlltyolUenUrtalm.fc sftdU-hlih slcbai formanc being mled. The theatre proper la had It. simple arterc the Uom stt H ! ' dirt rW mr.m e-.fl with common chair, convert! Into aioo w rv so imam an 3CL r : ----- ; ,TtrTv i mm i tms tuosic tv a. tt a .t. ja.i splendid amphiUe.trel au-litoriom, with Urge pilafj 1T TU .W U smp M ynwm ... td by ,ita, and with Vtia aiwl ,enlu bo.ee, and faring t-Vf sla'.t. arvl very night daring the time this work las tn tAt - t- Tl it i '.in i. .-i. i... ...,Ut .UK a d-'l.U-l both al.lirjrns, U Ighul by bvnd-r..t e-tW hghte. dlencwfrom7J0tlllI.o'clk,anI oo the rrrU matinee .hkbl .W .rui TUr ortemoona as well Such a thing never wu apWl Ufore, U, al, m at hnt lew rT and but few men would undertake ha (eat, or Uvbg nUr- Im-ty ui lb. fglu la .1 li- Uap ry U Mti