Opera House
[MANNING'S OPERA HOUSE.]
Winfield Courier, September 9, 1880.
It has ever been the pride of the press and citizens of Winfield to point to our magnificent opera house, our fine church buildings, residences, and business houses; also, our new hotel and school houses, now in course of construction, with a great deal of satisfaction.
But now comes Col. Manning with his usual energy and enterprise, and proposes to expend over fifteen hundred dollars for the improvement and finish of his opera house.
Mr. Barclay is now engaged putting in gas, the pipes and jets being nearly all completed. Two large twelve-light chandeliers will light up the audience room, with the assistance of side burners and foot lights. The stage and dressing rooms are also furnished with sufficient light.
This morning Messrs. Tschudi & Blomberg, fresco painters and scenic artists, of Cincinnati, Ohio, commenced the frescoing and painting of the entire opera house, and the re-painting of all old scenery, with the addition of quite a number of new scenes.
It was these gentlemen who did the work on the opera house at Wichita and many of our citizens know the quality and style of their work; hence we can safely say our opera house will be well done. Long live the Colonel and may his public enterprise never grow dim.
Telegram.
---
Arkansas City Republican, April 10, 1886.
The Winfield Visitor tells us that if there is a city in the state of Kansas cursed with an illy ventilated, miserable fire trap for an opera house, it is Winfield. When one goes into it to attend an entertainment, he risks his life. Let a fire break out in the old rookery some night, when a good sized audience is seated therein, and a third of the people will either be trampled to death, maimed for life, or probably meet that most horrible fate, that is ever an unfortunate man
=s lot, to be burned to death. The people of the city have long enough put up with this Afire trap.@Come down to Arkansas City, the metropolis of Cowley County, friend Allison, and you will see a first-class opera house. Our city has long since discarded her poor buildings.