Alphabet File page 133

  Musical performance-Mr. R. Maynard

  Grand Finale-------Holiday on the Plantation

  Chorus------------by all hands

  Darkey's Band, chorus-W. Peirce, P. Combel, Jno. Clark, L. Norris, J. Patterson, Robt. Maynard, W. Yenni, M. N.,J. N.

  The minstrel performance pleased every one present, Messre. Jno. Clark and Paul Combel making a decided hit as end men. Mr. Warren Peirce's appearance as interlocutor was without fault.  The singing was well applauded and the jokes all new and original.

  "Holiday On The Plantation" was splendidly rendered and was alone worth the price of admittance. Aunt Dinal was a prominent character and elicited great applause.  Mr. Patterson gave a pretty exhibition of clogging and dancing. Mr. Maynard's musical exhibition was a display of good musical talent and skill. The coffee and cake table was ably presided over with becoming grace by Miss Melanie Gragnon. The proceeds of the entertainment will be appropriated to build a home and for the benefit of Mrs. Domingue, an aged and poor woman, of Bay St. Louis, who is really deserving of the charity. (SCE 11/26/1892)

 

Firemen's hall - The Christmas tree entertainment at Firemen's hall cleared the handsome sum of fifty dollars. (SCE 01/07/1893)

 

The Fire Company are making extensive preparations for their twenty-third anniversary ball, to be given next Saturday night.  The services of a brass band has been secured and nothing has been left undone that will tend to make the event one of enjoyment and brilliancy.  The refreshment tables will be conducted by the ladies who have charge of the tables at the Ladies' Minerva Association's ball.  (SCE 04/08/1893)

 

  FIREMAN'S HALL

 

  A fair size audience assembled at Fireman's hall Monday evening to witness "A Kiss in the Dark" by local amateur talent, the proceeds of the entertainment to be appropriated to the public park.

 

A few minutes after 8 o'clock the performance was in progress, ending at about 9 o'clock. The character of the play was one void of interest and a play not adaptable to show the fine talent by which it was executed. Professionals could play "A Kiss in the Dark" and never make a success of it.

 

The Promote Band furnished an abundance of good music and the fair and gallant enjoyed the delights of Terpsichorean art until a late hour. The ball was a perfect social success, and the whole affair financially good, so we are told. (SCE 09/23/1893)

 

Gardebled, Mr. E. C.,  representing the I.H.H. and L. Fire Co., and known as "Fireman's Hall", paid off the last mortgage, amounting to $78.70, on Monday last.  The building is now totally free from debt. (SCE 1-13-1894)

 

FIRES

 

  1879, "The largest hotel in town was burned to the ground seven years ago"  L & N RR publication 1886. (What Hotel)

 

  1881, Burned the L & N bridge.

 

  1893, Burned the L & N bridge.

 

  1894, Feb.  burned 506 S. Beach and many others.  Who?

 

  1927, Sep. 4, Burned Main to A & G. Theatre

 

1907, November 16, 5 AM. Burned or damaged:

• Opera House (immediately south of Merchants Bank)
• Clifton Hotel
• Clifton House Annex (Pavillion, east side of Front St).
• studio of Charles Butler
• Res and Bus of A. Weinberg
• St. Joseph Academy,
• Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church.
• Catholic Rectory,
• Planchet building occupied by King’s Daughters Library.
• H.S. DeGillum Store
• Thomas Reed Drug Store
• Office of Dr. Turner
• Three buildings owned by Mrs. Planchet
• Miss Josie Walch’s News Stand (east side of Front St).
• A fruit Stand (east side of Front St). owner?
• J. W, Watts’ Machine Shop
• Thos. W. Evans Drug Store (east side of Front St).

The Echo account of the above fire of Nov 16, 1907 read:

Every building was burned between Union St and the L & N Railroad except the W. J. Gex home and Merchants Bank. It was noted that the fire was first seen by a baker who reported it to the telephone company who called Mr. Osoniach. While he tried to fight the fire his brother attempted to sound the bells at OLG but the rope normally left on the outside of the tower for such use was not there. There was a light breeze from the north. The opera building, which was completed about 1 year ago at a cost of approximately $15,000.

• Clifton House
• Studio of Charles A. Butler
• Res and Bus of A. Weinberg
• St. Joseph’s
• Our Lady of the Gulf
• Res of Ref Father Prendergast & Husser
• Planchet Building occupied on 1st floor by Kosminsky & Layman, dry goods and on the 2nd floor by Cumberland Telephone Co. as central exchange.
• Planchet Residence
• Planchet building occupied by
• Kings Daughters Public Library
• Beach Side of Front Street
• Planchet buildings (3) occupied by
• Store of H. S. DeGillum
• Thomas Reed Drug Store
• Dr. R. J. Turner’s office
• Newsstand of Miss Josie Welch
• J. W. Watts Machine Shop
• Thomas Evans Drug Store building owned by Elisabeth Feahny.

(No mention was made of Osoinach’s store of beach side but the Bay Mercantile operation in the Opera House building was listed as the site of the origin of the fire.

(Gulfport Daily Record-Tribune among other sources, VF MJS VIII 00271)

 

This morning a fire was discovered about 5 o'clock in Osoinach's Theatre (Opera House).  Immediately north of the big Opera House was located the Merchants Bank while in the same yard, a little westward, stood the handsome home of Walter Gex, the well known attorney. Across the street were located Evans Drug Store, an annex to the Clifton House, a fruit stand, and Miss Josie Welch's Book Store.  South of the Opera House extending to the corner of Union Street where the fire was finally brought under control, stretched a number of costly buildings including the Clifton Hotel, St. Joseph's Convent, the Catholic Church, the Planchet Store building, and a number of private dwellings.  The Bay is supplied with very poor fire fighting apparatus and still poorer system of water works.  It was only the wide sweep of open country between the Bank and the Pickwick Hotel that kept the latter from going also.  The Markey House (Crescent Hotel), one of the old landmarks was gone and the Convent building (St. Joseph's), loved and revered by every Bay St. Louisian - also the Church of Our Lady of the Gulf.  Osoinach's Opera House was of recent construction at a cost of $12,000.  It is said to be insured for about $4,000.  The Merchants Bank was completed about six months ago of brick and cost $10,000.  The Convent consisted of several buildings worth in the neighborhood of $18,000 to $20,000.  The Church was a venerable old pile and, together with the rectory, cost about $20.000.  (Gulfport: The Daily Record-Tribune, Sat. Nov. 16, 1907).

 

Conflagration originating from unknown causes destroyed a business portion of Bay St. Louis, including St. Joseph's Academy and Church of Our Lady of the Gulf.  Losses will reach $250,000.  The fire originated in the Bay Mercantile Co. building on the ground floor of the Opera House owned by John Osoinach.  Buildings burned and damaged:

   - Opera House

   - Clifton Hotel

   - Studio of Chas. A. Butler

   - Residence and business of A. Weinberg

   - St. Joseph's Academy

   - Church of Our Lady of the Gulf

   - Catholic Rectory

   - Planchet Building occupied by King's Daughters Library H. S. DeGillum Store

   - Thomas Reed Drug Store

   - Dr. Turner's office

   - Three buildings owned by Mrs. Planchet Miss Josie Welch's News Stand

   - J. W. Watts' Machine Shop

   - Thos. W. Evans Drug Store

With this conflagration is wiped away one of the oldest landmarks:  Father Leduc's beautiful Church of Our Lady of the Gulf with its four dialed town clock and the Bells (a gift from Mrs. Schiller), which for all these years sounded the different events - joyous and solemn - as was their office to do.  There was something almost human when the church clock struck 7:30 just as the steeple which encased it crumbled and fell.  (Sea Coast Echo - Nov. 16, 1907).