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Show ' FISK'S FOLLY. The New York correspondent of the Troy Times writes that it is a question what will become of the Grand Opera House, and says: "Perhaps "Per-haps it might be turned to ft religious service, just as the oid Chatham street chapel whs formed out ol" a disused theatre. At any rate, the Erie Railway Rail-way Company is desirous lo dispose of the opera house, and any religious j societv would find it a capital place of j imeet:ug. There is hardly a church I lin Ei thin Avenue at least within a I mile ot this spot and hence it might thus aiibrd excellent service. It may be added in this connection that the ; railroad company has now possession 1 ol nearly all of F:sk's real esta'e. It i was conveyed in tho nine-million ; surrender made by Jay Gould, who j had the control of it. This includes I the opera house and the row of cot-1 cot-1 tayes which reactied down almost to Jusie Mansfield's former palace. It is very fine property, but cannot be rented except at a loss. Fisk's management man-agement of the opera house was very adroit. In making the purchase all thai he paid down was stolen from the Erie Company, and then he lei the building to this very company at i $75,000 a year, reserving the open: house for himself. As the latter wai estimated at $25,000, it made ar annual rental of $100,000. The com mm-did imt ntci! this rxand building It was simply a plan of Fisk's to unite busmen and pleasure. He wished to avoid the keen eyo of down-town observation, ob-servation, and by establishing an empire ol lust and profit in a distant spot, he placed himself in a proud independence of the world. To increase in-crease his glory he assumed command nf the Ninth regiment, which wasj equipped with tho Erie funds. All j was going on well till a half ounce of; lead stopped his course. Fisk in the profligacy, in tho boldness of his crime, and the bravado which he displayed, dis-played, waa a revival of the old buccaneers. bucca-neers. As they held a mastery of the seas, so he held mastery over the Erie road and the Gold Room, until a more desperate villain his quietus made with a bare bullet. The company has resumed the down-town offices, which Fisk vacated, and tho grand establishment estab-lishment now stands empty. It is offered to tenants in convenient subdivisions, sub-divisions, and the financial office would make a good banking-room. Fisk expended $60,000 in safes, and I his other alterations were at an expense of about $150,000 all thrown away." |
