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Show WHO OWNS THE OPERA HOUSE? (Brigham City Correspondence.) The Brigham City opera house was built by the people a great many years ago. It was erected upon the "Main square" of Brigham City by the people for public amusement. An examination of the records in the recorder's record-er's office of Box Eldpr county discloses the fact that in the early days the city obtained a patont from the United States covering the "Main square" and other city property, which patent was issued in the name of the mayor of Brigham City. The mayor, Reese, on the 2nd day of August, Au-gust, IS7G, conveyed this "Main square" and all other city squares, parks and streets to the Brigham Brig-ham City corporation. The city's title to the "Main square" is exactly the same that it has to each and every street and park and square in Brigham City. On the 2Gth day of May, 1900, a pretended deed was filed and recorded covering the "Main square." The grantee named in the deed was the old "Co-op.," or the B. C. M. & M. A. It purports pur-ports to be a mayor's deed. There were no witnesses wit-nesses to it. No resolution authorized it. The mayor, whose name appeared upon, the deed, has been dead for years. The notary, who is claimed to have acknowledged the deed, had been dead for years. The original map in the recorder's office of-fice was' lost and a new map was filed, showing the "Main square" to 'be divided into lots. Certain citizens of Brigham City then proposed to hold their "Main square," and to Tiave this pretended pre-tended conveyance set aside. A certified copy of the original 1868 map or plat of Brigham City was obtained from Washington, D. C. The B. C. M. & M. A. then transferred the lands covered by the opera house. Under "counsel" the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints residing in Brigham City Third ecclesiastical ward of the Box Elder stake of Zion, purchased the ceedings to recover the "Main square." The city would not bring a suit against the church. It is generaly believed that the sale and purchase was "counseled" so as to prevent the recovery of the "Main Bquare." There is no thought now of interfering in-terfering with the so-called innocent purchasers of the "Main square," but the people feel that the local church authorities should not hold property obtained in such a manner. A return or restitution restitu-tion of the opera house to the people would purge the original offense. Some of our people think that the receiver of stolen goods is almost as bad as the original appropriator. ' Of course, the city or any citizen thereof could go into the courts and have the courts declare that the city is the owner of the opera house, but they would be compelled to make the church a defendant, de-fendant, and this they do not care to do. Some of the people believe that as soon as the real facts are known that the local authorities will do right in the matter. The people of the city have no city hall. The city is compelled to rent. If a city hall is erected it will be at a great cost, and if the course suggested here was taken it would causa more good feeling than anything else. This will explain why the people patronize the pavilion as they do. It will explain one of the causes of the bitterness existing here. MANY CITIZENS. |