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* ;Historical SeriesSt. Cfcarti* Mtiur. Oeoewto ZI. JJHOPEH t IIOUSK AT 311 MHTH MAINState to Study Gas ConservationJEFFERSON CITY. MO. - An investigation to determine the feasibility of various natural gasconseivation measures has been ap nomced by the Missouri Public Service Com-mission.The primary area we will consider is the improvement of insulation in hotnes tc save gita, James K. Mouse, chairman of the Public Service Commission said. “So we will study ways in which the natural gas distribution companiesin the state can encourage homeowners to install sufficient insulation and thereby heat more efficiently ”“The ideas wo will discuss include advertising to promote insulation, consultation with customers on their insulation needs and the possibility of allowing utilities to make loans to homeowners to pay for insulation.The commission set an informal conference on the matter for Jan. 25 at Hie Public Sendee Com-f want your share ofTOMORROW?mission.In its order, the PSC noted that specifications of the Federal Housing Administration regarding Insulation have been made stricter ever the past 30 years and that the FHA now requires sk inches of Wanker.-type material or its equivalent in ceilings of houses located ii areas of severe cold.‘ Although most new houses constructed exceed FHA minimum*, the commission said in iu order, the commission is of (I* opinion that a substantial number of residential units contain only tt»e amount oi Insulation, if any, that was required by FHA standards in effect at thetime of construction.'Hie PSC sad it is possible that a sub stantlal conservation of natural gas souid in achieved by means uf unproved insulin on due V. Hu; probable nuiiibcr ol uninsulated and under-insulated residential units m the statuFamous Store Was OnceSt. Charles Opera HouseK« t.tun McKlliincv OIhoi I want to tell you about the famous uw:r»Opurw i Main.House, now the Famous Store at 311 North St ftiartesJohn C. Mittelberger was a man of great wealth, a large owner of property, and was considered the finest of the merchants uf Si. Char leu. lie opened a drygoods store of what is no* 311 Main street. We have an interesting advertisement in the archives that reads, “Denlri in Dry Goods, Boots. Shoes, furnishing goods unu so forth. libs advertisement, a full page, is da:.ed December 24.1M0. lie look in as a partner his son. John N. Mittetberger. Incidentally. Jotn N.Mittelberger was a mayor of St.. Charles, elected in 1872;ne of the worst fires tn St Charles business honscs that has been recorded was in the year 18-1. The Mittclbcrgcr store urns completely demolished. The records read “The entire stmfc an-1 the entire building is a total loss.St. Charles iiad a very fire Concert Hat! whichstood next to the old court, house on Main andMadison. This Concert Hall vos completely destroyed by the great tornado :ii lftVti With t|*e Concert Hal! gone, there was a great need for another Concert Hall.Therefore, the MitteUiergers drew up plans to rebuild their dry goods .“-tore on tic first floor and the Opera House was r,o b** on »h#* second floor. What a wonderful Opera House it was. Out archive* show that many an old fire minstrel show was held here. Bysing matches, wrestling matches, plays, and many of the school plays mri graduating exercises were held here. One must remember around that lime inhwtirts were Itv popular entertainment.This opera house had an entrance separating it from the Mittclberger Dry Good* Store. This or-trance to the staircase is now occupied by Giern and Deal’s Barber Shop. I well remember goin-up this beautiful enclosed staircase to a landing.At this landing was the box office with the mat selling tickets hidden behind at elaborate iron grill. He kept the money in an iron box. 1 can still sec that box filled with money, and! thought how lucky that man was to have tliat hig pile of money. You turned to the right after buying your ticket (most tickets were 25c), and then you went up another flight of steps, and then you entered the opera house, which was beautifully lighted.ft had a large stage with dramatic curtains tbit were pulled back with a rope. The seats were heavily upholstered and seemed to curve in » SCMiilt;iicle. The balcony was oil of this world. What fun it. was U sit in the balcony and nibble n\ the Finest pofx-orn imaginable. A big hag ot poo-coni could be jus chaser! for ac at the ticket officeAs I ilt;Hik back on the famulus ;ld Opera Hou*;,t especially recall a dramatic play thal was given called 'Uncle Tom s Cabin” and ln*w vrc uli wept over Little Evlt;..On May 25. I8W. the M. Charles Military College gave a play which \r;is written anti produced b Rupert Hughes. Incidentally, be was also the inm; ewlO'. This was the first playKilled Hx Iever written by the renowned Kupert Hughes who was to become famous as o playwright and author.Thor- w;is a manager oFthe operahouse by the mi me re L Mclntire ir 1895. He adopted a child by the name of Frank Cullar. As a child Frank Cullfir was constantly playing a ukelele. This talent ed child was allowed to plav his ukelele and sing during the intermission. When Frank Collar became famous, he took, as a stage name. Cliff Edwards. Today we all know him as I llcelele Ike who Is on Stage:, radio, and television. What wonderful sound effects he used to entertain the audience at the GUI Optra House, and how clever he was dancing ctnd Singing with hi.s ukelele Incidentally, Ckelele Ik? keeps up his friendship with many people in ». lltfn tes. lucltding Agate WeberThe dr- goods Store ol the Mittplbergers bos since jv tsed tlimugh many hands. In 1906 A. Biseslrin had his dry goods store there. Later it was called the Frank Dry Goods Store, ami today it i« the Famous Apparvt Sbnp The Old Opera House on the second floor continued to be used for m.ny years, and we hove many of ds programs in the archives. One that I wars especially interested ;n was that -if Hr- kindergarten das of 1914. Jo Urnon was the teacher, and Darby Tally took purl id ‘he play • • he was the frog.Today the second tloor of die old ujxj a hotter. i.=. empty. ;'i:I ot die sears were sold and removed, tuil the s'U«ge is still there in all its glory Even today it looks .nut as :*ig as it did when \ was a chilliWhen .inlm C. Milidberger first come to Sr. Glinrte.' iii lWH. he went into the milling business. Fju iuilli were railed die Northern MiUs^indhe took in as a partner Christopher Weeks TDis was a profitable and successful fciciness In 1864 ho estoblijhed the Mittelberger dry goods Company and colled it J. C. MittoUxTgor ;«i»t Sun Dry Goods Company.He was largely lnstniment2l in establishing (lie car shops in St.. Charles and was a large stDckhukler m the Union Savings Bank.Note: Docunn-ntiitiou and archive* referred to arc on fill? with the St. Charles County Historical Society.MIHMr s. Frances M Mass. lormerlv ri Portage lies Sioux. Mrs. Mass died December 22,1973 nt the L’hnrlevfii’f NimHixg Huint*. iu SI. Charles at the age of 88. She was tf»e wife of the lute Ixio J Mass, i:hitlier of fcur sons, l.en K. of FlorissniU, Horry J. j-nd Kietmrel a. VIjiss both of St Charles, Also. Howard Maas uf Al’lon. Ihree laughters. Mrs Henry (Ix-fniti Jacob ofShrewsbury. Mr*. Delmar lt;B^madineiLesmristur^ Alton. Sisler M. Alboia 0 S-U-of Altou. .Ul. Ode broVtc: Jusepli Messmatm. M) C.r/indcoiidreii. 32 g'ciit-gramlchlWi’en and other relatives. PttnwiJtMl ui death hy i wnsons. CiHford Randolt. two sisters and one brother. Set vices wore tic Id December 34 ar 11 a in. :it St. Francis Cathnlii: fJiureh aud OnX't.ery in I'urtagi- fes Sioux. Ftuicred anangnnents by Banc Funeral Home
Newspaper Details
Saint Charles Journal
Saint Charles, Missouri, US
Thu, Dec 27, 1973
Page 38
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 29 Apr 2019
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