Letters From The People

Editor Courier : Since all enterprislng classes of our city seem to comprehend the ultimate benefits absolutely certain to arise from an increase of a desirable population, and, as the spirit and desire to boom the advantages of our city seems nbroad, It may not be deemed arrogant to state what has already been done by the Beethoven society in a quiet, yet most practical way, toward showing the superior advantages of our city in rich and fertile ground, and, perchance, to enlist the material sympathy of tliose "booniers" who really desire and are prepared to aid a substantial boom. In 1874 the Germán singingsocieties of Michigan, then belonging to the German national society of America, withdrew from the central society to establish the Peninsular Sangerbund, in order to enlist all the societies of Michigan to hold one grand festival every second year in some city of the state. So far, these festivals have met with success, the nuniber of guests ranging from over five thousand in the smaller cities to over ten thousand In Detroit. Soon after inauguration, the Beethoven society of A un Arbor joined the Bund, and at the festival in 1884 invited the Sangerbund to Ann Arbor in 1886. Not one city of the state had a hall to accommodate the guests, and so halls had to be built expressly for the festivals. In Detroit the great Music hall, lately destroyed in the large fire, was built for these festivals. The Beethoven society reckoned on the support of the universitv and at the last August meeting of the board of regents the case was properly presented and the regents generously gianted the use of university hall for the concerts. But, besldes the hall, there are othergrcat expenses coiuiecteil with these festivals, and as the question of the failure to pay expenses on account of weather, etc, must be taken into consideratlon, a guarantee fund btcomes an absolute necessity. So far, these funds have only been drawn upon to pay for the halls. The Beethoven society needs a guarantee fund of $2.500, and so far only $1,200 has been subscribed. Now, when you bear in mlnd thnt the men of other cities of the state reached deep into their pockets to build halls for the Sutigerbund, it certainly is not asking too much of the "boomers'' to subscribe, say, from $25 to $50 to this fund, of whicli not one dollar will be taken if the weather is at all favorable. Milwaukee has raiwd a guarantee fund of $25,000 for the national sangerfest. No one can question tlie advantages certain to accrue to Ann Arbor from this festival. Thousands will come to eee the university and our beautiftil city, and the impressions here made will be carried back, not to those dreary homes where dogs and cats receive that devotion designed to have been a motherly care of inmortal souls, but to cheerful hornee, where blooming wives are proud mothers of large familie?, to supply the coming generation with muscles, and nervef, and brains; to carry the civilization of our race to a higher plane ia the Üerce battle