Sacramento County
Biographies
PLEAS G. MIKLE
With the development of that
progressive suburb of Sacramento known as Oak Park the name of Pleas G. Mikle is
intimately associated. To him belongs the distinction of having bought the
first property west of Thirty-fifth street, of having erected the first brick building in the suburb
and of having operated the first hotel or restaurant in the place. The
association with the new addition, begun in the incipiency of the movement, has
continued up to the present time and has brought him some discouragements but
also many successes. The only heavy loss which he has experienced since
coming here was in connection with the destruction of his hotel property by
fire August
13, 1911. At the same time
the catastrophe destroyed his moving-picture theater in an adjacent
building. The loss of $15,000 would have discouraged many a man to the
point of complete retirement from business, but Mr. Mikle
was not so easily disheartened. Without even a momentary hesitation he
decided to rebuild and to invest $15,000 in a fireproof theater, for he
believed no location would prove more advantageous for such a building than the
one in which already he had met with both success and losses.
In view of the fact that Mr. Mikle has made his own way in the world from the age of
eleven years, his present high standing furnishes silent testimony as to his
energy and capability. His parents, Martin E. and Delia (Marcum) Mikle, died many years ago, and after he had spent the
first eleven years of his life on the farm in Wayne county, Ky., where he was born, he started out to earn his own livelihood.
Without education or friends or means, he had many discouraging experiences in
youth. Life to him presented few joys. The burden of toil fell upon
him at an age when the majority of lads are attending school or enjoying
wholesome recreations, but it was his lot to drift from farm to farm, working
at first for board and clothing. After a time he learned the blacksmith's
trade and this he followed for two years with the street car company of St. Louis. After coming to California in 1890 he made brief sojourns in San Diego and San
Francisco and then
spent twelve years in the blacksmith department of the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company in Sacramento, resigning that position in order that he might identify
himself with the new addition of Oak Park. Here he operated a hotel for twelve years until it
burned to the ground in 1911, and here he has identified himself closely with
all the movements for the local upbuilding. In
addition to his property at this point he owns real estate in other parts of Sacramento. In fraternal relations he has been a worker with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically he votes with the
Democratic ticket in national elections, but in local campaigns he supports the
best men, irrespective of their partisan views.
The new Mikle
theater has a frontage of one hundred and twenty feet
on Thirty-fifth
street, Oak Park, and while erected mainly for the exhibition of moving
pictures, it also is provided with facilities for vaudeville. Competent
critics pronounce this theater to be one of the safest playhouses in California. Absolutely fireproof from the ground up, it has the
further advantage of being provided with exits six feet wide on both sides of
the building, as well as the rear, while there are also exits from the front of
the theater. The operating box from which the pictures are thrown is a
model of fireproof construction. It is made of reinforced concrete lined
with hollow tiling, and is built with every precaution for the safety of the
patrons of the theater. The mechanism is so perfected that the slightest
spark of flame will close the operating doors, thus smothering the flames
completely in the box. All of the wiring is hid in conduits, which does
away with the danger of fire from grounded electric sparks. A complete fire equipment is also on hand, ready at an
instant's notice to provide for any emergency.
The color scheme of the interior of the
theater is dark red and green, with wainscoting of a beautiful blue tint.
More than five hundred chairs of handsome design, built with steel uprights,
were provided, these being the latest improved opera type: noiseless, ample
and comfortable. In opening the theater the management purchased two of
the finest motion picture machines on the market. These are known as the Motiograph and are of the latest 1912 models, projecting
pictures that practically are perfect. The machine is fitted with
automatic shutters that close at the first sign of fire, a feature that adds
greatly to their expense, but is abundantly compensated for by the feeling of
security possible to patrons. The stage is of ample height and width to
render possible the production of vaudeville or even of stock pieces, while
dressing rooms on either side of the stage and retiring parlors for the patrons
of the theater complete the luxurious equipment of the new and popular
playhouse.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento
County, California, Pages 578-580. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1913.
© 2005 Sally Kaleta.