Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-07-01
LBrTka 70 Nh. nIIL
pAyAxroRr. June 18th. 1862.


LErTEa 70 M. HuA
DAvAxPoRr, June 18th. 1862.
r. B. HILL. ESQ Dear Siy:-The Ladies
Soldier Aid Snc,ety rot having received oil
the proceeds Of the concert Of Wednesday, eve
ming last, have requested tie uodereigned to
inv eetiga,e the matter and report TO them the
reasons Of this deficiency. Upon inquiry We
find that all the proceeds Of the reserved seats
haW been paid TO you. aud have been i1form.
ed that you claim 10 be entitled to the same.
We are further informed that, beside MIR.
Sirassers tickets. you had othsr entrance (as
we'll as reserved) tickets printed. which were
eoid and received at the door. and which. 60
far, have never been accounted for We
further find that while the performers on the
stage paid tie entrance c. Rrge, you issued to
Your f:iends, larx- numbers Of complimentary
tickets Az pear as the undsr-gned can as
certain, it is in this way the deficiency Of
which the Ladies complain has occurred. Wo
therefore take the lit erty OF submitting these
matters to you for explanation. Mr.. Strasser
informs IS that he rented the hall Of you for
twenty dollars, and that 10 mention V as made
about retaining in addition the proceeds OF the
balconies. The Treasurer of the Ladies' Sol,
diers' Aid Society saw You on the subject, and
you agreed to reduce the rent to fifteen dol
lars. and no m ention was then made about re.
tanning the balconies for your own profit. %
Monday afternoon previous to the concert one
of the undersigned (Mr. Putnem) saw you at
the request Of the Ladies. to have the plan Of
the hail placed at Mr.. Starr's, so that the re-
served eeats could be sold, and no mention
was then made Of any such reservation. Sew
eraI ladies afterwards saw you, expressly in
regard to these reserved seats. aud You never
pfir rofc IN than at hoI nottinO IN
do with the balconies but promised to have
the plan of the hall where these tickets could
be soid a. they desired. The Ladies Of the
Soldiers Aid Society could not imagine, with
out an express agreement to that effect, that
you you d charge extraordinary rent, for
the use of tie Lall fer so charitable and pa"
trio,ic purpose, when any strolliDg company
can rent it !or twenty FIVE dollars. Finally,
If it was your intention TO reserve the pro-
ceeds OF the balconies, why did you not let
the community know the fact, instead Of re.
serving the communication Of your intention
until the concert was over. thus misleading
phila nthropic citizens into the belief that, in
procuring reserved seats, they were contribr- =
ting to a charitable fund.
We take the liberty Of submitting these ir-
quiries to YOU (as they are freely uade
throughout the community that you may
hav" AN opportunity to make public. and,
we tfnst. satisfactory explanation. We de.
sre an early reply.
V.ry respectfully yours,
CnAs. T.. PUr.,AM,
A. j. PRESTON,
CHAs LESLIE
P. S. Since writing the above, your letter
to Mrs LESLIE has been placed in our hands,
but, as il does not explain all the matters re
ferred to above, we have concluded to eend
this litter. and request reply TO the same.
The committee wil state in conclusion, that
the number OF peraons in the balconies on the
evening Of the concert canrot have exceeded
lS0, which, il this estimate be correct, would,
at rs cents each, amount to Si5, which added
to the - above referred to, makes $47 now
in Mr. Hills hands. which in our opinion
should be paid over to your Society.
As this seems to ceuclude our investiga
tioDs. We presume it will be the pleasure oi
your Society to discharge the committee from
further duties.
CHAs. E. PUTNAM,
CUAs. LESLIE,
A. J. PRESTON.
Davenport, June 3otb, 1862.