New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-16
TIE TICKET BUSINESS.

The very general desire to see and hear
Charles Dickens, and the great crowds that
throng 10 his ticket-oflicc TO secure places,
have developed in its fullest Inconvenience the
system or lack Of system of disposing of
tickets TO places of public entertainment. We
receive complaints almost hourly against spec
ul1,ors, against uufamess in the offer of seats,
against disorder and confusion the audiences
and the other discomtts that wait upon
pleasure seekers in this city.
Now certain truths in regard 20 these mat
tcrs are self-eyident. So long as reserved
seats aie sold, spectators will get them; all
the vigilance in the world cannot prevent that.
And even If spectators were shut out, the
best seats would be secured by those who hap
pened to be friends Of the managers; or, ii
not in that way, such seats would go to those
who had the most time to spare, or who could
afford TO give n large price for place in the
queue near the tickct-windOw. The laboring
man may desire, and certainly deserves, as
good n seat as the millionaire; but he cannot
send servant TO wait five hours in the crowd
10 secure il, nor can he spare ten minutes Of
his own time for such a purpose. Hence, If
he goes Mt all. he is crowded back into the
lobby, or, il he will have a good place, he sub
mits 10 the shave of the sharks who hang
around the door with fIOnt-seat tickets for
sale nc IN advance.
The only way to cure these eyls-one and
all-is TO put an end TO the sale Of reserved
seats and go back to the sound democratic
principle of first come first served" That
was the rule when Kean and Cooper and
Forrest played at the Old Park; that was the
a. Il bon
(Which he did not keep IN the original Olym-
pic at 12I and 25 cents admission that was the
rule when Marshall made the old Broadway
the leading tragedy house in the city and
that was the rule maintained to the very close
of his management by William Niblo, whose
Garden was for twenty years the most fashion
able IA well rs the most popular place OF
entertainment in America. There were great
crowds in those days, and houses were jammed,
and hundreds turned away, and all that; but
audiences were quite as comfortable, ana
great deal better pleased, and there were almost
no complaints Of unfair treatment. Only the
nrivote boxes were reserved To all other
parts of the house the public took their chances,
lust AS they now do in street cars and ferry
boats. Tickct-spcculators were unknown, and
dreamed of.
Whether it is advisable to return to the old
way, we do not undertake to decide Inc
first objection, made without knowledge
would probably he that in cases like that nj
Steinway Hall there would be difficulty with
the crowd But crowds are easily kept III
order. With II large lobby (Which every thea
ter should have) and five or six ticket windows
and one hours time from opening the doors
until the rising of the curtain, five THOUSAND
single tickets could be Sold and every seat III
the house filed with perfect ease. NO man
ager should be allowed to sell more seat-tlckets
than he had seats and if Il limited number Oh
"standcesn were sold, tho ticket should eN-
prcssIy state that the holder need not expect
seat. o.,
This plan would cncctually do away with
sncculotors and render impossible the disposal
of choice seats TO favored parties AS Ill tilc
old time, every one upon entering the uooi
would be free to take any unOccnpieu Sc"''
There would be no difficulty IN admitting
Lonsefull in even less tmo than we nave sug-
cested the two central gates OF Fulton Ferry
admit sometimes nearly fifteen thousand per-
sons in sixty minutes; two theater gates mlsht
surely admit Eone-quarter as many since
the sale of tickets without coupons or num-
hers could be made almost as rapidly as the
ferrymen take change. =
With regard to spectators, tho dispoSa. VI
choice seats, the sale of the poorest seats HIST
aud so on, about which We get 80 many con-
plants, we SEQ no remedy therefor except rs
above indicated. We do not know that man,
ayers or artists are concerned in these sna''
tricks; but we do know that in Che Leading
houses when u jam is expected, the best seils
are invariably gone long before the day o.
performance; and tbh oractic" ~ 50 pn-'''''