Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-22
From the Boston Journal, Nov. ls1
MIR. Dickens in BOstOn-Ghe Eager
Demand far. ruYckelS.

IOr
The great interest felt here in the second
advent in America and Boston OF Mr..
Charles Dickens, and the promised read
ings by himself of his own popular aid
worldwide writings, was displayed, in no
slight degree, yesterday, when the sale OF
tickets TO tho readings took place at the
store of Messrs. Ticknor and Fields. From
quite early in the frosty morning to some
time after dark, the store was filled with
people anxious to secure tickets, ana the
doorway was constantly beseiged by
throng which extended. some portions OF
the day, in line averaging three or four
deep, around the corner of Hamito place,
and along the sidewalks in the place, back
to the further corner of fremont street.
1t had been previously announced in the
newspaper advertisements that the
sale would open at, and not be-
fore, O'Clock in the forenoon, but quite
crowd gathered around the store as early
as $50 O'Clock, evidently, i'm their appre-
ciatinn of the fame of Mr.. Dickens, under
standing the force of the proverb concern
ing the catching of the worm by the early
bird. At 7:30 O'Clock over seventy five
patient walters were counted, and by y
o'clock some two hundred more. The
clerks opened the store soon after o'clock
and admitted those in waiting. but finding
that the crowd was larger than the store
could easily accommodate closed the doors
and procured policemen to guard them.
The fortunate ones admitted passed the time
which interviewed between their entrance
and the opening of the sale in most agree
able and comfortable manner, and OCCASION
ed considerable jealousy and envy on the
part of those without, whose blue noses
and generally pinched looks disclosed the
mild torture they were undergoing in the
raw and chilly air of the morning.
But the crowd out in the cold was most
o-1a IL ND
and seemed to be determined to be jolly
and good natured uuder any circumstances.
And it was situated in place where jolity
was virtue-wherein Marx Tapley even
might find it a pleasant task to be oily
The wind swept around the corner OF
Hamilton-place necessarily and remorse-
lessly. and worked its way through the
thickest coats and the warmest shawls to
the very vitals of those they attempted to
comfort and protect. But there was no
complaint; jokes were cracked, some very
good and some very poor; quotations from
Dickens were made, some apt and others
forced and snatches of songs were sung,
the most popular of which was, "We won't
go home till morning"-which at one time
it seemed likely that some would not. And
the crowd was gallant, too, as the follow
incident will show: Among the earliest
comers were two heroic ladies one of them
having waited three hours for an opportu-
nifty to procure her ticket, was, by COM
mon impulse of generosity, allowed to take
a position in advance of gentlemen who
had come before her, the matter being put
to vote and unanimously decided in the
affirmative. The fact that some people
were eight hours purchasing tickets-five
out in the cold, and three in the store
shows the persistency of the would-be
ticket-purchasers. There were many who
waited six hours, and very many four
hnt haf fI,n Il I, ~r.
mission were procured. And there were
quite number, too, who after almost
freezing in the line three or four hours. re-
treated in despair, without obtaining that
for which they had suffered.
Everything in the sale of tickets within
the store seemed to be conducted with en-
tire fairness. The limit was set at forty.
eight tickets to one person-twelve course
tickets-so as to prevent, as much as pos
sible, ticket specu,ating. But this was moi
entirely avoided. Spectators were on the
streets and in the hotels selling tickets
readily for $40 and SIS each for the open
ing night. and few as high as $40 EACH
Tickets for the remaining three nights were
also sold by spectators at high prices. Al
about half-past seven o'clock last evening
every good seat and nearly every poor seat
in the hall was sold; indeed, the only seats
that could be bought were those on bench.
es in very unpleasant places.
Gentlemen coming down town In the
morning and seeing from a distance the
crowd around the door of the store, the
policemen, and the barred windows, sup
posed fire had occurred within the store
and greatly deplored the catastrophe. The
retail portion of the store was not open fol
business-other than the sale of tickets
during the entire day, and no one could
obtain admittance, no matter how much he
desired to ''buy book" as one individual
insisted he did to the incredulous police
man and the waiting crowd.