Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-02-17
THE SCRAMBLE
Over the Bernha rdt Ticket Sale.

There was a lively time %yesterda.
among the play-goers.
The sharp morning breeze and th.
low state of the caloric failed t
soothe or cool those citizen
who wanted front seats for the Bern
hardt engagement, beginning to.mor
row night with "Frou-F rou" ant
closing Saturday night with "Adri
enne."
Many who participated in tn,
scramble came out at the littl,
end of the horn, as it were
Those who got in at the heat
of the column, pulled off thu
plums in the shape of front seats, ant
several were SO elated over their sue.
cess hal they went on a spree during
the afternoon, while peddling thu
same out at the rate of five dollars q
seat, an advance of two dollars ovel
the figures paid.
The first buyers were all spectators
or representatives of pools or groups
of persons who were willing to pay
bonuses for the best seats. Nine &C.
cupants Of the front or right of the
line proved lucky, as they scooped in
all of the front seats and many of the
second row in the dress circle. There
we're but sixty one froHt seats in the
dress circle, of which it is said only
ffty-two were sold by the agent.
According to his rule, no buyer was
to be permitted to purchase more than
six front seats, aud the ninth buyer
had his rations cut down to four on
the dress circle front. :,
The associated press agent expresses
himself as much aggrieved over the
remark in this journal, yesterday, that
he has speculated upon his press asso-
citation privileges. This was expected.
He claims, however, that he received
no favor whatever beyond that of any
other citizen. He had employed two
boys to get in the line in front of the
ticket-ofice, and they were numbers
eight and nine in the list. When it
came their turn to be waited
on No. s took six front row tickets for
each performance and six second row,
while No. 9 got only four on the front.
He stood by the side Of the agent and
said 'that would do" and he paid over
the cash for forty tickets the same as
any other citizen ought to have done.
He further says he did not hawk the
tickets about the streets, as some have
asserted. The tickets we're given to his
friends, a few Of whom paid him five
dollars each by way Of compliment.
He further says, when the agent
opened the door he announced that if
any members of the press we're pres
ent, they might enter and witness the
sale Of tickets, to see that it was all
fairly done or otherwise. The invita-
ton was accepted, and Of course when
the boys under his employ came to be
waited on he did the talking and pay
ing part of the business.
The fact that he was there and did
this was the occasion of sharp and
lively criticism in mercantile and bank
ing circles between the hours of ten
and eleven o'clock, only an hour and
a half after the ticket-ofice opened.
Several gentlemen who had waited
patiently up to that moment, seeing
the way the matter was progressing
turned and left the theater, disguised,
and did not got any tickets. A num'
Der Of these bought afterwards from
the spectators at spectators prices
1t may have been all regular, but
doesn't look so. A gentleman, who
had given up the idea Of going to see
Bernhardt, changed his mind about
eleyen'o'clock in the day and paid the
press agent ten dollars for two tickets.
The same gentleman was out three Oh
four dollars for his share Of the vigil
kept last week in front of the
Peabody. The gentleman's visit tc
Bernhard will cost perhaps $50, in.
GLIDING hack hire. Being a liberia
citizen he Of course does not are.
The press agent may not descFv;
blame for the part he played. HI
thinks be has as much rigrt to specu.
late 10 tickets as anybody, provided
he does it in a square manner, ans
this, he claims, is the fact. lie re
oeived but two tickets, and they il
the parquette for his personal use
This is a great deal to say about s.
small an affair, but it was the talk o
the town last night and to day; hcnc.