The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-02-25
Tickets for the Opera.
The Rights of the Public in their Purchase
Testimony of Miss Annie Louise Cary.
PHILADELPHIA Chronicle-Herald.J


Tie Chronicle Herald has spoken briefly of
the suit brought by Mr.. Charles E. Pearce, Il
prominent lawyer of st. Louis, for $1,000 dam
ages against Charles A. Spaulding of the
Olympic Theatre, in that city, and j. I'll. Ma
pleson, director of Her Majesty's Opera Com
pany, for alleged injuries sustained by Tim in
his failure to secure certain seats for the opera
engagement. 1t is claimed by Mr.. Pearce that
he conformed strictly to the public announce
ments, and that on Monday morning 7th in
slant, he appeared at the box office of the
Olympic, remaining there from until 9
o'clock, and was the first to make application
for seats that he then and there selected seats
numbered 675, GIT, 679, 681, in the front row of
the dress circle, and rendered S84 in payment
therefor, but was informed that the seats bear
ing the numbers referred to were not for SALE
The taking of depositions in the case was begun
before a notary Friday, and Mr.. Mapleson, Cam
panini, Miss Cary and Nine. Gerster testified.
Miss Cary's testimony, which will interest
the general public, is reported by the St. Louis
Globe-Democrat as follows: "She was ele-
gantly clad in a costume of maroon silk and
velvet, with gold chain about her neck, wire
SOiN oioS0iOeo dhu SoFcIdi utdulUuu TluSS. heT
testimony was mingled with sarcasm and hu-
NOR aHd plays upon words. Upon being
sworn, she testified in clear, concise and en-
phatic manner, sometimes appealing Innocent
ly for the proper word, and again begging the
notary to Withdraw some statement she ap-
peared to believe was too positive. At one
time she used the expression tricks OF the
trade in connection with the sale of seats, but
a frown from Charles Mapleson caused her to
quickly withdrew the language. Mr.. Maple
son was not at all pleased with the testimony
of Miss Cary, and the attorneys for the plain
tiff called him to order for whispering to the
witness. The witness appeared. no" ever, to
finally take the matter into her own hands,
and she pushed out boldly from all restraint
and spoke her mind Once, when Mr.. Maple.
son suggested some phraseology different from
that she had used, she simply replied, Better
tell the truth and be done with it. This can
not possibly reflect upon you, for it is the
American theatre managers want to strike
Then she proceeded with more vehemence
than ever, and at last Mr.. Mapleson left the
room. The witness testified as follows:
My name is Annie Louise Cary, and L re-
side at Portland, Me. l am a lyric actress by
profession, and have been eleven seasons on
the stage. nine of them in America. 1 am at
present employed with Colonel Mapleson. In
my opinion there is certainly a choice of seats
at an opera house or theatre dur
Ing an opera season. l should con-
strue the advertisement referred to in the
Globe-Democrat to mean that could obtain
choice OF seats in the entire house ON present.
ing myself at the box-office at the time desig-
mated; but knowing that regular patrons of the
theatre do write TO managers to reserve their
usual seats, should not expect to find the dia-
gram clean. The public generally are aware
of the private arrangements between managers
and some OF their patrons in this respect and
custom is custom. l do not say it is right, but
unless IL shall be prohibited, everybody must
remember that it is a custom, and conform
themselves thereto. If 1 was not posted
concerning these private arrangements, or
agreements between the managers and partic-
lar patrons-if 1, in my supposed ignorance of
theatrical usages should find myself the first
person at the pigeon hole of the hox office,
should expect clean diagram, and to have
my choice OF the entire house. do not think
1t right for managers or the management of
theatres to advertise the sale of season tickets
to commence at a certain period, and then re-
fuse choice Of seats to the gentleman or lady
who appeared at the box office in compliance
Herewith. But gentleman (such as the
plaintiff is) in st. Louis should know that he
would find half the b ,use taken by regulat
patrons. To the regular patron it should not
have been a novelty to find the box-sheet half
pected to find everything clear. AT the same
time that does not make it right. The first
come should be first served. When they ad-
vertlse a sale to begin at q certain time they
should present clean diagram" Cross-ex-
amlned-'I know, as matter of fact, that a
custom prevails among managers to mark off
particular seats for persons who call for them,
either by letter or personally, prior to the reg
ularly advertised sale of season seats for the
opera. This is much to the disgrace of our
management and the maltreatment of the pub
lie. Witness was here shown a diagram of
the olympic Theatre and asked to designate
the seats most suitable to person of the tastes
of the plaintiff and the attorney for the de-
fendant read the petition of plaintiff to show
what those tastes were If were in New
York would select the first box in front, but
at the Olympic would prefer the front row of
The dress circle; L don't want anybody's bonnet
my way if could select my seats differ
emily for different nights, l should vary them
according to the character of the opera, but if
l was compelled to have the same seats every
night l would certainly prefer the front row of
the dress circle. Ii refused seats numbered
675 to 6S1 (being the first person applying at
the box ofice), was compelled to take seats
back in the sixth row, l should not feel
damaged in pocketbook, but L would feel
damaged in temper and patience, and would
consider the advertisement misleading and
false have no interest whatever in this
case, and if inclined to be preiudced it would
certainly be in favor of my impressario, but
feel that am one of the public. and am my
self aggrieved by this practice of managers. If
young gentleman and lady desired seats for
this season, the seats numbered 675 to 6S1 are
among the best. 1 have never occupied seat
in the auditorium of the Olympic during an
operatic performance