The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-12-13
The Lightning Ticket Seller.

from the CtnclnnaC news journal.
Nearly every circus advertises its
treasurer and "th': lightning ticket-sel-
Ter Of the world" and the gentlemen
who manipulate the coin in ticket wag-
on unquestionably arrive at a wonderful
degree of proficiency and rapidity.
Knowing that Colonel John Murray's
name had figured good deal in this di.
rection reporter questioned him on
the subject recently.
Colonel Murray, from your expert
ence and your knowledge of the subject,
whom do you consider to be the fastest
ticket-seller in the word?' was asked.
"Well. that is hard question to an.
sWer. Several claim it, but a great many
things must be taken into consideration
quick calculation, correct change, etc.
believe, however, that none have ever
come up to the record made with Sells
Brothers Circus in Chicago o the lake
front: on Decoration Day, 1882"
"What was the record then?'
II sold 6, $50 tickets in an hour with.
out an error. ana without taking in
lad piece Of money. Ifthis record has
ever been excelled have not heard Of
it,"
care there many efforts to pass bad
! money!"
''Such instances are of every day &C.
currence. But in twenty-five years ex-
pcrlence have never taken but one s.
counterfeit bill. The silver money can
detect the moment get it in my hand,
either by the weig ht or the handling Of
1t. have passed money back so quick
| ly and went on selling tickets that the
party would look at me in perfect as
constituent and take minute or two TO
recover his wonted equanimity. Some
come back and claim that have given
them the wrong change. but that never
works as l know better. One very
amusing thing h?s occurred thousand
dimes, and that is when l have given
man his change and his ticket together
! not knowing it was in his hand, SO
| quickly had it been given him. l have
! seen fly fellows around the wagon come
| up and present twenty dollar bill ex-
pecting me to give them the wrong
change, but would never be caught in
anything Of the kind"
"YOu run across queer customers at
| the mouth of Il ticket wagon?"
81 should say so. In some parts of
| the South and North they come to
circus with knives up their sleeves, and
as weuld hand them money and tick
! cts the points of their weapont would
cut my hands. The negroes of the
South are the queerest set ever ran
across. They remember a man for
years. When had not been in a town
for four seasons have seen them stand
around the ticket wagon and say. That
is the same teller who was here four
years ago. Before the season is over
my hands have corns on them from the
constant handling ofsilyer. No attempt
at robbery was ever made but once, and
that was in Cleveland in 1880. It was
after the night performance, and had
over s. 600 in my valise. Eph Sells and
l were just getting off of the grounds to
take a hack, when man struck me
| with slug shot. shot at hin: and so
| did Sells, but he got away without the
money, and a policeman promptly ar
rested me for shooting at him. l have
been treasurer of Sells & Brooke's
Shows Cooper e. Bailey's Circus The
Great Southern Show and The Lake
Circus. l have also been treasurer of
several theatres, and used to officiate in
the box Office of the old Wooi's Theatre