Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-02-20
IN THE 0LDEN TIMES.
WHEN THEATRICAL TICKET sPEcU-
AToRs WERE IN GLOVER.

How One Of Them Won a wager BY the
AID Of on Old violin caso-rhe Tflct
was ono Of Jimmy Byde's. waom All
Old Time New York show People know.
'The palmy days Of the ticket specu-
lator are over" said the old theatrical
man. There's nothing in the business
nowadays. Newspaper criticisms, the re-
suit Of public sentiment, were the first
things TO kill the business, and It never
has and never will revive. Why, It was
nothing In the old times for a man to
make SeJ and $50 IN 8 night specializing.
It wasn't necessary, either, for a man to
stand in with the box Office in order to
make money, as spectators have to now
adays. A %speculator could be stuck with
10 or 20 ket and still make some profit.
SO far as making money now, though,
there is little IN it. A speculator is in
luck if he can knock out So a night. All
Of the old timers who made big money
specializing years ago are either dead or
in other branches Of the business now.
A trickier or smarter crowd of fellows
than some Of the old time spectators
could not be found.
about the most successful game I
ever saw worked by a ~speculator was
the scheme gotten up by Jimmy Hyde,
then prominent among ticket specula-
tors, to beat the French ball. Jimmy,
who is now with the Casino, made up his
mind that it would be an easy thing to
beat the ball nj of several hundred dol
lars. Max Hirsch, who was then and is
now treasurer of the Metropolitan Opera
House, was telling Hyde about the elab-
crate arrangements that were being made
for the French ball that year., and how
1t wa bound to be a great success on ac-
count Of the entire suspension of the
free list, when Hyde exclaimed; 'Sus-
pend the free list, ELI? Well, you can
suspend and be darned, but Just the
same I'm going to pass in at least 10
people, III bet you don't pass in q soul,
barring YOURSELF replied Hirsch.
1.-THE result was a heavy wager, Hyde
betting that he would pass in at )ssst 10
strangers for nothing, giving Hvne of
them tickets or passes. Every one who
heard of the bet laughed at Hyde, but
Jimmy simply smiled and said nothing.
Those who knew Jimmy Hyde felt con-
hdent that he would succeed in doing
what he had boosted he could do, al
though nobody could see just how he
was going to manage it. Well, on the
night of the ball Hirsch stuck around the
door of the opera house all night, watch
ing every one that passed in. 1t was Just
about midnight when Hyde, followed by
a meek looking individual who carried
something under his coat, showed up in
the vicinity. Leaving his companion on
the corner, Jimmy walked into the lobby
and approached a young man who wai
leaning against the wall.
"'Going IMP asked Hyde.
"'Can't. Amt got b epriceY respond
ed the stranger.
"'How much have you got? asked
Hyde.
1.-Two an a half
"'Well, it's money anyway, so con-,
on, and Hyde walked out of the lobby
followed by the young man.
"'Now, see here said Jimmy whel
they reached the corner, when you ge
inside don't stop a second, but just e,
right past the wineroom down TOWARD
the stage. At the left end you'll find
fight of stairs. Go down them, ant
you'll find yourself in the cellar right un
der IL of the gratings which open OF
Thirty-ninth street. win you do that?
~ don't see any use of doing all that
but you get me in and I'll do it.
"'All right said Hyde, and he tool
we vandiv from under his companion
coat and handed it to the young mar
1t was ar old and battered violin case.
""Take that and walk right through
the door, said Hyde. IF any n say
anything to you, just say musician,
and pass OF When you get in the cellar
pass 1t up to me-
"The young man took the case an
walled into the lobby and past the door
men without any trouble. In three min
utes he was under the grating and ha
passed the case up through II small apei
ture. Nine other men, each of whoI
paid from So to "a apiece for tho use c
the violin case, were successfully passe
through. Hirsch stood at the door th
whole time and never once saw throug
the game. 1t was one of the doorme
who caught on first. he thought it r
markable that so many Of the orchestr
were coming in late, and when Hyde
eleventh man tried to pass through /
nailed him. Musician said the ma
hoarsely, but it was no go. The doc,
men took the case away and opened i
OF course it was empty.
; Clyde saw that the game was up an
almost burst with laughter when he sa-
his man go sailing out into the stree
, with the old violin case flying after hin
. The truth flashed on Hirsch in an ii
slant. Two mutual friends whom HyC
had let into the secret at the last m
a ment testified that 10 men had bee
. passed through on the old case, an
! Hirsch paid over the amount of Il
= wager like a man. It didn't take Il
4 crowd long to drink up the money, an
when it was gone Hyde wal forced
blow in the money he had collected fro
those he had passed in too. That was
mighty neat piece Of work, that was, an
g there wasn't another man in New Yol
Q but Jimmy Hyde who would ha'
y thought of it. 1t seems that Hyde h;
made up his mind to beat the bali in th
way long before the bet was made, al
that he only accepted the wager becau
he saw a chance to rake in a few dolla
n more.
d Eyes, the day Of the ticket speculat
It is over, and, despite the old saying tn
history repeats itself, l don't believe it
ever come around again. New 70.
guu