New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-19
THE USHERING BUSINESS.
PROVIDING FORCES FOR BIG PLACES
AND TRAINING THEM.
MIR. BULLS WORK AT THE OPERA HOUSE AMI
THE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

| ,o cot ,-ood onas so I prefer 10 take men who
I know nothing at all about the work ana Tram
them myself" said Thomas Bull at the Metro
politan Opera House, on recent SatufuaS
afternoon. a matinee was in progress at the
time and the small force Of nineteen men, Wy
means Of whose services the immense Metro
politan audiences are handled had just given
proof Of the thOroughness Of that training MI.
Ruu is certainly qualified to speak upon any
thing relating to usherng at places OF amuse-
mont for attending to the details of that work
ard teaching others how to do it properly nave
been his occupation for many years AL hrst
with a partner and afterward alone. ne mas
been at the head of what may be called sort
Of bureau for supplying STATS or ushers "
ulaces where the management does not WISH u
trouble itself with the hiring or lndiViuudi ap
pl!cants. often Of doubtful competency
Besides having charge Of the opera H'"'u
during the season. Mr.. Bull also attends to all
the usherlng at the Madison square ai"o"'
whether the attraction there be the Horse Show.
the Dog Show, the cycle Show. the Sportsman
Exhibition the six-day bicycle race. an occa-
sional prizedght. or any one of the many DIG
affairs which crowd the building in the course
Of the yea The Horse Show usually takes
place Just before the opening of the opera sea-
directly to the other have often noticed, some
what TO their surprise. that the same ushers are
| to he found at both places. When there are at
/ fractions at the Opera House and the Garden
at the same time of course an extra force OF
ushers has to be furnished for the latter place
In addition to looking after these two big es-
Establishments Mr. Bull is called upon to assume
the direction of a multitude of other occasional
affairs, such as concerts at the Waldorf Astoria
and at other large hotels. and various outdoor
entertainments which require the seating or
great numbers of persons on stands For many
seasons ne had charge Of the Yale-Prnceton
football game here. and has managed the STANDS
for many of the big parades. among them the
Columbian Celebration and the Grant Memorial
THE SYSTEM AT THE OPERA.
Mr.. Bulls method of recruiting his usherin9
forces may be understood from the system pur-
sued at the opera. Each ucher there has his
substitute who reports before every perform
ance, ready to take the place of the regular
man in case ne should be absent. These substi-
tutes are frequently young men who have come
to the city to study music. and are glad to be
on hand every evening for the occasional chance
OF hearing the music and earning a little money
at the same time. Through a little private
training by Mr.. Bull and through careful watch
ing of the other ushers. the substitutes soon get
hold Of the principles of their work. and by the
time a vacancy occurs in the regular stan or
extra ushers are wanted for another place. they
have gained sufficient experience TO enable them
to fill the position.
In teaching them Mr. Bull first explains the
plan according to which the seats in the house
are numbered-for example. that the odd num-
bers are all on side and the even on the
other. etc When they appear to understand
| these details he tests them by asking them 10
take him to various seats in different parts or
the house mentioning the numbers at random.
The substitute in training sometimes grows ner-
vous under the test ard, afraid of seeming too
slow in considering. he rushes off at the mention
Of number. perhaps in quite the wrong direc-
ton. Mr. Bull says nothing. but follows him
calmly down the aisle. They stop in front of
seat and the new usher turns red and becomes
greatly discounted as he finds that he has made
a mistake.
Now" says Mr. Bull. quietly. suppose you
did that when the house full. The aisle
would be crowded with people coming in behind
YOU and il would be a very embarrassing posi-
ton both for you and the people you were di-
recting to have to make your way back again
through the crush and start on another tack"
The substitute seldom fOrgets this illustration,
and takes a little more time to think thereafter.
When called upon to do the ushering at short
notice in an unfamiliar building Mr.. Bull goes
there with his men and has rehearsal" as
he calls t-more than one. If there is time. He
distributes seat checks among them. and re-
quires them to be able to go rapidly and without
hesitation to any part of the auditorium. With
competent ushers and a modern house. in which
the seats are well arranged, it does not take