The times., 1899-04-05
THE PASSING OF
WILLIAM 4. ROMAINE
Death of the Well-knOwn
Playhouse Ticket-Taker.
Stood at the National Theater Turn
lie Twenty-Five Years.
Collected a Million Tickets and En-
jOyed n Distinction Pc
cuIfar to Himself.

With the sudden death last evening at
his home, 935 H Street northwest, of Will
liam H. Romaine, of heart complications.
passes one of the most familiar and well
known characters of Washington. He has
been employed as clerk in the Treasury
Department for the past thirty years. but
it was not In this capacity that he be-
came SO widely known. 1t was in his po-
sition as chief doorkeeper and ticket taker
at the old and new National Theatres for
fully twenty-five years that he became as
sociated, at one time or another, with al
most every local theatregoer during the
past two decades Thousands passed him
at the National ticket-taking stile yearly,
and during the course of his connection
with the famous playhouse a million per-
sons handed him their entry tickets and
received their coupons in return.
Probably no other man in the city, not
even excepting the private doorkeeper to
the President, has been brought face to
| face with SO many persons each day as has
Mr.. Romaine. The nightly procession of
theatregoer has been constant at the old
| playhouse for twenty-five years and dur
| ing that time Ticket-taker Romaine has
seldom been absent from his post. Conse-
! quently his was familiar face to almost
everyone and those who Will mourn his
! loss are legion.
! Mr.. Romaine was very popular among
those who knew him. He was fifty
/ years old and was a man of fine physique
and military bearing, his appearance be-
ing all the more distinguished by reason
| of his long steel-gray mustache and snowy
| hair. All of the Presidents from Grant
| to Mckinley have passed the portal for
merly guarded by Mr. Romaine. and in re-
spect to the number OF distinguished Amer
leans that have fled by him he enjoyed
distinction quite his own, for 1t may be
safely asserted that no other single ticket
taker in the land possessed the opportunl-
| ties in this respect that the deceased did.
| Mr.. Romaine was transferred from tbs
National Theatre to the Academy of Music
at the beginning of the present theatrical
| year, where he held 4 position similar to
| that occupied by. himself at the National
He had been suffering from heart COM
| plications for almost year and several
months ago he was forced, out of regard fol-
his health, 10 give up his place at the
Academy of Music. Since that time his
post at the Academy has been filled by
R. d. Howell. When Mr.. Romaine severed
| his connection with the National Theatre
he was succeeded by J. Jameson, the pres
ent ticket-taker.
Mr. Romaine was born in New York City
in 1912. At the age of fifteen years he en-
tered the regular army. and saw serv ce
during the Mormon troubles in Utah He
walked from the East to that State. lit
served in the Union Army during the Civi
War, and was a member of Lieutenant
Cushings Battery. which was present al
the bitter struggle which was waged 81
| what is now known as the Bloody Angie,
at Gettysburg. After the war he served or
the New Ironsdes" as a member of the
Marine Corps. He was present at the ole
Ford's Theatre in Tenth Street in this C ty
on the night of April IA. 1865. and saw tn;
assassin Booth make his deadly attack or
President Lincoln. Shortly after he cam;
to this city Mr.. Romaine secured employ
ment at the Treasury Department. and hi.
been there for thirty years. He is survive.
by widow, son. and a daughter.
The funeral will probably be held at St
Patricks Church on Friday, and intermen
will be made at Arlington. The deceased
was a member of the Royal Arcanum, ant
one of the original members OF the loca
lodge OF the Order OF Elks.