Evening journal., 1900-09-06
TRIALS OF A WOMAN.
SHE WHO TAKES THE TICKETS AT
THE PICTURE SHOWS.

As rule the young woman who
takes tickets at the picture exhibition
is an art student herself. The other
girls trying TO earn money envy her
and think she has a "soft thing" 1t
is apparently easy enough TO be the
ticket taker at n picture show. All
there is to do. apparently, IS to sit in
roomful Of pictures, take peoples
tickets as they come in and sell cata-
logues.
"You would be surprised TO see how
much work It is" said n girl who
takes tickets at one of the big exhi-
bitions. You have to keep your eyes
open all the time, for there are n large
humber OF people who try 70 run past
without tickets. l have to go after
people a dozen times a day. calling
Ticket, please and they turn on me
with an indignant stare. Most Of
them then go and buy tickets. But
one well dressed woman the other day
took up her lorgnette, looked me over
from head to foot, and said in an icy
tone; Ticketi l have no ticketr and
proceeded calmly on her way. ran
after her again.
Madame l said, I shall have TO
trouble you for a ticket
az have already told you had
none she said.
I'm afraid you will have to get
one,' said l. was beginning to be
afraid should have TO get bounceI'
to put her out, for 1 was determined
she should not go in without paying.
That is what I'm here for, and l am
conscientious. Well, at last she hounc-
ed out TO the ticket office, bought her
ticket and put it down on my desk,
saying:
"'What an imposition
That is one sort Of the people / have
TO deal with. Then the other is the
kind who wish to borrow a catalogue
for a minute and keep it the whole aft
ernoon. / have TO be very stern about
catalogues. The best way Is to polite
ly look up whatever picture is asked
for and to absolutely refuse to let any
one take a catalogue for a moment
One nice old lady took me at my word,
oAo AteAAg bNAANNI rng AcAt1 LAE
every single number In the room.
did more than % cents worth OF work
for her, ] can tell you. The worst is
telling people the price of pictures. Aft
ter about six weeks Of it 1t CRATES on
ones nerves. This is what continually
happens. A threadbare old gentleman
comes to the desk:
sttno Won 1-uArxr r,,.t,o ~.
turesY he asks.
Yes; would you Ike to know the
price of anyT l reply.
There is one in the other ROOM he
says
"'What is the numberY l ask.
"'I can't tell you the number but it's
in the other room
"Then l have to send him for the
number.
"'No. 221.'
"'rhat is $500.
"'WhyT asks my old gentleman.
"If it's early in the afternoon. ex-
plain to him that l suppose the artist
thinks it worth that; that he is well
known. or what not; later ! say. 4
don't know Not one person in so of
those who ask the price have the
slightest idea Of buying. Some will
go through half an exhibition and in
sist on knowing the prices of all. l
get so tired Of being polite and affable
to all these people that by the time l
get out in the evening l am ready to
insult my dearest friend for the sake
OF being rude to some one. It's so
hopeless telling the price of a picture
over and over again and each time
having the people exclaim, What an
awful pricer
"A great many people hold me per-
sonally responsible for the pictures.
Lots Of people come and talk very dis
agreeably to me about them. What
makes them have such bad showsy
they ask me. Young men come up
and say, Isn't this awful trashT in an
accusing sort Of way, as though
had done it all myself. And one man
fairly shook his fist in my face and
demanded his money back It's a
swindleg he shouted at me. But II
really wasn't my fault.
"At private exhibitions it's different
There people come up to me and say
What a privilege to sit among the
works of the masters all dayg
don't tell them that If sat among
the works of the masters much longer
l should so mad, but would like to.
"The other day a friend Of mine
took my place. A man came up to heI
and asked:
miss. is your picture among these
works of art?
} "'Why, no. she replied.
"He stood off a little way and
squinted at her. IT should be-yor
are worthy Of it. Did no one ever tel
} you you had a beautiful prohleY
"That was a little startling, coming
from an utter stranger. Later she
learned that her admirer was -, the
= well known photographer. OF course
he had been looking at her through al
artists eyes and from a purely ar
tistic standpoint and had meant NJ
offense. But it was trying"