The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-07
The TICKET SPECTATORS.
New York Theatres May Solve a
Troublesome Problem.

Haymau's Crusade watched with
Interest-Othcr Amusement Houses
To Follow il His scheme succeeds.
Some Of the Tricks Of the Trade
NEW YORK. oct. Tonight viii prob
ably prove the efficacy OF Al Haymau.s
remedy To- crush theatre ticket specuja-
zion. Should he refuse to recognize tick
cts bought ON the sidewalk and should
ID, courts later sustain the validity of tho
contract printed ON the backs Of mis- now
tickets. il is likely other theatres Wi! fol-
low and the ticket Spectator viii DE
thing OF the past
a veteran manager. i'm talking about
tho speculatUr. said long ago legislation
suppressed him n Philadelphia. and ne
would net Doe tolerated in Baltimore. Chi
cago. 81 Louis. and Boston. I'm New
York he pays a $50 license, which permits
MIN Co sell tickets at any price, no mat
ter how ,Norbitant. and some of his kind
are not above selling "a gallery ticket UNI
der representation that II entities the pur-
chaser to a front seat in the balcony
The manager coluu.yc: Sometimes
there are managers. however, who de
ctiye You may r.coIIect some months
sale opened at q certain Broadway house
for a real hrst-class attraction. that the
pavement was througed all night boy
waiting army of District Messenger boys
and persons maSquerading as servants.
coaahmsn. and Wallets, an lounging or
sleeping at the posts and apparently
waiting eagerly for IN, hour when tickets
might be bought Now. 1 have no desire
to 5ctray TIE secrets of the family and
Of course. some Of those messengers were
genuine but l know that the majority of
them were hired by the management 70
play the part they played that night. and
the theatre people alleviated their hard
ships as much as was possible by letting
them go in small attachments to neigh
boring resorts for rest, sleep, and refresh
merit
That advertisement Of the coming at
traction cost the theatre something like
500 in fees TO messenger boys and others,
and it vas probably cheap at that Hun
dreds of late loitereres in Broadway saw
the sidewalk spectacle. and told their
friends of the unprecedented demand 20
witness the opening Of Miss What's -her-
name. and probably 80 per cent Of them
al once decided TO go early and avoid the
rush.
Il know theatrical managers who are
sincerely hostile to the whole system of
ticket speculation and would gladly give
money out OF their pockets Co abolish it,
but who. under the present conditions. feel
unf,igu,d satisfaction when they see the
spectators camped outside their own lob
by doors
For YOU must understand that the pro
fessional ticket speculator is usually Eel
H- l. a. H.. fa for
he stakes his livelihood upon il. Tie IS not
always influenced by the press notices.
either. lie knows the history of every
play. IL it is not new one. II it is a frs,
presentation he carefully notes the bona
dde early sales At the box Office and draws
his own conclusions accordingly before
he pIunges- In his way h is as saEacious
an operator as is the Wall Street specu-
lator.
In the effort 10 obtain tickets from the
box Offices Of theatres sincerely hostile to
them. and where the professional specula-
tors are well known. these fellows resort
10 an sorts Of clever subterfu2ss They
employ the services OF boys and servants
20 purchase for them at the box office
and give them - cents premium Tor every
ticket so obtained. They utilize the teIe-
phone booths from hotels and restaurants
and the mails from suburban towns
Many of our advance orders arc IeEiti-
mateIy booked by telephone nowadays.
and We cannot afford to throw out ou-
telephones
Some theatres have unwlttingIy carried
on their regular list Of lrst-uiGhters for
years men VINO always PAID promptly To-
treir tickets and who have been found 10
Dee turning them over regularly 20 the
sIecUls tors A doWLt.Wu fish merchant
was SO carried on the list Of nrst-niEht
Purchasers for every new attraction at
the Empire Theatre. and successfully
worked his game for about four years.
Then they found him out and since that
time the list Of regular tirst-nighL pur-
ch@sers has been carefully revised after
investigation 10y detectives
Il know Of reputable Worth Street
agent who represents a Fall River manu-
featuring concern. lie and his wife 60 20
the theatre regularly once a week
. throughout the season and never pay a
cent FOR their tickets. His social and BUSH
ness standing has enabled him TO get upon
the hr-t-niEht list o. several Of the thea
tres. He turns over 20 the spectators the
tickets so received. an in consideration
0f this service TO them ne retains for his
own use two good seats each week az one
house OF another.
Not one ticket Spectator in hun
dred in New York ever applies in person
for tickets AT box office. except al the
few houses where there is open OF thInly
yelled collision with them They know
that they are spotted. and would get a
prompt refusal so they resort 90 all sorts
CI IndirectiOus.
There We're some old actors and MIN
I les among the SPECTATOR and one rather
gifted chap here began 10 burltSguc IT.
wings gait. tones. ard stage manner in a
way that CONFUSED the gathering crowd
Cp and down thu sidewalk ~ STROBE IN
Sir Henry limpinE gait. with brows knit
nd mieu severe. He struck the pose If
Hamlet I'm the famous s0lilOQuy. and then
IN deep rUtterals CALCULATED. HUH Huh
To see Miss Terry or not 10 see Miss
| Terry. that is the question He ratified
off lines from The Bells and Merchant
Of Ncnice.' pointing each with carIca-
rUTc or the great traEeGIaH's most mark
ed ecceDtricities Of manner and speech.
until. atNast IL is said. there was more
applause on the sidewalk than in the the
aUre- I cannot VOuCh for IL. but the rI-
NOR was that the mana cement finally. in
sheer despair, called i'm the spectators
and settled with them 20 stop their rack
et.H
CONFERS WITH MR.. ROOSEVELT