New-York tribune., 1902-02-21
OPERA SEATS GIVEN OUT.
WHEN OFFICE OPENED THE LINE IN
WAITING EXTENDED MORE
THAN A BLOCK.

The members of the start OF the Metropolitan
Opera House have arrived at the definite con-
clusicn that, although they are delighted to
entertain the Prince they do not care to enter
tain princes often. Some of them express doubts
as to whether they will live through next
Tuesday night. even till next Tuesday night
but the most of them expect if they get through
Tuesday to live for the rest Of the year.
Those who have been engaged in allotting the
seats which have been ordered for that night
have now been invisible to their friends. and in
cidentally. 10 their enemies for the last two or
three days. They keep themselves behind locked
doors. and communicate with the public through
a little window Yesterday even their busi-
ness associates were unable to get at them or
said that they were. and had to write the i'm
portant things which they had TO say, roll the
paper into pellets and throw them in at the
little window. Whether they were found and
attended to not discovered
AS to the question of the enemies already
mentioned these same distributors OF tickets
have made good many new ones by this very
process. The most of the seats in the opera
house command fair view of the stage, but
many of them command no view whatever OF
the box where the Prince is to sit. Everybody
to whom seat not commanding the Princes
box has been assigned, feels aggrieved and in
suited ana IL CoNNluCeu lHdl NlC ~0SAeAAAAASiAN
was made as a deliberate personal slight And
a good many of them have not hesitated to
write to the managers informing them that they
take that view of the case
1t was announced that those to whom seats
had been assigned might call at the box office
for them yesterday. The office on the opposite
side of the lobby from the principal one was
used for the purpose so that the sales for regu-
lar performances need not be Interrupted. When
the time for opening the office came there was
line in waiting which extended out at the
door, around the corner and to Seventh-ave
1t was some time before 1t grew appreciably
shorter, but the men in the office finally got the
work so well in hand that the length OF the line
was lessened, and through the afternoon there
were for most of the time only from half
dozen to a dozen or so waiting at once. There
was not the same necessity for long waiting
as in the of ordinary sale of seats, be-
cause these seats We're already chosen and as
signed so that there was not the usual delay
OF picking out seats on the plan, and all that
was necessary was for the men In the once 10
iii The seats and for the buyers TO pay for
tlSn.
Still, there was work enough Just as It was.
There will be more OF il to-day, and the treas
urer and some of his assistants spent the whole
of last evening preparing for il. When all these
orders have been attended to the public will get
a chance to buy any seats which may be left,
but 1t is problematical whether the public will
get anything.
There is going to be some lively work in
decoration at the Opera House. after the per
formance Of The HuguenCts' on Monday night.
Nothing can be done toward making the Ordi-
nary boxes into royal box till that time,
the boxes will be wanted for their ordinary pur-
pose on Monday night. There is a tremendous
amount of decorating 10 be done in order 10
make any show in the big house. and as this Is
10 he largely floral IL cannot be done till Just
before the performance lest the flowers should
fade before the time for their real use, 1t is
thus seen how the Opera House people. with all
their natural enthusiasm 10 make the occasion
a great success, do not care for frequent repe-
titons of II.