The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-22
Junk Room Of Thedter
And It's Greet Utility

Most people know all about the stage
Of theater, even that mysterious part
known as "the WINGS" All theatergoers
are familiar With every corner and
nook of the auditorium of the theater
from the boxes to the niger heaven"
They know, too, something about the
box Office and its workings, and they
can tell you just what system Is en-
ployed by the theater for the proper
checking of seats. But 1t is safe to
wager that but few Of even the most
constant theatergOers know anything
about the Junk room" Yet every the
alter has q Junk room," and every con-
f1rmed first nighter has had occasion
TO be grateful to that same junk room
for the restoration of articles lost
That is what the junk room is for,
to house the belongings which absent
minded patrons have left behind them
in the auditorium.
Queer things turn UP in Junk rooms.
Once baby turned up there. It hap
pened here in st. Paul at the Metro
poIitan theater. A woman had come in
from White Bear lake to attend the
matinee. She brought her year old baby
with her because there was no one
with whom she could leave it at home.
During the play the little chap became
sleepy, and his mother carried him out
to the womans dressing room and laid
him on one of the couches there.
In the exciting finale of the play she
forgot all about the baby, and board
ed a saltwater car for home She had
travelled about six blocks when she
thought Of the baby. 1t took her per-
haps about six minutes to get back to
the theater. The auditorium was
shrouded in darkness. But in the junk
room behind the box Office came a
happy "goo goo." which the anxious
mother recognized instantly. Hurrying
fhFOlIorh Ia or'c off Io
upon an interesting group.
The head usher was sitting in the
center of the Junk room" holding the
baby carefully on his knee. Gathered
about the baby was an interested group
OF theater employees, each one engaged
In the fascinating task Of trying to hold
the babyS undivided attention. In spite
Of the fact that he had been enjoying
himself thoroughly, baby did not OBJ
Ject to going home, and with his de-
parture that Junk" room lost the most
precious possession perhaps that it has
ever held.
When the big curtain falls on the
final act Of the play and the audience
pours out In search Of restaurant or
carriage or car, the lights are not i'm
mediately turned off, as many people
seem to imagine. The theater, indeed,
remains brightly lighted for five min
ute1 at least, while the ushers make a
L
books, watches, diamond pins, jeweled
hairpins and hatpins, fans, handker-
chiefs-all these things have from time
TO time been picked up by ushers.
They are Immediately turned over to
the man in charge of Junk" room ar
dcles, and when the anxious owner
comes to make inquiries this man an
swers his questions and restores the
article. The more valuable an article
is the sooner 1t Is missed, of course,
ana the sooner appears at the box Of
flee the owners anxious face
One Of the st. Paul theaters had an
exciting time last winter trying to
decide the ownership of a sealskin
muff. The muff was found by one of
the ushers> one night after the play
and promptly turned over to the Junk
room man. That night a woman tele-
phoned down to the theater to ask If
such mutt had been left there. She
received an answer in the affirmative,
ana stated that she would be down the
next morning to claim 1t. But the
next morning two women swept in.
Both were beautifully gowned, both
claimed to be travellers passing through
the city, and both demanded the seal
skin muff.
There was absolutely nothing about
the muff to distinguish it from other
sealskin muffs, and the man in charge
OF the junk room was staggered for a
moment. Finally one Of the women
explained that the year before the muff
had been refined, and she thought that
the name of the furrier had been left
on the inside, underneath the new lin
ing. Acting on her suggestion, the lin
ing was ripped open, and there was
the name of the furrier she had given.
The muff was turned over to her.
The other woman, muttering that she
must have left hers In the restaurant
where she had eaten supper, hurried
away. Whether she had really left
the muff in the theater or had over
heard the telephone conversation the
night before, the man in charge of the
junk room has never been able to de-
eide.
Often people think they have left ar
tcles at the theater when they have
really left them some place else, and
the junk room man has to convince
them of this fact, and part Of his duty
Is to send them away in a pleasant
frame of mind. Sometimes after a
theater has been emptied of its audi
ence man rushes back and insists