Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-05
PULL OF THEATRE PASSES.
The Comforts You Can Buy with the
Pastoboards,

ABOUT an agent who was out aneao VI
a big company once. and lost his cut
trunk containing all his blank passes.
He didn't have any kind OF printed
form to write passes on. and In des-
pair Re telegraphed to his company
manager, saying:
Gam stranded in Pottsville. Send
me 100 blank passes quick. or 1 will
. have to spend real money.
1.-The advance agent of theatrical
company can appreciate that joke,
which isn't far wrong. He can get
wonderful favors in return for his
pasteboards and his expenditures Of
actual cash are reduced to a mini
mum.
II have just completed a trip to the
Pacific coast, six months on the road.
and during that time my expenditures
Of money were confined to street car
fare, when l didn't use carriage;
newspapers and, about half the time,
hotel bills.
Il also paid for my meals in the
dining cars with real money. l bought
q suit of clothes in Frisco, for which
paid half cash. A few luxuries were
paid for, and hundreds Of them were
given ne because 1 could write pass
eS.
when I left New York for San
Francisco on this trip our company
was playing in New York. A railroad
passenger agent had applied to me
several times for tickets, and l had
accommodated him.
when | was ready to leave for Chi
cago, our first jump. l asked him Tor
Il pass. He gave it to me without
hesitation and credited it to adVertis-
ing. This, he explained, was because
the rules of the Eastern Passenger AS
suciation prohibit passenger agents
from issuing passes, except In return
for advertising.
II was about to pay for my berth to
Chic: go, when he called some one up
ON the phone and told me friend OF
his i'm the Pullman company had fixed
my berth.
land. by the way, II you can spare
that friend a couple of seats, l know
he would appreciate it, remarked the
railroad man.
"He got the seats. and rode to
Chicago free. My meals on the trip
cost me the normal price.
AT Chicago the agent OF the trans
fer company gave me Il carriage to my
hotel and hauled my trunks free OF
charge I gave him couple OF pass
es in return for his courtesy and also
awarded him the contract for handling
our scenery and baggage. on which ne
made Il profit greater than the cost OF
my carriage.
AT the Chicago hotel. where | had
stopud before, the affable clerks fell
over themselves to give me the best
room In the house at the lowest posi-
bic rate-s1.50 n day. When l said l
wanted to save money they made 1t IS
week.
"'rhey almost apologiZed for asking
that much. because the proprietor
really insisted on every guest paying
something but they promised to make
it all right on my checks from the
restaurant.
.'pon't pay for your meals In the
cafe one of the clerks whispered.
Just sign them with your name. and
when you pay your bill you get %
per cent. discount. See"
II SOW. and | stayed at that hotel, one
of the best in Chicago. for rate less
than the average traveller would nave
10 pay at a second rate hotel III
course every clerk received a couple
of passes in return, for which each
uromised to tell the guests what Il good
show II WIS.
"The head waiter speedily discovered
r,y identity, and in return for one pass
pc gave me the best service In the care
and Strawberries and cream every
morning free of charge. These straw
ferries and cream were brought by the
waiter with the compliments Of the
head waiter and Wee never entered on
my bill
III - remarkable how quickly every
enc dis, overs the identity OF an al
vance. agent. and people looking for
rasses flock around him like flies hoy
,ring over honey. The carriage agent
of tn" hotel wanted Il pass, but dislik-
ing to ask for it boldly. he offered me
tl.c use of carriaet. any afternoon for
"A drive In the park.
81 GLADLY accepted the offer. Several
times during my stay III cnicas" | had
:, carriage whenever | asked for 1t. ana
il was never charged on my bill.
"rhere were many little side per-
uuisit"s which were handled adroitly
in different cities. For instance. the
advertising agent Of n theatre in an
other city remarked one day that my
shoes were looking shabby and that
ought to have a new pair. Then ne
coughed.
Il didn't wait for him to speak fur
Their. but wrote him n pass for two.
Next day he brought me an order for
pair of shoes on affirm that has stores
all over the country. signed by one OF
the officials of the company. / subse-
uuently used that order in city
thousand miles away and 1t was hon
ored without a single question for on"
of the best pairs Of shoes in the mouse.
l making my own selection.
Il have received number OF order!
Cor hats iE the same way and have
sometimes held these orders for months
before usirC them. Some ADVERTISING
agents are pretty clever at that sort OF
thiro.
"1n st. Louis I was presented with
half a dozen beautiful monosrammed
sui,ts py IL merchant who was casually
Introduced to me- in cafe. l showed
my appreciation by sending the mer-
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