The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-30
PULL OF THEATRE PASSES.
COMFORTS you CAN BUY WITH
THE PASTEBOARDS.

An Advance Agents Trip 20 the Pacirc
COast-Actual Cash Needed for Street
Car Fare, q Suit OF Clothes and Some
Hotel bills Chieny-What Passes Buy.
'They tell g story" said the eI-advance
agent Of a theatrical company, about an
agent who was out ahead Of big company
once, and lost his cut trunk containing all
his blank passes. He 6idn't have any kind
Of printed form to write passes on, and
ia despair he telegraphed to his company
manager, saying:
sAm stranded in Pottsvllle. Send me 100
blank passes quick, or ! will have TO spend
real monev
THE advance agent Of a theatrical COM
pany can appreciate that joke. which isn't
far wrong. He can get wonderful favors
10 return for his pasteboards, and his eI-
penditures Of actual cash are reduced to a
minimum.
Il have just completed a trip 70 the
Pacific Coast six months on the road, and
during that time my expenditures Of money
were confined 70 street car fare, when
didn't use a carriage; newspapers, and,
about half the time, hotel bills.
Il also paid for my meals in the dining
cars with real money. bought suit Of
clothes In Frisco, for which paid half cash.
A few Injuries were paid for. and hundreds
Of them were given me because l could
write passes.
when I left New York for San Francisco
on this trip, our company was playing In
New York. A railroad passenger agent
had applied 70 me several times for tickets,
and had accommodated him.
when / was ready TO leave for Chicago,
our hrst jump, asked him for apass He
gave Il 10 me without hesitation, and cred
tied Il to advertising. This, he explained,
was because the rules Of the Eastern Pas
senRer Association prohibit passenger agents
from issuing passes except in return for
advertising.
I was about TO pay for my berth to
Chicago. when he called some one up on the
phone and told me a friend OF his IN the
Pullman Company had fixed my berth.
And. by the way. IL you can spare that
friend a couple Of seats, know he would
appreciate H. remarked the railroad man.
SHe got the seats, and rode 10 Chicago
free. Ny meals on the trip cost me the
AT Chicago the agent Of the transfer
COMPANY gave me q carriage to my hotel
and hauled my trunks free Of charge.
gave him a couple Of passes in return for
nlt Courtesy Nnu AAn0 bNAAhNA AlAln NhN
contract for hauling our scenery and bag
gage, on which he made profit greater than
the cost OF my carriage.
AT the Chicago hotel, where / had stopped
before, the aifable clerks fell over them
selves 10 give me the best room In the
house at the lowest possible rate-si 80
O day. When I said ! wanted TO save
money they made Il 81 a week.
They almost apoloEized for asking that
much, because the proprietor really in
sisted on every guest paying something,
hut they promised 10 make u all right on
my checks from the restaurant.
Don't pay for your meals In the cafe
one Of the clerks whispered. Just sign
them With your name. and when you pay
your oil You viii get rs per cent dis
count SeeP
Il saw, and stayed at that hotel, one Of
the best In Chicago, for a rate less than the
average traveller would have 10 pay at a
second rate hotel. or course every clerk
received a couple Of passes IN return, for
which each promised 10 tell the guests
what a good show Il was.
The head waiter speedily discovered
my identity and IN return for one pass
he gave me the best service in the cafe
and strawberries and cream every morn
ing free 81 charge. These 6traWborTies
and oream were brought by the waiter
VIA ths compliments Of he bead waiter