The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-10
The Power Of the Theater Com
plimentary Ticket.
Used Lavishly by the Shows
Advance Agent.
ALMOST LEGAL TENDER
Exchanged for Railroad Fares
and Tailor Bills.
Without Them the Agent Is
Almost Stranded.

They tell a story said the ex-ad-
vance agent of theatrical company.
about an agent who was out ahead
of 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 despair
he telegraphed to his company man
ager saying:
Am stranded in Pottsville. Send
me 100 blank passes quick, or I will
have to spend real money.
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 minimum.
Il 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 I didn't use a carriage;
newspapers, and about half the time,
hotel bills.
Il also paid for M. needs in the
dining cars with real money. I bought
a suit of clothes in Frisco, for which
1 paid half cash. A few luxuries were
paid for, and hundreds of them were
given me because I could write passes
Francisco on this trip, our company
was, playing in New York. A railroad
passenger agent had applied to me
several times for tickets. and had ac-
commodated him.
when [ was raedy to leave for
Chicago, our first jump, I asked him
for a pass. He gave it to me without
hesitation, and credited it to advertis-
ing. This, he explained, was because
the rules of Eastern Passenger asso-
citation prohibit passenger agents from
issuing passes except in return for adj
vertising.
81 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, if you can spare
that friend a couple of seats, I know
he would appreciate it, remarked the
railroad man.
"He got the seats and I rode to
Chicago free. My meals on the trip
cost me the normal price.
at Chicago the agent of the transfer
company gave me q carriage to my
hotel and hauled my trunks free Of
charge I gave him a couple of passes
in return for his courtesy and also
awarded him the contract for hauling
our scenery and baggage, on which he
made a. profit greater than the cost Of
my carriage.
"At the Chicago hotel, where I had
stopped D6IOTe. the alIdDl6 Cl6IhS lG1l
over themselves to give me the best
room in the house at the lowest possible
rate-$15 so a day. When I said I want
ed to save money they made it s. a
week
They almost apologized for asking
that much, because the proprietor real
ly insisted on every guest paying some
thing, but they promised to make it 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 bill you will get a % per
cent discount. See?
I saw, and I stayed at the hotel, one
of the best in Chicago, for a rate less
than the average traveller would have
to pay at a second rate hotel. OF course
every clerk received a couple of passes
in return, for which each promised to
tell the guests what a good show it was.
1.-The head waiter speedily discovered
my identity, and in return for one pass
he gave me the best service ia the cafe
and Strawberries and cream every
morning free of charge. These strawber-
ries and cream were brought by the
waiter with the compliments of the
head waiter and were never entered on
my bill
1T is remarkable how quickly every
one discovers the identity Of an ad
vance agent and people looking for
passes flock around him like flies hover
the hotel wanted a pass, but disliking
to ask for it boldly, he offered me the
use of his carriage any afternoon for a
drive in the park.
Il gladly accepted the offer. Several
times during my stay in Chicago had
a carriage whenever I asked for it, and
it was never charged on my bill.
There were many little side perquisi-
ties which were handled adroitly in diff
ferent cities. For instance, the adver-
II
remarked one day that my shoes were
looking shabby and that ought to have
new pair. Then he coughed.
ST didn't wait for him to speak fur
Their, but wrote him a pass for two.
Next day he brought me an order for
stores all aver the country, signed by
one of the officials of the company. I
subsequently used that order in a, city
a thousand miles away and it was hon
of the best pairs OF shoes IN the house,
I making my own selection.
81 have received a number of or
ders for hats in the same way and
have sometimes held these orders for
months before using them. Some 'ad-
vertising agents are pretty clever at
that sort Of thing.
TN st. Louis I was presented with
half q dozen beautiful monogrammed
shirts by a merchant who was casually
introduced to me in a cafe. I showed
my appreciation by sending the mer-
chant a box for the opening night of
the play.
'eNeckties and socks have been
given to me in such quantities that my
trunk is always well supplied, and
haven't spent a dollar for such trim
r1ings in a couple of years.
'In San Francisco wanted suit
of clothes, and was steered straight by
one of the attaches of the leading
theaters there. This tailor sh owed me
some splendid materials, and finally
made me up a $50 suit for SIS.
HE assured me that the cloth alone
cost that much and that he was get
ting nothing for his labor, so l gave
him three passes for his family. The
suit really was a bargain, even at $50,
SO no doubt the tailor cheated himself
to get So worth of tickets.